Football Roundup: Pirates headed to showdown at Whitefish

The postseason-bound Polson Pirates (8-0, 4-0) kept their unbeaten season intact Friday night with a 35-0 conference win at Browning.

Junior quarterback Jarrett Wilson opened the scoring with a 1-yard run and scored the two-point conversion before tossing four first-half touchdown passes and stepping aside for a backup in the second half.

Wilson completed 12 of 19 passes for 189 yards. He also had 49 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Colton Graham caught TD passes of 15 and 30 yards and had 88 receiving yards on five receptions. Wilson also connected with Xavier Fisher on a 14-yard score and Alex Muzquiz for a 50-yard TD. Fisher had four catches for 31 yards, and Muzquiz caught three passes for 70 yards.

Wilson has passed for 2,276 yards this season with 38 TD passes and no interceptions. He’s also averaging 56 rushing yards per game.

Tyler Wenderoth had a team-high 12 tackles for Polson. Junior linebacker Trent Wilson had 11 tackles, seven assists and two fumble recoveries.

The win sets up a regular season finale Friday at Whitefish for the Northwest A title and a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. The Bulldogs (7-1, 2-1) tasted defeat for the first time this season with a 35-19 loss against Columbia Falls.

Polson defeated Columbia Falls (5-1, 4-1) 37-0 during homecoming on Oct. 1. If the Pirates finish with a win, they’ll likely be one of two top seeds out of the West, along with unbeaten Hamilton, when the Class A playoffs open the following week. The top two seeds from each side of the state will get a bye the first week, according to the Montana High School Association. Laurel and Lewiston currently stand as the top teams from the East.

Also on Friday, the Pirates honored the legacy of the late Blackfeet Chief Earl Old Person with a blanket, sweet grass and tobacco for representatives for the family prior to the game. Chief Old Person died last week at age 92. He was elected to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in 1954 and served for more than 60 years. He was chairman of the business council for over 50 years, the tribe said, making him the longest serving elected tribal official in the country.

Polson 35, Browning 0

POL - 14 - 21 - 0 - 0 - 35

BRN - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0

1st quarter

POL - Jarrett Wilson 1-yard run (Wilson run) 8-0

POL - Colton Graham 15-yard pass from Wilson (conversion failed) 14-0

2nd quarter

POL - Graham 30-yard pass from #8 Wilson (Kayden Nelson kick) 21-0

POL - Xavier Fisher 14-yard pass from Wilson (Nelson kick) 28-0

POL - Alex Muzquiz 50-yard pass from Wilson (Nelson kick) 35-0

Bulldogs blast Arlee

Mission (5-2) remained on pace for a playoff spot with a convincing 58-0 win over rival Arlee (1-5) on Friday. Mission also defeated Charlo 36-26 on Sept. 3 for Mission Valley 8-man bragging rights.

The Bulldogs host winless Plains (0-5) in a regular season finale on Friday. With a win, they’ll likely open the playoffs on the road against a No. 1 or No. 2 seed the following week.

Arlee was scheduled to visit Superior (5-2) on Friday, but school officials announce late Tuesday that the game had been cancelled.

No statistics or scoring plays from Friday’s game were available.

Vikings stumble

One week after nearly upsetting top-ranked Flint Creek on the road, Charlo traveled for a road game at Mullan/St. Regis with slim playoff hopes intact. The night didn’t go well for the Vikings, who lost 64-26.

Charlo (4-4, 3-3) also needed some help from Darby, but the Tigers lost 30-26 to Clark Fork, meaning Charlo’s didn’t matter in the end.

The Vikings will end their season with a road trip to Seeley-Swan (3-4, 3-4) on Friday night.

No statistics or scoring plays from Friday’s game were available.