Herd-Epperly TD lifts Bigfork over Florence
BIGFORK — In a rematch of last year’s State B championship, Bigfork edged Florence 20-19 Friday in a Western B football game that came down to the final minutes.
The defending state champion Falcons roared back from a 14-0 deficit with three rushing touchdowns from Patrick Duchien, two in the fourth quarter.
Suddenly down 19-14 with 1:32 left, the Vikings got the winning TD, an 11-yard pass from Tristen Herd to Isak Epperly with 39 seconds remaining.
They drove 60 yards in under a minute.
“We threw the ball,” Bigfork coach Jim Benn said. “Which probably surprises everybody, including myself. But we’ve worked hard at it, and I’m really pleased with our kids that way. Tristen Herd, he got rocked a few times tonight and he just found ways to get the ball to people. Isak Epperly had a tremendous game on both sides of the ball.
“And Patrick Duchien is one special football player.”
Florence outgained the Vikings (7-0 overall, 4-0 in the Western B) 334-237, but the hosts benefited from field position and solid defense, including from Wyhatt Joneson, who had 15 tackles.
Still, Duchien — he quarterbacked Florence past Bigfork 42-0 in last year’s championship — ran for 160 yards and threw for another 144.
“He’s 6-foot-3 and has to be two bills,” Benn said. “If there’s a kid that breaks open, he finds them. He’s fun to watch. The Griz had better figure it out and offer him.”
Duchien’s scoring runs came from 15, 3 and 3 yards. After his third, the Vikings started at their 40 thanks in part to a late hit on the ensuing kickoff return.
Epperly had five catches for 68 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter; Herd was 11 of 22 passing for 104 yards. Joseph Farrier ran for 65 yards on 17 carries, and scored Bigfork’s first TD.
Florence 0 7 0 12 - 19
Bigfork 14 0 0 6 - 20
B — Joseph Farrier 4 run (Tristen Herd kick)
B — Isak Epperly 27 pass from Herd (Herd kick)
F — Patrick Duchien 15 run (Cole Fowler kick)
F — Duchien 3 run (kick failed)
F — Duchien 3 run (pass failed)
B — Epperly 11 pass from Herd (run failed)