Capital wears down Braves to take tight win
JON ALLEN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 hours, 26 minutes AGO
Flathead quarterback Bear Barker (6) makes a cut on a 37-yard run in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead wide receiver Ben Reichner (11) catches a 28-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead linebacker Kohen Rilley (55) sacks Helena Capital quarterback Carson Toivonen (10) in the fourth quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead wide receiver Oliver Rosenberg (5) holds on to a reception in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Brett Chivers (14) looks for running room in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Brett Chivers (14), Kellen Mouat (10), and Oliver Rosenberg (5) bring down Helena Capital running back Keanen Green (3) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead defensive back Dillon Wink (18) celebrates after a stop in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead quarterback Bear Barker (6) drops back to pass in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Flathead defensive back Ben Reichner (11) intercepts a pass in the third quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
SPORTS REPORTER Jon Allen is a sports reporter for the Daily Inter Lake. He covers youth and high school athletics across the Flathead Valley and Northwest Montana. Allen reports on major games, athletes and teams throughout the region’s prep sports landscape. In addition to game coverage, he contributes features and analysis across print and digital platforms. Jon can be seen on our Big Sky Now podcast, weighing in on the college landscape. His work highlights the athletes and communities that define Northwest Montana sports. IMPACT: Jon’s work tells the stories of local athletes and the communities that support them. | October 3, 2026 12:00 AM
Ground and pound was the name of the game Friday night.
Flathead ran for 177 yards and Helena Capital 175 as the Bruins walked out of Legends Stadium with a tight 20-17 victory over the Braves thanks to a late Gavin Starcevich touchdown carry.
"Capital is a really physical football team. We knew it was going to be a tough one," Flathead coach Mac Roche said. "It was a back-and-forth game and they made some plays at the end. Kudos to them."
Capital (4-2 overall, 2-2 in Western AA games) drove down the field 80 yards on 11 plays and used a big third down completion to Drew Almquist to get down to the goal line. On the next play Starcevich punched it in from 1-yard out to give Helena the lead.
Flathead (3-3, 1-3) had a chance to answer in the final minute and Bear Barker helped the Braves down the field. The Braves senior quarterback completed a pair of passes and broke off a 26-yard run to get Flathead down to the 15 with 10 seconds left.
Flathead coach Mac Roche chose to set up Brett Chivers for a field goal to tie instead of going for the win.
"You can 'what if' everything, but in hindsight I probably should have taken at least one more shot at it and given us a better position," Roche said.
Chivers 38-yard kick was tipped at the line and fell into the end zone no good and the Bruins celebrated.
Flathead started the game strong, taking the opening drive down to the 20 before settling for a Chivers kick from 39 yards to go up 3-0.
After a quick 3-and-out for Capital, Flathead once again drove down the field and Chivers found pay dirt this time from 3 yards out and suddenly it was 10-0.
Chivers started the day at running back and split carries with Ean Matlock as Flathead was missing junior back Leum Saisbury, who was on the sidelines out of pads.
Capital found their offensive footing late in the first quarter as Starcevich capped off a 78-yard drive with a 2-yard score to cut the deficit to 10-7.
The gap stayed there for the next two quarters before the Bruins took their first lead of the game at 9:48 of the fourth on a Starcevich 6-yard run.
The Bruins looked like they were set to take control of the game, but then Barker and the Braves found some life.
An 11-play drive topped off by a 28-yard pass to Ben Reichner put Flathead back in front with five minutes to go before the Bruins go-ahead drive.
"I am so impressed every single week with our kids effort. They leave everything on the field," Roche said. "I couldn't ask for more effort out of them. ... I never question it."
Penalties hurt both teams Friday as Capital was flagged 15 times for 109 yards, while Flathead had 11 setbacks for 109 yards
The Braves have three games left in the regular season and despite the 1-3 conference record, Roche says the Braves aren't hitting the panic button just yet.
"We have to stay the course; we are playing good football," Roche said. "It's not a deal where it's a panic mode. It's a 'hey, let's reboot.' We are a good football team. We are fine. We just need to move forward and execute."
Flathead has a chance to end its three-game skid Friday against Butte with a 6 p.m. kick at Naranche Stadium.
Capital 7 0 0 13 - 20
Flathead 10 0 0 7 - 17
F — Brett Chivers 39 field goal, 9:12 1Q
F — Chivers 3 run (Chivers kick), 4:21 1Q
C — Gavin Starcevich 2 run (Christian Schmidt kick), :13 1Q
C — Starcevich 6 run (kick blocked), 9:48 4Q
F — Ben Reichner 28 pass from Bear Barker (Chivers kick), 4:57 4Q
C — Starcevich 2 run (Schmidt kick), 1:06 4Q
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Helena Capital (39-175) — Gavin Starcevich 28-121, Justin Derby 8-54, Drew Almquist 1-9, Team 1-0, Carson Toivonen 1-minus 9. Flathead (32-177) — Bear Barker 7-79, Brett Chivers 17-71, Ean Matlock 8-27.
PASSING: Helena Capital — Carson Toivonen 15-27-1 for 182 yards. Flathead — Bear Barker 14-27-1 for 134 yards.
RECEIVING: Helena Capital — Drew Almquist 5-54, Keanen Green 4-76, Gavin Starcevich 3-29, Gus Soper 1-16, Isaiah Geisser 1-6, Justin Derby 1-1. Flathead — Ben Reichner 5-62, Oliver Rosenberg 3-31, Liam Rech 2-13, Robbie Wells 2-13, Kellen Mouat 1-14, Ean Matlock 1-1.
Flathead wide receiver Ben Reichner (11) catches a 28-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead linebacker Kohen Rilley (55) sacks Helena Capital quarterback Carson Toivonen (10) in the fourth quarter at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead wide receiver Oliver Rosenberg (5) holds on to a reception in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead running back Brett Chivers (14) looks for running room in the first quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead defenders Brett Chivers (14), Kellen Mouat (10), and Oliver Rosenberg (5) bring down Helena Capital running back Keanen Green (3) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead defensive back Dillon Wink (18) celebrates after a stop in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead quarterback Bear Barker (6) drops back to pass in the fourth quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Flathead defensive back Ben Reichner (11) intercepts a pass in the third quarter against Helena Capital at Legends Stadium on Friday, Oct. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
ARTICLES BY JON ALLEN
Capital wears down Braves to take tight win
Ground and pound was the name of the game Friday night.
Braves bring in Bruins; Pack visit Spartans Thursday
The Flathead Braves have dropped two straight, but there is no better time to get right than the present.
One-Timer: When do the wins start skating in?
The NHL is back and with it comes the hopes and dreams of 32 franchises and their fans that they could lift Lord Stanley’s Cup come 2027.