Semifinal bound: Wolfpack power past feisty Bozeman squad

JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 37 minutes AGO

Glacier running back Kyle West (11) breaks a 32-yard run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Trey Ramey (3) celebrates after a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier head coach Grady Bennett congratulates quarterback Cash Keim (9) after Keim's 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Trey Ramey in the fourth quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Karson Goicoechea (17) celebrates after a tackle on a Bozeman kick return in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier linebacker Carter Knopik (42) stops a run by Bozeman running back Beau Wheeler (18) in the first quarter of the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Eli Imperato (23) breaks a 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Liam Palmer (6) catches a pass downfield in the second quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier running back Kyle West (11) celebrates with offensive lineman Matthew Ahner (54) after West's touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier wide receiver Cooper Pelc (1) runs after a reception in the third quarter against Bozeman in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier defenders Kruz Robinson (7) and Neil Pepe (25) stop Bozeman tight end Julian Taylor (88) after a reception in the third quarter in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bozeman threw everything they had at the Wolfpack, but it wasn't enough.

Glacier used a 29-point fourth quarter to race past Bozeman 53-29 in a AA football quarterfinal Friday at Legends Stadium.

"Every time it started to feel like Bozeman were close and getting back into it, we had the answer," Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. "That is what I like about our guys. They just keep finding that answer."

The win marks the fourth consecutive semifinals appearance for Glacier (9-1); they have advanced to the championship game in the past three.

Glacier's running backs Trey Ramey, Eli Imperato and Kyle West combined for all seven of the Wolfpack touchdowns, including a pair through the air from Cash Keim.

Ramey continued his second half surge with 115 yards rushing and two scores.

"All credit to (the offensive line), they are so good. Best in the state in my opinion," Ramey said. "I can't ask for better out of them; they do such a great job. They work so dang hard every single week."

Imperato was just short of the century mark with 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns also. West had three carries for 49 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Glacier struggled through much of the first quarter on offense, coming off a bye week and Bozeman (6-5) jumped on them to take a 7-0 lead with Beau Wheeler's 4-yard run.

"It seemed like we were a little bit behind conditioning-wise," Bennett said of the slow start.

The Hawks score sparked the Wolfpack as they quickly answered with Keim tossing a jet sweep to West who rounded the corner for a 29-yard touchdown.

Early in the second quarter Ramey scampered in from 8 yards out to give Glacier its first lead at 14-7.

Not long after Imperato found paydirt on a 2-yard touchdown run and Glacier was in control with a 21-7 advantage.

Wheeler cut the Hawks deficit back to seven with his second score of the evening from 11 yards out. The Bozeman back finished with 78 yards on 18 carries.

Glacier added a Ty Sherrill 34-yard field goal to take a 24-14 lead into the half.

Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, but the points came fast and often in the fourth.

Keim started the scoring barrage with a beautifully floated pass to Ramey in the back corner of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown.

"Great play by Trey, he was just supposed to run 'arrow' but he wheeled up and I just floated it in there and I knew he had it," Keim said.

Bozeman had an instant response as Van Shockley found Julian Lewis for an 86-yard pass down to the 2-yard line. Shockley then punched it in through the left side of the line to cut the lead back to 31-21.

After West returned the ensuing kick near midfield, Ramey broke off the longest Wolfpack run of the evening with a 54-yard touchdown making it 38-21.

Shockley and the Hawks drove down the field again and found the end zone on an 11-yard pass that saw the Wolfpack follow Shockley left of the roll out before the Bozeman quarterback threw it back across the field to a wide-open Dylan Humphrey. A 2-point conversion made it 38-29.

After Glacier recovered an onside kick, Imperato busted through for another touchdown, this time a 47-yard scamper.

After Carter Knopik intercepted Shockley, West sealed the win with a 34-yard run down the right side.

The Wolfpack remain home for the semifinal on Friday against Missoula Big Sky, who defeated Great Falls CMR 38-21.

"These seniors have a chance to do something special and tonight was that chance to earn another week, and they have done that," Bennett said.

The other semifinal is between Gallatin and Eastern AA No. 1 seed Billings West.

Bozeman 7 7 0 15 - 29

Glacier 7 17 0 29 - 53

B — Beau Wheeler 4 run (Isaiah Eckles kick), 4:02 1Q

G — Kyle West 29 pass from Cash Keim (Ty Sherrill kick), :38 1Q

G — Trey Ramey 8 run (Sherrill kick), 9:00 2Q

G — Eli Imperato 2 run (Sherrill kick), 5:21 2Q

B — Wheeler 11 run (Eckles kick), 1:55 2Q

G — Sherrill 34 FG kick, :19 2Q

G — Ramey 20 pass from Keim (Sherrill kick), 11:47 4Q

B — Van Shockley 2 run (Eckles kick), 11:07 4Q

G — Ramey 54 run (Sherrill kick), 10:03 4Q

B — Dylan Humphrey 11 pass from Shockley (2-point pass good), 4:19 4Q

G — Imperato 47 run (2-point run good), 4:00 4Q

G — West 34 run (Sherrill kick), 4:04 4Q

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Bozeman (36-119) — Beau Wheeler 18-78, Van Shockley 13-37, Bryce Thorne 2-9, Walker Roodell 2-1, Julian Taylor 1-minus 6. Glacier (29-245) — Trey Ramey 15-115, Eli Imperato 7-98, Kyle West 3-49, Cash Keim 4-minus 17.

PASSING: Bozeman — Van Shockley 16-29-2 for 334 yards. Glacier — Cash Keim 13-25-0 for 191 yards.

RECEIVING: Bozeman —Walker Roodell 6-101, Julian Taylor 4-152, Otis Riggs 2-48, Beau Wheeler 2-22, Dylan Humphrey 2-11. Glacier — Cooper Pelc 6-90, Trey Ramey 3-25, Liam Palmer 2-35, Kyle West 1-29, Hunter Daniels 1-12.

Glacier's Karson Goicoechea (17) celebrates after a tackle on a Bozeman kick return in the Class AA quarterfinals at Legends Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider