Turn off the bus

JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 2 weeks AGO

Glacier wide receiver Cooper Pelc (1) picks up yardage after a reception in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Dylan Banzet (40) catches a 33-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Asher Knopik (11) breaks loose on a 39-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley (12) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive back Ethan Kastelitz (2) celebrates with Cooper Pelc (1) after an interception in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive back Kruz Robinson (10) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive lineman Wayne Cox (52) sacks Big Sky quarterback Eli Kasberg (12) in the third quarter at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Eli Imperato (23) picks up yardage on a run in the third quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Cooper Pelc (1) catches a 46-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier tight end Jack Robinson (7) scores a touchdown on a 3-yard reception in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley (12) completes a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jack Robinson in the first quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

The road to the State AA championship runs through Kalispell and Legends Stadium.

Glacier secured the No. 1 seed in the Western AA and finished off a 9-0 regular season with a 42-12 football victory over Missoula Big Sky Thursday at Legends.

“Hosting playoff games just in and of itself is a really special thing,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “I just thank the fans and invite them to really come out and help us on our playoff run coming up in a couple of weeks.”

The win makes sure that Glacier plays all of their playoff games at home, a goal set by the team after back-to-back AA title game losses away from its home field.

“They set the goal of hosting the whole thing right here, you know after two tough losses in a row on the road. It’s so tough to win on the road in the playoffs in Class AA,” Bennett said. “They said, ‘Hey coach, we’ve got to have it right here in Kalispell,’ and they have accomplished that goal.”

The Wolfpack defense forced six turnovers, including five interceptions of Eagles quarterback Eli Kasberg.

Cooper Pelc nabbed a pair of picks, with his first coming on a fake punt attempt late in the second quarter. Ethan Kastelitz, Grady Robinson and Kruz Robinson also intercepted Kasberg. Maverick Diede recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.

“We know he is a good quarterback. We know he can throw it a mile. We’ve got to stay in coverage,” Pelc said. “We just wanted to come out here and ball out for our seniors on Senior Night.”

Offensively the Wolfpack excelled in the running game, with Asher Knopik racking up 183 yards on 18 carries with a pair of touchdowns. The Wolfpack finished with 270 yards on the ground.

Jackson Presley tallied three touchdowns through the air on 10 of 16 passing; Pelc caught four passes for 81 yards including a 46-yard touchdown in the first quarter that made it 14-0.

“Trust in the coaches, trust in the players. Jackson trusts us all,” Pelc said on how the offense racks up yards each week.

Presley hit Jack Robinson for a 3-yard score to break the ice after Kastelitz intercepted Kasberg on the opening drive.

Early in the second half, Knopik found paydirt for the first time on a direct snap from 2 yards out.

Big Sky found the end zone on its next possession as Kasberg hit Tristan Miller for a 15-yard touchdown, after a missed PAT it was 21-6.

Knopik restored the three-score lead with a 39-yard scamper after a Kruz Robinson interception.

Just before the break Presley found Dylan Banzet in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard score making it 35-6.

Eli Imperato triggered the running clock midway through the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run to put Glacier up 42-6.

Kasberg found the end zone on the final play of the game from 2 yards out for Big Sky.

Big Sky 0 6 0 6 - 12

Glacier 14 21 0 7 - 42

G — Jack Robinson 4 pass from Jackson Presley (Kyle Smith kick), 7:59 1Q

G — Cooper Pelc 46 pass from Presley (Smith kick), 5:46 1Q

G — Asher Knopik 2 run (Smith kick), 10:33 2Q

BS — Tristan Miller 15 pass from Eli Kasberg (kick failed), 7:09 2Q

G — Knopik 39 run (Smith kick), 4:27 2Q

G — Dylan Banzet 14 pass from Presley (Smith kick), :36 2Q

G — Eli Imperato 3 run (Smith kick), 6:54 4Q

BS — Kasberg 2 run (no try), :00 4Q

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Missoula Big Sky (29-56) — Brady Williams 13-41, Eli Kasberg 12-23, Kade Dunning 2-3, Ethan Paugh 1-1, Augustus Goebel 1- minus 12. Glacier (34-270) — Asher Knopik 18-183, Eli Imperato 7-43, Trey Ramey 5-17, Cooper Pelc 1-14, Jackson Presley 2-13, Team 1-0.

PASSING: Missoula Big Sky — Eli Kasberg 15-28-5 for 154 yards, Caleb Hood 0-1-0 for 0. Glacier — Jackson Presley 10-16-0 for 145.

RECEIVING: Missoula Big Sky — Blake Williams 6-73, Tristan Miller 4-42, Augustus Goebel 2-18, Brady Williams 1-10, Mason Ramos 1-6, Caleb Hood 1-5. Glacier — Cooper Pelc 4-81, Dylan Banzet 2-34, Asher Knopik 1-17, Hunter Daniels 1-5, Ethan Kastelitz 1-4, Jack Robinson 1-4.

Glacier quarterback Jackson Presley (12) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive back Kruz Robinson (10) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defensive lineman Wayne Cox (52) sacks Big Sky quarterback Eli Kasberg (12) in the third quarter at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Eli Imperato (23) picks up yardage on a run in the third quarter against Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider