Tigers tame Vikings, host playoff game Saturday

For the first time in decades, the St. Regis Tigers will host a high school football playoff game, at 1 p.m. Saturday, entertaining the visiting Sheridan Panthers in the first round of the Montana 8-Man playoffs.

If coach Jesse Allan and his Tigers get past Sheridan, St. Regis would then earn another playoff game in the 8-Man quarterfinals against the winner of the Choteau-Scobey game the following Saturday.

It’s been along time since St. Regis last had a home playoff game. “I believe it has been 25 years since St Regis has hosted a playoff game,” Allan offered. “We're going to enjoy this one this weekend, and get ready for a tough Sheridan squad next week. They've got a little size on us, but we'll be ready.”

Allan and his history-making Tigers finished up a great 7-2 regular season by defeating the visiting Charlo Vikings 54-36 on senior night in St. Regis Friday.

Allan called it a “great ending to what has been a successful regular season for Tiger football,” he said. “We were happy to send our seniors out with a win on senior night. We came out clicking on all cylinders and got it to a running clock midway through the third quarter.”

Allan said a couple of costly fumbles allowed Charlo to score a few quick touchdowns in he second half, but that the Tigers were able to lock up the win, and the No. 2 seed from the west, in the end.

Junior quarterback Conner Lulis keyed the St. Regis attack. “Conner was in complete control of the playbook (calling all the plays) on the first two drives and led us from the start,” Allan said. “He really showed what he and his receivers are capable of.”

Allan said he felt that Lulis would have surpassed 2,000 yards passing in the regular season if the game with Plains would not have been cancelled. As it is, he finished the regular season with a still-impressive total of 1,733 yards passing.

Against Charlo, Lulis completed 15 of 25 passes for 275 yards and five touchdowns.

Nathan Bohn caught seven passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns against Charlo, Barrett Bessette had four receptions for 84 yards and another TD, Isaac Kelly caught two passes for 33 yards and two touchdowns, Denver Thomas caught a pass for 32 yards, Tucker Desoto had two catches for 19 yards and a touchdown and Cael Sala added two more pass catches for three yards.

Bessette rushed the ball four times for 54 yards, Lulis packed the pigskin five times for 51 yards and Desoto had one carry for 15 yards.

Kelly also completed his only pass attempt for 15 yards and another touchdown.

On defense, Bessette and Bohn each had nine tackles with six unassisted apiece, and Bessette also recorded a tackle for a loss and recovered a fumble which he returned for a touchdown.

Desoto had eight tackles with five solo stops, Lulis had seven tackles with six unassisted and an interception, Kelly made six tackles with four unassisted, Thomas had eight stops with three solo, Demor Hostetler five tackles with four solo, Sterling Gray four with two unassisted and Damian Bosson added three assisted tackles.

The Tigers posted some impressive numbers during the 2025 regular season. Lulis completed 117 of 184 passes for 1,733 yards and 31 touchdowns while throwing only six interceptions, in addition to running the ball 43 times for another 313 yards and four touchdowns.

Bessette ran the ball 53 times for 474 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to catching 25 passes for another 368 yards and six more touchdowns.

Desoto had 33 rushing attempts for 338 yards and two touchdowns besides catching 17 passes for 217 yards and another six scores, and Kelly wound up with 35 catches for 479 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thomas caught four passes for 72 yards and a TD, Gray caught one pass for three yards and a touchdown and Sala ended up with the two pass receptions he had against Charlo.