Tuesday, August 11, 2026
46.0°F

Savage Heat shut down Heart Butte, 91-0

JOHN HAMILTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 4 weeks AGO
by JOHN HAMILTON
| September 17, 2025 12:00 AM

What’s not to like about that for Savage Heat fans?

The Hot Springs Savage Heat dominated from start to early finish in defeating the visiting Heart Butte Warriors 91-0 in Montana 6-Man football action in Hot Springs Friday.

Now 2-1 overall and 1-0 in Western conference play, coach Jim Lawson’s Savage Heat put the pedal to the metal from the start against the overwhelmed Warriors, zooming out to an amazing 56-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and idling in for the win from there. The Savage Heat travel to Valier for a game with the Panthers this Friday.

“We got off to a fast start and really played good defense all game,” Lawson said, adding that the Savage Heat amazingly did not surrender even one first down all day long. “The kids are stepping up, and that’s good to see.”

Lawson indicated that the stout Hot Springs defense also translated into great field position and relatively easy scoring opportunities thereafter.

The 56-point first quarter put the Hot Springs scoreboard spinning right from the start. Samson Jakabosky got the Heat going by taking the opening kickoff back 50 yards for a touchdown. After the defense recorded a safety, Ben Aldridge then got in on the action scoring touchdowns on runs of 42 and 28 yards before throwing a 34-yard TD pass to Odin Max for another TD.

After Jakabosky recorded another safety on defense for the Heat, Aldridge returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards for yet another Hot Springs touchdown. Jakabosky and Chase DePoe added TD runs of 20 and 28 yards before the first quarter ended, and DePoe ended up successfully booting through five two-point conversion during that first quarter scoring barrage.

With the clock running constantly the rest of the way, Andrew Waterbury added two touchdowns, and Aldridge, Jakabosky and DePoe one more each on the way to that 91-0 final score.

Lawson said the Heat never intended to run up the score and were trying to be respectful of the visitors at any rate.

“You can’t tell the kids to not play hard,” he said. “Things just kind of seemed to snowball on Heart Butte and like I said, our defense really pursued well all game long.”

This week’s Savage Heat opponent, Valier lost 37-33 at Noxon Friday.

ARTICLES BY JOHN HAMILTON

Hot Springs athletes make memories at Junior Olympics
August 5, 2026 midnight

Hot Springs athletes make memories at Junior Olympics

The Junior Olympic dream has ended but the memories made along the way will last forever.

Sidelines: Time to charge ahead, after a quick look back
August 5, 2026 midnight

Sidelines: Time to charge ahead, after a quick look back

Before we charge ahead, a look back. Sports is a game of appreciating the highlights, of savoring the winning moments after all.

PHOTOS: Summer softball all-stars
July 29, 2026 midnight

PHOTOS: Summer softball all-stars

PLAYERS FROM THE NORTH softball program completed summer play with an all-inclusive intrasquad game called the Compass Battle in Sandpoint July 20.