Braves rally past Butte for 1st home win since 2023
JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months AGO
Flathead wide receiver Boston Case (3) heads to the endzone on an 83-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead quarterback Eli Coopman (6) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Nolan Campbell (24) picks up yardage on a run in the fourth quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Nolan Campbell (24) and Matthew Lewis (12) tackle Butte running back Peyton Johnson (1) on a run in the first quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead linebacker Nolan Campbell (24) brings down Butte wide receiver Hudson Luedtke (8) with help from defensive back Oliver Rosenberg (5) in the first quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Nolan Campbell (24) looks for room to run against the Butte defense at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Nolan Campbell (24) and Leum Saisbury (2) bring down Butte wide receiver Hudson Luedtke (8) after a reception in the third quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead tight end Zander McLaughlin (85) picks up yardage after a reception in the first quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead kicker Brett Chivers (14) kicks a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
The Flathead Braves stared down the Butte Bulldogs, the goal line and the sky and walked away victorious.
After a third lightning delay of the season, Eli Coopman capped off a 14-play, 44-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown to give Flathead a 23-22 victory Friday at Legends Stadium.
“This win has shown how much growth we have had during the season,” Coopman said. “Coming from losing to Hellgate with the same thing, the lightning delay where we are up and they come back and we lose, this time we come back from the lightning delay and end up scoring a touchdown to win it.”
“Our kids finished. We harped on it and it was pretty dang cool to see it pay off,” Braves coach Mac Roche said. ”We took a few shots early in the game, but in the second half I wanted to put it on our O-line offensively and they got the win and same with Eli Coopman. If the game is on the line, I want the ball in that kid’s hands.
“I think we needed a win to get rid of this lightning, I think the lightning is done for the year, so I am looking forward to it.”
Moments before the delay, Flathead (2-4 overall, 1-4 in Western AA games) found themselves in a similar situation and after a flag put the Braves back to Butte's 11-yard line, Butte (1-6, 0-5) stopped the Braves’ version of the Philly Special.
Flathead relied on the run game more than any other time this season, rushing 56 times for 216 yards. Coopman led the Braves with 34 carries for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“During a timeout, the kids came over and said, ‘Hey coach, they know we are running stretch,’ “ Roche said. “And I said, ‘I know, they’ve been knowing for the last nine plays in a row, but they can’t stop it.’ “
Butte relied on the air game as Raeder Grey was 23-for-39 for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw one interception. His favorite target was Hudson Luedtke, who nabbed 13 catches for 80 yards.
Coopman added 149 yards through the air on 7 of 15 passing with one touchdown and one interception. The longest gain was an 83-yard connection to Boston Case that opened the scoring in the first half.
“We have been repping this play all week in practice and coach said, ‘If we got it then (Coopman) is going to take the shot,’ ” Case said. “So, I go out there, I run my route, Eli throws a perfect ball and drops it right in the bucket and the rest is history.”
Case caught five passes for 105 yards.
After Case’s opening score, the Braves added a 36-yard Brett Chivers field goal to go up 9-0.
Two minutes later, Coopman found paydirt for the first time as he kept the ball and ran in from seven yards out, putting Flathead up 16-0.
Then Butte seized all the momentum. Grey capped off a 65-yard drive with a pass to Kodye Kjersten, who ran in for the 36-yard score.
Kjersten then intercepted Coopman two plays later and returned the ball to the 1-yard line. Gunner Bushman punched it in on the next play and Flathead’s lead was down to 16-14 in just 30 seconds.
Grey found Kaleb Celli in the third quarter for a 9-yard touchdown to put Butte in front for the first time, and a 2-point conversion made it 22-16.
Then the Braves busted out the run game, with 32 carries over the next two possessions that — with the lightning delay in between, at 7:48 of the fourth quarter — used most of the remaining time. With 51 seconds left, Coopman scored his second touchdown. Chivers put home the all-important PAT kick to give Flathead the lead back.
Butte drove down to the Braves 35 thanks in part to a 17-yard catch from Luedtke, but Grey’s final heave was affected by the Braves’ pass rush and fell incomplete.
Butte 0 14 8 0 - 22
Flathead 6 10 0 7 - 23
F — Boston Case 83 pass from Eli Coopman (run failed), 6:16 1Q
F — Brett Chivers 36 FG, 9:00 2Q
F — Coopman 7 run (Chivers kick), 2:57 2Q
B — Kodye Kjersten 36 pass from Raeder Grey (Bradey Doyle kick), 1:58 2Q
B — Gunner Bushman 1 run (Doyle kick), 1:30 2Q
B — Kaleb Celli 9 pass from Grey (2pt pass good), 4:41 3Q
F — Coopman 1 run (Chivers kick), :51 4Q
Individual stats
RUSHING: Butte (13-42) — Raeder Grey 6-28, Peyton Johnson 6-13, Gunner Bushman 1-1. Flathead (56-216) — Eli Coopman 34-122, Leum Saisbury 12-47, Nolan Campbell 9-42, Deme Holman 1-5.
PASSING: Butte — Grey 23-39-1 for 193 yards, Team 0-2-0 for 0 yards. Flathead — Coopman 7-15-1 for 149 yards.
RECEIVING: Butte — Hudson Luedtke 13-80, Kodye Kjersten 4-60, Kaleb Celli 3-29, Mitch Verlanic 2-21, Brady Walsh 1-3. Flathead — Boston Case 5-105, Oliver Rosenberg 1-30, Zander McLaughlin 1-14.
Flathead quarterback Eli Coopman (6) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Nolan Campbell (24) picks up yardage on a run in the fourth quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Nolan Campbell (24) and Matthew Lewis (12) tackle Butte running back Peyton Johnson (1) on a run in the first quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead linebacker Nolan Campbell (24) brings down Butte wide receiver Hudson Luedtke (8) with help from defensive back Oliver Rosenberg (5) in the first quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Nolan Campbell (24) looks for room to run against the Butte defense at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Nolan Campbell (24) and Leum Saisbury (2) bring down Butte wide receiver Hudson Luedtke (8) after a reception in the third quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead tight end Zander McLaughlin (85) picks up yardage after a reception in the first quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead kicker Brett Chivers (14) kicks a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter against Butte at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
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