Glacier whips Flathead

Hart scores twice; Wolfpack beats Braves for first time, 41-7

By DILLON TABISH/The Daily Inter Lake

For once, Glacier quarterback Shay Smithwick-Hann got to sit back and kick his feet up in the fourth quarter.

After plowing into the end zone for one final touchdown on the night, the senior captain took a seat and watched the Wolfpack seal its first-ever win against crosstown rival Flathead.

Smithwick-Hann combined for 184 yards and three touchdowns and the Wolfpack defense had its best showing of the season in a 41-7 Class AA football victory in front of a standing-room only crowd at Legends Stadium on Friday night.

"We feel like we're starting to get rolling, you know, and this is the first time we put the offense and defense together in the same game," said Smithwick-Hann. "It's just fun to see how much we've grown as a team."

Last year, Glacier lost 38-28 and fell for the second year in a row to Flathead. This year, Glacier (3-2) came out playing like a team ready to put its name in the history books.

Glacier's bulldozer running back Taylor Hart scored his first of two touchdowns in the opening quarter and the Wolfpack went into halftime up 28-0. The running game finished with 249 yards - Hart tallied 77 and Wiley Fusaro added 67.

"It feels amazing. So many kids have waited so long for this day," said Hart, whose 10 total touchdowns is one behind league-leader Matt Miller of Helena Capital. "I've been with some amazing kids. I'm gonna miss 'em when this is all over 'cause I'm just enjoying every minute of it."

Glacier junior Bryan Chery scored twice on the night, the first off a moon-shot 61-yard pass from Smithwick-Hann in the first quarter and the second on a 10-yard scamper minutes before halftime.

"Well it's obviously a good feeling, but like we said in the very beginning it's another game," Glacier head coach Grady Bennett said. "Coming into the season these kids had high expectations and their sights are set on the playoffs and they really believe they can get there. So that's the way we treated this game from the very start. We never once talked about crosstown."

Senior Justin Schenck had two interceptions and JT Buckley caught another and the Glacier defense held Flathead to four first downs in the first half and 179 total yards.

"The defense just continues to come around and grow and get better and better and that's awesome," Bennett said.

Flathead senior Trevor Beaman scored the Braves' lone touchdown off a one-yard run with 1:50 left as the Braves fell to 1-4.

"Tonight I'll give Glacier a lot of credit, they certainly did a great job," Flathead coach Russell McCarvel said. "They're a well-coached group. Each week they look good on film and they certainly proved it tonight."

Glacier's other score came on a diving 16-yard catch by junior Jacob Leininger.

The Wolfpack finished with 393 total yards and scored 41 points for the third time this season.

"It's gratifying. It's an important win for them," Bennett said. "This sets us up, now we're in a run for a playoff shot and we just got to keep getting better and taking care of business as we go."

Flathead 0 0 0 7 - 7

Glacier 14 14 6 7 - 41

First quarter

Glacier - Taylor Hart 1 run (Connor Fuller kick), 3:03

Glacier - Bryan Chery 61 pass from Shay Smithwick-Hann (Fuller kick), 1:19

Second quarter

Glacier - Jacob Leininger 16 pass from Smithwick-Hann (Brendan Hagen kick), 10:51

Glacier - Chery 10 run (Hagen kick), 2:10

Third quarter

Glacier - Hart 5 run (kick failed), 1:15

Fourth quarter

Glacier - Smithwick-Hann 5 run (Hagen kick), 9:35

Flathead - Trevor Beamon 1 run (Greg Seaman), 1:50

F G

First downs 11 16

Rushes-yards 39-99 39-249

Passing yards 80 144

Com/Att/Int 5-24-3 9-17-0

Fumbles-lost 3-0 2-2

Penalties-yards 3-30 15-128

Punts-yards 6-209 3-129

Individual Stats

RUSHING - Flathead, Travis Ozegovich 19-81, Trevor Beaman 7-23, Zach Diest 3-8; Glacier, Taylor Hart 13-77, Wiley Fusaro 11-67, Shay Smithwick-Hann 8-59, George Werk 2-30, Bryan Chery 2-13.

PASSING (com/att/int/td) - Flathead, George Sherwood 5-24-80-3-0; Glacier, Smithwick-Hann 9-16-144-0-2, Colter Hanson 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING - Flathead, Mike VanArondonk 2-31, Jackson Spooner 1-47, Ozegovich 2-2; Glacier, Bryan Chery 2-67, Hanson 3-40, Fusaro 3-21, Jacob Leininger 1-16.

Class AA

Record

W-L

CMR 5-0

Helena Capital 5-0

Big Sky 4-1

Sentinel 4-1

Billings West 3-2

Helena High 3-2

Billings Skyview 3-2

Glacier 3-2

Bozeman 3-2

Flathead 1-4

Hellgate 1-4

Billings Senior 0-5

Butte 0-5

Great Falls High 0-5

Thursday's Results

Missoula Sentinel 46, Butte 14

Friday's Results

Billings Skyview 33, Billings West 32, 2OT

Kalispell Glacier 41, Kalispell Flathead 7

Missoula Big Sky 23, Great Falls 20

Helena Capital 26, Helena High 16

Bozeman 61, Senior 24

Great Falls Russell 55, Missoula Hellgate 12