AA football: Coopman, Braves rally past Broncs
BILLINGS — Eli Coopman’s 7-yard touchdown run capped a wild fourth-quarter comeback for the Flathead Braves, who knocked off Billings Senior 34-30 Friday for their first football victory in 10 games.
Coopman, the Braves’ senior quarterback, led Flathead (1-0) back from a 30-13 deficit at Daylis Stadium, though the first points in the comeback came on a 17-yard scoring run from Nolan Campbell. That came with 9:04 left in the game.
Coopman, who ran for 167 yards, scored from 17 yards out with 4:25 left, then scored the game-winning TD — his third rushing score — with 1:34 remaining.
The defense played a major role, forcing two 3-and-outs after Campbell’s touchdown. Oliver Rosenberg, who caught a touchdown pass from Coopman in the first half, sealed the game with an interception with 1:22 left.
“Our kids, man,” first-year Flathead coach Mac Roche said. “They didn’t stop fighting. They did not stop. Senior’s a good team, and they took some shots.
“The second half we got our running game going and that was it; we just wore them down. Our offensive line did a great job and it was pretty damned fun.”
Flathead is 1-0, while Senior fell to 0-2. The Braves trailed Great Falls 21-7 at the half last Friday before lightning suspended the game. It was later called a “no-contest.”
“Last week we were down two touchdowns at halftime and some people thought we deserved a loss for it,” Roche said. “This week we were down two touchdowns and came back and won it. I think that validates the MHSA decision to make the first one a no-contest.”
Coopman was key with his arm and his legs. He hit Rosenberg for 13 yards — Rosenberg shaking a tackle at the 15 — ahead of his final touchdown. He finished with 176 passing yards.
“He’s unbelievable,” Roche said. “He’s a warrior. He just takes over. That’s not to say other people didn’t have good nights; the offensive line played great. But the most impressive thing about him is he never gets down, he’s never frustrated. He's a cool cucumber.”
Senior quarterback Severan Cellan threw for 334 yards and three scores, two of them Ryan Jennings, who also had a rushing TD. Cellan’s third scoring pass, to Tre’Yrio Gisler, put the Broncs up 30-13 late in the third quarter.
Then Flathead took over, outgaining Senior 194-15 in the fourth quarter. Rosenberg had seven catches for 91 yards, and his 18-yard gain on a third-and-20 screen to start the fourth quarter was as big as any play.
The Braves picked up their first football win since beating Missoula Hellgate to 48-14 to close the 2023 season.
The Braves host the Hellgate Knights this coming week at Legends Stadium. Hellgate lost to Billings West 56-14 Friday.
“We’re excited to come home and face a good Hellgate team,” Roche said. “We’ll enjoy this one for about 24 hours and get back to work.”
Flathead 0 7 6 21 - 34
Senior 7 13 10 0 - 30
S — Rylan Jennings 1 run (Paeton Swain kick), 8:33-1Q
F — Oliver Rosenberg 9 pass from Eli Coopman (Brett Chivers kick), 7:15-2Q
S — Jennings 52 pass form Severan Cellan (Swain kick), 4:49-2Q
S — Jennings 10 pass from Cellan (kick failed), 1:21-2Q
S — Swain 27 FG, 8:59-3Q
F — Coopman 1 run (run failed), 5:29-3Q
S — Tre’Yrio Gisler 10 pass from Cellan (Swain kick), :51-3Q
F — Nolan Campbell 17 run (Chivers kick), 9:04-4Q
F — Coopman 17 run (Chivers kick), 4:25-4Q
F — Coopman 7 run (Chivers kick), 1:34-4Q
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Flathead (43-264) — Coopman 26-167, Campbell 15-93, Leum Saisbury 1-1, Dillon Wink 1-0. Senior (33-144) — Jennings 11-58, Brendan Koch 10-56, Cellan 6-18, Zach Dobson 4-11, Swain 2-1.
PASSING: Flathead — Coopman 13-25-0 for 176 yards. Senior — Cellan 18-26-1 for 334 yards; Jennings 1-1-0 for 8 yards.
RECEIVING: Flathead — Rosenberg 7-91, Boston Case 3-36, Wink 1-19, Zander McLaughlin 1-15. Team 1-15. Senior — Swain 5-64, Jennings 4-99, Gisler 4-99, Wright Edwards 2-53, Blake Galving 3-19, Koch 1-8.