Bruins down Braves 51-14
Flathead running back Joe Jones (9) looks for running room after a reception against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Nate Skonord (19) looks to pass in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Jackson Walker (2) looks to pass in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead wide receiver Brody Thornsberry (88) fights for yardage after a reception in the second quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead Braves wore a special decal on their helmets to commemorate 9/11 as they faced the Helena Capital Bruins at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Jaden Williams (1) sheds a tackle on a kick return in the first half against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defender Braden Capser brings down Helena Capital running back Dylan Graham (6) in the first quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead defensive end Zarek Lee (48) wraps up Helena Capital wide receiver Tom Carter (2) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Nate Skonord (19) is tackled by Helena Capital linebacker Joey Lauerman (44) in the second quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead quarterback Jackson Walker (2) throws a screen pass to running back Joe Jones (9) under pressure from Helena Capital defensive lineman Talon Marsh (52) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Sept. 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead Braves fell 51-14 to the Helena Capital Bruins at Legends Stadium on Friday.
The Bruins had five rushing scores in the first half and an interception return for a touchdown for a 42-0 through two quarters of play. Bruin Dylan Graham ran for three touchdowns and fellow senior Tom Carter rushed for two on the day.
Flathead continued to fight and found a groove in the second half, outscoring the Bruins 14-9.
“I really wanted to see those guys not quit on themselves, don’t let the game be over with and it was nice to see them respond,” Flathead coach Caleb Aland said.
In the third, Flathead senior quarterback Nate Skonard sparked the Braves offense after replacing starter Jackson Walker.
Skonard notched a fourth-down conversion, connected for a 30-yard gain down the sidelines to move deep in Bruins territory, rushed for a first down to keep the drive alive and capped things off with a beautifully placed pass to Brody Thornsberry in the back right corner for an 18-yard touchdown.
After the Flathead defense got a red-zone stop, Skonard hooked up with Thornsberry on a deep ball that resulted in a 93-yard touchdown and sent the Braves’ crowd into a frenzy.
“Nate Skonard came in and he has been a rock for this team…did some really good things for us, threw two darts for touchdowns,” Aland said.
Defensively, senior linebacker Easton Capser and junior defensive back Tanner Heichel had key plays for Flathead, with Capser making a big hit to force an incompletion and break up a potential touchdown pass. Heichel recovered a Capital fumble.
Skonard ended up 5 of 10 passing for 157 yards. He and Walker were each intercepted once. Thornsberry had 119 yards on three receptions.
Graham’s unofficial total was 187 rushing yards on 17 carries; Carter added 87 on six carries as the Bruins piled up 387 yards on the ground and 533 overall.
The Braves’ next game is a road matchup Friday with the Butte Bulldogs in a battle of 1-2 teams.
Capital 14 28 6 3 - 51
Flathead 0 0 14 0 - 14
C — Hayden Opitz 30 run (Keven Lachere kick) 5:53-1Q
C — Dylan Graham 14 run (Lachere kick) :24-1Q
C — Tom Carter 10 run (Lachere kick) 8:07-2Q
C — Carter 2 run (Lachere kick) 5:36-2Q
C — Graham 2 run (Lachere kick) 3:54-2Q
C — Austin Flies 25 interception return (Lachere kick) 3:54-2Q
C — Graham 61 run (Daniel Larson kick no good)10:37-3Q
F — Brody Thornsberry 18 pass from Nate Skonard (Connor Skalsky) 8:19-3Q
F — Thornsberry 93 pass from Skonard (Connor Skalsky) 3:58-3Q
G — Lachere 22 FG, 8:04-4Q
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Flathead (25-62) — Gabe Lake 7-26, Skonard 6-18, Joe Jones 4-6, Trevor Burke 1-2, Jackson Walker 7-10. Capital (47-387) — D. Graham 17-187, Carter 6-87, Cole Graham 9-37, Hayden Opitz 1-30, Joey Michelotti 2-23, Brent Horton 2-7, Hudson Grovum 2-7, Charlie Smith 2-6, Colton Lindgren 1-3, Merick Mihelish 5-0.
PASSING: Flathead — Walker 5-15-1 for 24 yards, Skonard 5-10-1 for 157 yards. Capital — Grovum 6-8-0 for 103 yards; Carter 1-1-0 for 38 yards; Mihelish 1-2 for 4 yards; Michelotti 1-3 for 1 yard.
RECEIVING: Flathead — Joe Jones 5-18, Thornsberry 3-119, Ben Bliven 2-38, Lake 1-4. Capital — Opitz 3-74, Jack Drynan 1-50, Colton Lindgren 1-17, Gage Fawthrop 1-4, Carter 1-1.
