Big Sky downs Flathead 53-20
Flathead quarterback Nate Skonord (19) completes a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brody Thornsberry in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defensive back Stephen Riley (7) knocks a pass away from Missoula Big Sky tight end Owen Stavish (86) in the second quarter at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Gabe Sims (84) picks up yardage after a reception in the third quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead running back Joe Jones (9) looks for running room in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead takes a moment on the field during their first offensive series to recognize injured senior wide receiver Bobby Walker (3) as they take on Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Nate Skonord (19) looks to throw in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead offensive lineman Sawyer Troupe (69) picks up yardage after catching a pass in the third quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Brody Thornsberry (88) tries to get around the end on a run in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defenders Gabe Lake (32) and Stephen Riley (7) bring down Missoula Big Sky wide receiver Steeler Hansen (9) in the second quarter at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Gabe Sims (84) holds on to a reception in the third quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead running back Joe Jones (9) picks up yardage on a run in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Plenty of things went right for Missoula Big Sky and the other way for Flathead Thursday night, but the key stretch came in the second quarter of what was a tie football game.
Big Sky took the ball after Brody Thornsberry’s 50-yard touchdown catch drew Flathead even at 7-7, and basically refused to give it back.
The Eagles scored a touchdown, a field goal, a safety and another TD in eight minutes. Up 29-7 with 3:47 left in the first half, they went on to win 53-20 at Legends Stadium.
Big Sky improved to 3-6, and at 2-5 in Western AA games earned the league’s No. 6 seed into the postseason.
Nate Skonard threw for 322 yards and two scores for the Braves, who ended up 1-8 and 0-7 in league. He added a late 20-yard touchdown strike to Colin Leonard to cap the scoring, and he led Flathead on a sharp, 86-yard drive to close the first half.
That TD, a short run by Joe Jones with 11 seconds left before intermission, cut the gap to 26-13. But Big Sky — running some wing-T and other misdirections — kept scoring. The Eagles drove 65 yards with the second half kickoff for the second of Drew Martins’ three rushing touchdowns.
That made it 33-13; after Mason Fulford intercepted a Skonard pass — Fulford wound up with all three Big Sky picks — Joey Sandberg scored on a 68-yard run for a 39-13 lead at 4:56 of the third quarter.
Martins threw for 125 yards but Big Sky did most of its damage on the ground. Sandberg rolled up 169 yards. Drew Paxton added 96, including a 39-yard touchdown off a reverse in the second quarter.
Right, that second quarter. Big Sky took the lead for good, 14-7, on a reverse-option pass from Colter Ramos to Jace Bykari covering 22 yards.
It capped an 11-play drive and when the ensuing kickoff bounced off a Flathead blocker and was recovered by Big Sky, the Eagles ran off nine more plays.
That drive ended in a chip-shot field goal by Martins.
Flathead went backward on its next possession, and a punt from its 5-yard line ended in a safety thanks to a high snap. Given a short field thanks to a Flathead personal foul, Big Sky soon got Paxton’s TD.
Big Sky rolled up 347 yards on the ground and 499 overall.
Flathead had some high points — a leaping grab by Gabe Sims here, a reception by banged up quarterback Jackson Walker there — and 147 receiving yards from Thornsberry.
The Braves gained 374 yards and picked up 21 first downs, but turnovers and penalties (10 for 93 yards) sent them to their eighth straight loss.
Big Sky 7 19 13 14 - 53
Flathead 0 13 0 7 - 20
MBS — Drew Martins 1 run (Martins kick), 1:38-1Q
F — Brody Thornsberry 50 pass from Nate Skonard (Connor Skalsky kick), 11:50-2Q
MBS — Jace Bykari 22 pass from Colter Ramos (Martins kick), 7:10-2Q
MBS — Martins 26 FG, 5:23-2Q
MBS — Safety, punt snap out of end zone, 4:20-2Q
MBS — Drew Paxton 39 run (Martins kck)
F — Joe Jones 1 run (kick blocked), ::11-2Q
MBS — Martins 1 run (Martins kick), 7:20-3Q
MBS — Joey Sandberg 68 run (kick failed), 4:56-3Q
MBS — Martins 2 run (Martins kick), 11:11-4Q
MBS — Michael Prather 11 run (Martins kick), 6:31-4Q
F — Colin Leonard 20 pass from Skonard (Skalsky kick), 1:42-4Q
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Big Sky (51-347) — Sandberg 20-169, Paxton 11-96, Martins 12-34, Hansen Steeler 3-23, Prather 2-13, Tanner Davis 2-9, Colter Ramos 1-3. Flathead (22-52) — Skonard 13-31, Jones 6-31, Brody Thornsberry 1-minus 1, Gabe Lake 1-minus 4, Leonard 1-minus 5.
PASSING: Big Sky — Martins 10-13-0 for 125 yards; Ramos 1-1-0 for 22 yards; Paxton 1-2-0 for 5 yards. Flathead — Skonard 21-39-3 for 322 yards.
RECEIVING: Big Sky — Ramos 5-76, Owen Satvis 3-24, Bykari 2-35, Mason Fulford 1-11, Drw Paxton 1-6. Flathead — Thornsberry 5-147, Jones 5-35, Ben Bliven 5-33, Gabe Sims 3-62, Leonard 1-20, Jackson Walker 1-14, Sawyer Troupe 1-11.
