Top seed Red Lodge showed why they are a prime contender for a state title in Class B-11 player football with a convincing 42-0 win over Thompson Falls Saturday in Red Lodge.

The Rams upped their season record to 9-0 with the win over the Blue Hawks, whose season came to an end with three wins in just their second year at the 11-player level.

Red Lodge quarterback Thomas Buchanan threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead the Rams into the second round of the Class B playoffs. Red Lodge came into the game as the top seed from the Eastern B conference, while Thompson Falls earned the fourth seed from the West conference.

The Rams will face Three Forks in Red Lodge this Saturday in the second round of the state playoffs.

Buchanan got the hometown Rams on the scoreboard first, connecting with Kougar Kappell on a 61-yard touchdown pass in the opening minutes of the first quarter. The point after touchdown (PAT) kick was good, giving Red Lodge a 7-0 lead.

The Rams added to that lead later in the first quarter when Buchanan tossed a 16-yard scoring strike to Owen Reynolds. The PAT kick was again good and as the first quarter came to an end Red Lodge was in front 14-0.

Meanwhile, the Rams defense was busy stifling the T Falls offense, holding them scoreless in the opening quarter and the rest of the game.

Reynolds, who is also the Red Lodge kicker, boosted the Rams’ lead to 21-0 in the second quarter when he capped a drive with a five-yard scoring run, then added his third PAT kick of the game.

Later in the quarter, Buchanan ran into the T Falls end zone after breaking through the Blue Hawks defense on an 18-yard scoring jaunt. Reynolds’ kick was good, giving Red Lodge a commanding 28-0 lead.

Before the first half ended, Buchanan hooked up with Kappell on an 11-yard scoring pass that, with another successful PAT kick, put the Rams up 35-0 at halftime.

The host team wrapped up the game scoring in the opening half of the third quarter when Buchanan topped a Red Lodge drive with a 19-yard TD run. Reynolds added his sixth consecutive PAT kick as the Rams went up 42-0.

Neither team scored the rest of the way as Red Lodge advanced to the second round.

Thompson Falls, which posted a 3-7 overall record, saw their season come to an end. In their first year of 11-player ball in 2022 T Falls had just one win, making the three wins from this year an indication of their progress adapting to the next level of play.

Buchanan had a hand if five of the six Rams touchdowns to cap an outstanding game. Blue Hawks seniors Max Hannum, who is a defending state champion wrestler, along with Braxton Dorscher and Nick Tessier were among those playing in their last T Falls football game. Also moving on is massive all-everything lineman Hayden Hanks, who has signed a letter of intent to play college football next season at Boise State University.

The team will lose nine seniors to graduation, but return a stable full of underclassmen, including starting quarterback Bryson LeCoure and running back Kaiden Robbins.