The Eagles used their bruising ground game to roll up 262 yards on their way to a 30-28 victory over crosstown rival Hellgate on a prickly Friday night at Missoula County Stadium.
Big Sky's three-back attack of senior quarterback Mike LaValley and juniors Eddie Apostol and Glen Maricelli helped the Eagles beat the Knights for a sixth straight season, and also earn their second victory in as many weeks.
“We just decided to make a shift, and Mike played well,” said Big Sky coach Gary Ekegren, whose team improved to 4-3 on the year. “We love Joey and we know his day will come.”
LaValley passed for 165 yards, but his major difference maker was directing the ground game.
Apostol scored once and gained 131 yards on 22 carries. He had 92 yards by halftime. Maricelli finished with 68 yards and two touchdowns. His 3-yarder with just over six minutes to play gave the Eagles a 31-21 lead.
Both Apostol and Maricelli tip the scales at 200 pounds.
“They're both strong, athletic kids,” said Hellgate linebacker Andrew Bewley, who was in on six or more tackles.
“Those two just have a low center of gravity and they keep running,” LaValley said. “They are unstoppable.”
LaValley finished with 43 yards on eight carries including a 27-yard tuck and run on the third-to-last play of the game, erasing any hopes of Hellgate getting the ball back.
“We needed to make one more stop, we needed to block one more field goal, we needed to make more plays,” Hellgate coach Jeff Dohn said, “But that was a great high school football game.”
“That's amazing that they were an 0-6 team, I'll tell you that,” Ekegren said. “Because that's a good Hellgate team.”
Hellgate rallied behind junior quarterback Sam Hall, who pitched two touchdowns to classmate Brenden Gragg and finished with 130 yards on the night.
Gragg's 12-yard scoring catch with 2:55 to play brought the Knights within a field goal, but the Eagles ran the clock out, which was something they were good at all night.
Big Sky's opening drive - which was halted by Hellgate's goal-line stand - lasted 13 plays and the Eagles' first possession of the fourth quarter lasted 13 plays again.
The Knights (0-7) had the ball for just seven plays in the third quarter.
“They had the ball the whole third quarter. We didn't have it at all,” Dohn said. “Shoot, that's the game.”
Hellgate didn't need the ball for long in the first half when it scored twice in the second quarter on drives of exactly two plays.
The second one, a 37-yard off tackle run by Shawn Jensen, gave the Knights a 21-14 lead. That run was set up by a nice block from receiver Dane Kuhn.
An interception by Kale Leiby and his 29-yard return on the Eagles' first play of the drive set up the score,
That was on the heels of a 69-yard touchdown scamper by Chris Lavoie, who finished with 119 yards.
“It's a privilege to coach these kids,” Dohn said. “I wished for a win but they're still winners in my eyes.”
Hellgate 6 15 0 7 - 28
Big Sky 7 13 3 7 - 30
First quarter
H - Brenden Gragg 61 pass from Sam Hall (kick blocked), 4:21.
BS - Mike LaValley 2 run (Drew Owens kick), 1:25.
Second quarter
BS - Eddie Apostol 4 run (Owens kick), 10:11.
H - Chris Lavoie 69 run (Lavoie run), 9:33
H - Shawn Jensen 37 run (Carsen Hopfauf kick), 8:24.
BS - Glen Maricelli 3 run (kick failed), 1:16.
Third quarter
BS - FG Owens 26, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
BS - Maricelli 3 run (Owens kick), 6:17.
H - Gragg 12 pass from Hall (Hopfauf kick), 2:55.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing - Hellgate (29-161): Chris Lavoie 17-119, Shawn Jensen 3-42, Brenden Gragg 4-15, Sam Hall 5-(-15). Big Sky (55-262): Eddie Apostol 22-131, Glen Maricelli 19-68, Jordan Tripp 6-20, Mike LaValley 8-43.
Passing - Hellgate: Hall 6-12-0-130. Big Sky: LaValley 9-17-1-165.
Receiving - Hellgate: Gragg 2-73, Joe Dillon 2-23, Jensen 1-24, Dane Kuhn 1-10. Big Sky: Brandt Montelius 4-73, Drew Owens 3-42, Tripp 1-29, Ryan Devlin 1-21.
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