West earns sixth straight Shrine game
KELSEY EVANS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
Bulldogs return to the field after halftime at the home game against Ronan on Sept. 26. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
Three Bulldogs, Whitefish graduates Sam Akey, Aaron Anderson and Cole Moses, joined a star-studded West roster for the 79th Montana East-West Shrine Game when the team claimed its sixth victory in a row on Saturday.
The annual all-star high school football game, played at Naranche Stadium in Butte this year, has been held in Montana since 1947 and raises funds for the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Spokane.
Akey is headed to Simpson University and Anderson is headed to UM-Western to play football in the fall. Moses is going to the United States Air Force Academy.
Glacier’s Asher Knopik ran for 99 rushing yards and Rudy Hess of Missoula Sentinel had a game-clinching pick-6 as the West won 20-6 over the East.
McCoy Townsend of Darby hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Missoula Hellgate’s Vince Paffhausen for the West’s other TD.
Pauffhausen was West’s offensive MVP while Hess was defensive MVP.
Moses rushed 4 carries for 14 yards and had 1 reception.
The East got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Howie Martin to Elias Bonner.
The West’s win streak matches the record of six by the East, from 1973-78.
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