Wolfpack pull away from Hawks in 2nd half

JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month AGO

Glacier running back Asher Knopik (11) heads to the end zone on a 33-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley (12) completes a pass to wide receiver Cooper Pelc in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Cooper Pelc (1) catches a 47-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier kick returner Eli Imperato (23) returns a kickoff in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defenders Will Astle (56), Jack Robinson (7) and Kaleb Fuehr (68) stop a run by Bozeman quarterback Van Shockley (9) in the first quarter in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive lineman Hunter Daniels (13) puts pressure on Bozeman quarterback Van Schockley (9) in the second quarter in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Trey Ramey (22) picks up yardage on a run in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Weston Robinson (4) catches a pass downfield in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley (12) throws a pass downfield in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Cooper Pelc (1) holds on to a reception across the middle in the third quarter against Bozeman in a Class AA playoff game at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 7. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Tough second quarter, better second half.

Glacier used a strong second-half to put away a resilient Bozeman squad and win 42-7 in a Class AA football quarterfinal Friday at Legends Stadium.

Asher Knopik ran for 138 yards and three scores while Jackson Presley was 7 of 13 passing for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

“I just kind of put my head down and trusted my O-linemen to make blocks and gave it all I had,” Knopik said.

Presley hit Austin Gragg for a 40-yard score, then found Cooper Pelc on the next drive for 47 yards for a touchdown at a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

Knopik capitalized on a pair of direct snaps from 3 and 5 yards out and also broke off a 33-yard touchdown.

It wasn’t all easy for Glacier, even if the scoreboard says otherwise.

“Defensively, (Bozeman) did some things that gave us some fits,” Wolfpack coach Grady Bennett said. “Credit to our coaches, they made great halftime adjustments and then our kids of course, they have to come out and execute it.”

The Hawks seized momentum late in the first half. First, Van Shockley found Walker Roodell on a fade route to cut Glacier’s lead to 21-7. Shockley finished with 176 yards, going 10-for-20 passing. Roodell led the Hawks with five catches for 83 yards.

Bozeman then forced a punt and worked their way to midfield before the Wolfpack shut down a fourth-and-3 run from Shockley. Next play the Hawks stripped Presley and recovered in plus territory.

After a big grab from Logan Humphrey, the Hawks stalled out and Isaiah Eckles missed a 36-yard field goal to keep Glacier’s lead at 14 at halftime.

“There was a lot of adversity, especially early in the game,” Knopik said. “We had a lot of almost fumbles and a couple penalties. The thing all year that we wanted to get better at was overcoming adversity and I think this game showed us how we can respond from that.”

Out of the break Glacier marched right down the field, culminating in Knopik’s 33-yard score to grow the lead to 28-7.

After forcing a punt the Wolfpack meticulously worked their way down again, taking over five minutes off the clock as Knopik capped off his night with a 5-yard direct snap touchdown.

“I feel like when we punched that in, it was a statement like, ‘Okay, we have made the adjustments and this is going to be our second half,’ “ Bennett said.

Eli Imperato triggered the running clock on the first play of the fourth quarter as he broke through from a yard out to make it 42-7.

The win moves Glacier into the semifinals for the third straight season; the Wolfpack will host Bozeman Gallatin on Friday at Legends Stadium for a chance to go back to the state championship game.

Gallatin defeated Missoula Sentinel 34-16 Friday.

Glacier defeated Gallatin 46-27 in last season’s semifinals; that game was held in Bozeman.

Billings West hosts Missoula Big Sky in the other semifinal.

Bozeman 0 7 0 0 - 7

Glacier 14 7 14 7 - 42

G — Austin Gragg 40 pass from Jackson Presley (Kyle Smith kick), 9:33 1Q

G — Cooper Pelc 47 pass from Presley (Smith kick), 3:18 1Q

G — Asher Knopik 3 run (Smith kick), 9:02 2Q

B — Walker Roodell 14 pass from Van Shockley (Isaiah Eckles kick), 5:00 2Q

G — Knopik 33 run (Smith kick), 9:51 3Q

G — Knopik 5 run (Smith kick) 2:26 2Q

G — Eli Imperato 1 run (Smith kick), 11:55 4Q

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Bozeman (26-58) — Beau Wheeler 16-51, Van Shockley 6-3, Walker Roodell 2-3, Hudson Gravage 2-1. Glacier (37-173) — Asher Knopik 18-136, Eli Imperato 5-28, Trey Ramey 8-17, Jackson Presley 5- minus 8, Team 1-0.

PASSING: Bozeman — Van Shockley 10-20-0 for 176 yards. Glacier — Jackson Presley 7-13-0 for 146, Cash Keim 2-3-0 for 13.

RECEIVING: Bozeman — Walker Roodell 5-83, Evan Hughen 3-43, Logan Humphrey 2-50. Glacier — Cooper Pelc 3-75, Austin Gragg 1-40, Weston Robinson 1-15, Dylan Banzet 1-11, Carter Knopik 1-7, Ryne Gillette 1-6, Hunter Daniels 1-5.