It was a close game for Bigfork High School’s football team as they lost to second-ranked Malta 23-13 in the Class B semifinals game on Saturday.

“There was a lot of predictions about how we would lose 49-0, and we were 16-13 in the fourth quarter. We were trailing just three points in the fourth and it was anybody’s game,” Bigfork coach Todd Emslie said. “It was a tough game, but our kids played absolutely awesome. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

No points were scored in the first quarter as snow covered the frozen field. Then Colter Trent threw a 98-yard touchdown pass to Chris Landon in the second quarter. Although the extra point was blocked, the Vikings were in the lead.

But, Malta responded with 10 points in the second quarter, followed by six more in the third. Then in the fourth quarter the Vikes raked in seven points, making the score 16-13.

But before Bigfork could turn things around, Malta scored a late insurance touchdown on a 2-yard run.

“Malta is a tough team, and we were right there in the fourth and that’s all you can ask,” Emslie said. “We had a chance to win this game, and you know Malta is just about the same team they were last year. They are big, physical, and our kids stood right up to them and they just played great football.”

The Vikes were defeated by Malta last year in the quarterfinals, and this year the Vikes only had three returning starters this season.

Despite this, the Vikes were seventh-ranked and went 9-2 for the season. And, their only losses all season were against the two teams that will be playing at the Class B state championship game this Saturday, Missoula Loyola and Malta.

Emslie said several of Bigfork’s players are ready to go on to play college football, but it’s a matter of waiting to see how things work out for them in the upcoming months as colleges select their players.

As for next season’s plans, Emslie already has a few things in mind based on how much the team grew since the start of the season. Many of the Vikes will begin playing basketball on Nov. 30.