Week nine is here and Glacier and Flathead have everything to play for. 

The 8-0 Wolfpack stay home to battle the 7-1 Missoula Big Sky Eagles Thursday with the winner claiming the Western AA crown. Flathead goes to Missoula Friday needing a win over Sentinel to keep its playoff hopes alive. 

The Wolfpack kept their perfect record with a 56-0 victory over Flathead a week ago. 

“It’s actually perfect the way the schedule has set up, it couldn’t have worked out better,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “City championship last week, conference championship this week and then playoffs after that. That is a pretty special way to line your season up.” 

Big Sky is coming off its only loss of the season, a 28-16 defeat at home to Helena. 

“We know they’re a great football team; they have a ton of athletes and speed all over the field,” Bennett said. “They have some kids that can break the game open. There are several guys who when they touch it can go the distance.” 

Guiding the Eagle offense is quarterback Eli Kasberg. The junior is second in Class AA with 1,739 yards, and his 18 touchdowns is third behind Bozeman’s Van Shockley (19) and Glacier’s Jackson Presley (20). 

“He can make any throw on the field and some that you watch on film and go, ‘Oh my gosh, how far did he throw that,’ “ Bennett said. “We are going to have to defend the deep ball especially because he can throw it 50, 60, 70 yards. But he is also a dual threat and he is a big kid.” 

Mason Ramos is Kasberg’s top target, with 682 yards receiving on 41 catches. He has six touchdown catches. 

Presley comes off a four-touchdown performance against Flathead, where he went 14-for-15 passing. The senior is second in AA, completing 71.2 percent of his passes. O,ly Rudy Hess of Sentinel is better at 75.5 percent. In 139 passes Presley has one interception. 

Cooper Pelc caught two of the touchdowns a week ago, giving him five on the season. He has 23 grabs for 463 yards. 

Asher Knopik leads a three-headed running back monster for the Wolfpack; his 930 yards on the ground leads AA. Trey Ramey and Eli Imperato round out the attack. All three reach the end zone against the Braves. 

Braves under Wa-Griz lights 

Flathead makes the trip down to the Garden City Friday to take on a 5-2 Missoula Sentinel team at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. 

Despite the big stage, Braves coach Mac Roche says it’s business as usual once the team steps on the field. 

“There is a lot of added excitement, but you step on the field the white lines are painted the same,” Roche said. 

Roche said the Braves reviewed tape of their Crosstown game against Glacier and then flushed the result to focus on Friday’s matchup. 

“This week has been all geared toward Sentinel and the guys are geared towards getting a big win and into the playoffs,” Roche said. 

A win and the Braves are still in the hunt for the final playoff spot in Western AA, though they will need other results to go their way. Tlere is a log jam in the bottom half of the standings: Missoula Hellgate sits fifth at 2-4 in conference with Helena Capital, Butte and Flathead tied a game behind at 1-5. Capital and Butte square off on Friday; Hellgate hosts Helena Thursday. 

“It would be huge,” Roche said of the Braves making the postseason. “It would be a cool way for this senior class to lay the foundation of how we want to put Braves football in the future.” 

To get there they need to stop a solid Sentinel rushing game and break down a defense that has held five of seven opponents below 13 points. 

“They are efficient in the run game, for us it is about gap assignment and making sure the defenders are in the right gap,” Roche said. “Offensively for us it’s about running the football, establishing the run is going to be big for our success.” 

The Braves will need Eli Coopman to get back into form. The senior quarterback leads the team in rushing at 97.3 yards per game and has eight touchdowns rushing. He also has seven scores through the air. 

Roche had high praise for the offensive and defensive lines for Sentinel, especially defensive end/ tight end Kade Robinson. 

Big Sky at Glacier: 7 p.m., Legends Stadium (KZMN 103.9FM)

Flathead at Sentinel: 7 p.m. Friday, Washington-Grizzly Stadium (KGEZ 96.5FM)