Florence's Max Burns, Philipsburg's Dayton Poser and Superior's Yim Sribenjakul - all seniors - may include their names in the Montana High School Association record books, if they want.
Each player had a tremendous game recently, worthy of the MHSA's notice, but because of space they were shortchanged in the next day's newspaper.
Two Saturdays ago, Florence senior cornerback Max Burns had the kind of day that only comes along once in a lifetime.
The Falcons strong-side corner picked off five passes, caught two touchdowns passes from his younger brother, Spencer, on offense, and had a 75-yard kickoff return for a score that was called back because of a penalty, in a 26-23 victory over Plains.
“Can you imagine that?” said first-year Florence coach Terry Maki. “He had a career day, basically.”
And here's the best part: Burns is only 5-foot-2 and 120 pounds, says his mom Christa.
“He's fearless,” Maki said. “He's real quiet, very focused and he does what we ask him to do. He's your packaged football player. He understands almost intuitively what you want him to do.”
The five interceptions ties Burns for the most in a single game, according to the MHSA 11-man record books set some 20 years ago.
Burns tied Townsend's Anthony Jones (1987) and Billings West's Dan Holgate (1988) for the record. He had five of his Florence's eight INTs against Plains, which features 6-foot-8 tight end Trent Thompson.
“I knew they'd try to pick on Max,” Maki said, “but I knew he'd be up for it, and he was. He did an amazing job.”
“It's a fun challenge,” Burns said. “I know that a lot of people are going to try to pick on me because I'm shorter. I just try to defend it as best I can.”
Burns even had a few younger fans ask him for his autograph after the Falcons' homecoming game, despite being close to his height.
“It's not an issue at all, he's such a good player,” Maki said. “He has one of those hearts, you know? He's amazing. We know we can put him in there and count on him.”
Even if he is 5-2.
Philipsburg senior running back Dayton Poser joined some pretty elite company last Friday, when he rushed 36 times for 185 yards and, oh, by the way, scored seven TDs in a 62-34 win at Lincoln.
The 5-11, 165-pound touchdown machine fell three rushing scores shy of matching one-time Philipsburg star, now superintendent Mike Cutler, for the most touchdowns in 8-man lore.
Cutler had 10 TDs and a two-point conversion run in a 76-46 win over Drummond in 1987. Cutler scored 62 of the Prospectors points that day.
Poser added three conversion runs to Friday's point total (48), which is good enough for second on that 8-man football list, too.
Superior senior Yim Sribenjakul more than likely booted his way into the MHSA 8-man records during a 61-20 win over Alberton this past Friday.
Sribenjakul knocked a 53-yard free kick stiff during a 32-0 first-quarter blitzkrieg in Superior.
As it stands now, the 53-yarder would be the longest field goal on the books for 8-man, even though technically it's not a field goal.
“We don't have another category for free kicks,” said Brian Michelotti, an assistant director at the MHSA. “It's still a 53-yarder, no matter how you look at it. It just might have a little caveat next to it.”
The previous long for 8-man ball was a 47-yard field goal by Augusta's Jeroen Martijn Van Dam back in 1996.
A free kick is like a field goal, when a place-kicker has a shot at kicking the ball through the uprights for three points. A free kick is only allowed after a player signals for a fair catch after punts or kickoffs.
It's an option most coaches don't use because a) the team's starting a new drive, b) most punts/kickoffs are deep enough on the field and c) there aren't a lot of kickers who can do it.
The Bobcats were already blowing out their visitors 23-0, when the Panthers punted the ball away on fourth down. The Superior player called for a fair catch at his own 37-yard line.
The player started to advance the punt, which is illegal, but no infraction was called. That's when Sribenjakul lined up - unopposed - 3 yards behind midfield, much to the amazement of the opposing sideline.
“I didn't even know what was going on,” said Alberton coach Jacob Giffin. “I was too busy saying that's a penalty and then all of the sudden he sticks this ball on a tee, it looked like one of the PVC pipe tees; I'm going, ‘what in the heck'...”
“That kid kicks that son of a gun through the uprights - past the uprights, I should say. He could've gone even 10 yards farther. It was pretty crazy.”
Giffin had his players lined up like a kickoff return in case Sribenjakul came up short, and Superior coach Dan Lucier had his players lined up in kickoff formation.
Both groups didn't need to be there.
“He has a helluva leg that's for sure,” Giffin said.
Later on, Sribenjakul tried the more traditional field goal from almost the same distance, but was short.
“Superior always has good kickers,” Giffin joked. “They must recruit kids in there.”
So long, ‘Big Z'
A reader recently asked about Bruce Zinne, the former Missoula Sentinel principal and high school coach who died at his home here in town two weeks ago.
The Spartans held a moment of silence for their former administrator prior to last Friday's crosstown football win over Big Sky. The popular figure, called “Big Z” by many for his size, was a successful coach during his time.
Among Zinne's many accomplishments was guiding the Miles City boys' basketball team to the 1973 Class A title.
“Bruce was an outstanding individual and a very important part of Custer County High School as a counselor, coach and faculty person” said Ted Schreiber, the school's A. D. for the last 18 years.
Schreiber first met Zinne when he arrived at Miles City during the 1972-73 school year. Schreiber was hired to be the coach of the girls' basketball team, which was in its first season.
The boys' team that year finished seventh in the Eastern A standings, but took fourth at divisionals to narrowly make state.
Once there, the Cowboys beat Western champion Dillon, top-ranked Laurel and Eastern A winner Glendive in a row to win their seventh hoops title. They finished with a 11-15 record.
“We barely snuck in there, but won state,” Schreiber said. “So, when ever we have a team that is kind of so-so we refer to that '72-73 team for inspiration. Bruce was a good guy. We were sure sad when he passed away.”
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