For Northwest Montana six-man football, as they say, it doesn’t get much better than this.

In fact, Hot Springs’ 38-26 win over Sanders County rival Noxon had it all for fans of this rapid form of high school football.

The game pitted the top two six-man teams from the area in a battle for the Western 6-player conference lead.

Noxon, under the guidance of new head coach Lucas MacAurthur came to Hot Springs Friday evening tied with the Savage Heat for the top spot in the West with both sporting 3-0 conference records for Hot Springs’ Homecoming festivities.

But the Red Devils left town with a 3-1 record after the hard fought game thanks in large part to the four touchdowns night by Hot Springs’ sophomore Weston Slonaker, a 5-9, 150-pound running back/linebacker who has emerged as one of several outstanding sophomores on the Savage Heat roster so far this season.

And Slonaker had big help from senior Garth Parker, the team’s lone upperclassman, who added one touchdown running and one on a short pass from sophomore quarterback Nick McAllister as the Heat took sole possession of the usually competitive Western conference.

The scoring efforts by Slonaker and Parker helped offset two-touchdown games by Noxon teammates Ricky Williams and Gage Hendrick as a large crowd from both small towns roared their approval.

Parker, a 6-3, 235-pounder who plays everything on both sides of the lines from running back to linebackr to kickoff specialist, got the game’s scoring off to a start in a defensive struggle of a first quarter when he banged across the goal line from one yard out to give the host Savage Heat a 6-0 lead.

Before the quarter came to an end, Slonaker danced through the Noxon defense on a five-yard scoring run. Neither of the point after touchdowns for either of those TD’s was good and at the end of the first frame, Hot Springs held a 12-0 lead.

Then, in the early moments of the second quarter, Slonaker broke free on a 39-yard touchdown scamper as he demonstrated his overall speed once in the open. The extra point attempt, a pass from McAllister to Jody Page was good, giving the home team a 19-0 lead.

With time running out in the first half, Noxon got on the scoreboard when Hendrick capped a Red Devils drive by plunging over the goal line from a yard out. The PAT attempt was no good, and as time ran out in the first half, Hot Springs was in front 19-6.

The scoring floodgates broke open in the second half, when Slonaker took the halftime kickoff and raced 50 yards for a TD that upped the Heat’s lead to 25-0 and temporarily stunned the Red Devils.

Noxon wasted little time striking back however, and matched the Hot Springs score when sophomore Williams snared a 25-yard scoring toss from quarterback Brian Risch, another of the plethora of sophomores on the field Friday night.

The PAT was no good, but Noxon had cut into the home team’s lead at 25-12

A short time later, Noxon got the ball back and Williams hauled in a 34-yard TD strike from Risch, who then kicked the PAT, bringing the score to 25-20 Hot Springs more than halfway through the third quarter.

On the next Hot Springs possession, Parker shook free of the Noxon defense and caught a 44-yard TD throw from McAllister. Page then caught a PAT pass from McAllister giving the Heat a 32-20 lead.

With time running out in the wild third quarter, Hendrick topped a Noxon drive by running 15 yards for a TD. The PAT was missed, but Hendrick’s score put the Hot Springs lead at 32-26 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

With fans cranking up the volume, both teams defenses clamped down until Slonaker scored his fourth touchdown of the night on a 10-toss from McAllister. That touchdown was the final one of the game for both teams as the Heat held on for a 38-26 win.

Hot Springs has a bye this weekend before traveling to Lima October 15th for a game with the 1-4 Lima Bears. They will return to action the following Saturday, the 22nd, when they host West Yellowstone on Senior Night.

Noxon, meanwhile, hosts Gardiner this Friday evening at 7pm, then has a bye the following week.