Scotties Defeat Wolves; Face Fairfield Friday

The Glasgow Scotties were looking for a big win against the Wolf Point Wolves Friday night, Oct. 16, at Scottie field after losing to the Malta Mustangs the prior weekend. Under the lights and a steady rain, the boys in red delivered in front of a sparse crowd. Glasgow got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter, kicked off the running clock in the second and went on to a final score of 48-6 over a young and less-experienced Wolf Point team.

Jesse Lee kicked off the scoring rout for the Scotties early in the first quarter, running the ball in from 10 yards out for a touchdown. He tacked on the two-point conversion to give his team the lead with 9:50 on the clock. Just over a minute later, Lee was back in the end zone after a 15-yard run following a Scottie fumble recovery. Trey Johnson took advantage of his 6'4 height to snag a short pass from Idler to add the extra two and increase Glasgow's lead to 14-0. "It felt good to be back on track," Lee said of the win.

With 6:26 left in the first quarter of play, Kyler Hallock made his moves for the Scotties, running the ball 20 yards straight up the middle and into the end zone. He tacked on the two-point conversion, extending the home team lead to 24-0. Loden Idler would hang on to the ball and run it 14 yards into the end zone with 2:58 left in the first quarter. Tatum Hansen added the extra two points for the Scotties, giving his team a 32-0 lead that would hold for the remainder of the first quarter.

The Scotties kept the action going in the second quarter, despite the less-than-desirable weather conditions. Less than two minutes in, Idler found Dylan Nieskens on a two-yard pass for Glasgow's fifth touchdown of the night. Hansen ran the ball in for the two-point conversion and 40-0 lead to kick off the running clock. Nieskens told the Courier, "It felt good to get a win before our last regular season game. It built up our confidence going into Fairfield."

With only seconds left in the first half, Glasgow went back to Hallock who carried the ball nine yards into the end zone and scored on the two-point attempt. The Scotties lead grew to 48-0 going into half time. "It felt really good to beat Wolf Point," said Hallock on Monday. Glasgow rotated in their younger players as the game went on, gaining invaluable experience for the second and third line players.

Wolf Point's Austin Wilson saw his efforts pay off early in the third quarter when he put the Wolves on the board with a 61-yard run. Glasgow's defense shut down the two-point attempt. The 48-6 Glasgow lead held through the final buzzer.

After that final buzzer, the Scottie seniors made their traditional Senior Walk up and down the field, signifying their final home game on Scottie field. Mayson Phipps was named the Dale Vegge Award winner. The senior was recognized for his outstanding performance in the game, and throughout his career at Glasgow High School.

Head coach Patrick Barnett told KLTZ's Saturday Morning Sports Show it was a great night for his defense. Indeed, the defensive line held the Wolves to a virtual standstill in the first half. Wolf Point registered only 85 total yards in the game, 71 rushing and 14 passing.

Going the other direction, Glasgow put up 282 rushing yards and 48 passing for a total of 330 yards on the game. Idler was credited with all 48 passing yards, and also had 59 yards on three carries. Hallock led the team in rushing yards with 82 on seven carries. Lee carried eight times for 72 yards and Hansen put up 70 yards on nine carries.

The win at home precedes a road trip this Friday, Oct. 23, to take on the Fairfield Eagles who currently sit in first place in the conference. Glasgow Activities Director Brenner Flaten outlined potential playoff scenarios for the Scotties, noting that Glasgow would need to defeat Fairfield by 11 or more points and Malta would need to lose to Cut Bank in order for Glasgow to take the number one seed. A Glasgow win over Fairfield and a Malta win over Cut Bank would lead to a three-way tie for first place in the Northern B Conference.

Barnett told the Saturday Morning Sports Show his team is "just going in to win the football game." Though the team is hoping for nice weather, he noted on the program that Montana playoff football doesn't happen in 80 degree weather, despite his wishes, and apparently the players' wishes. Nieskens told the Courier, "I am hoping that it won't rain or snow and that we all play hard against Fairfield."

Regardless of the conditions, the players are focused on their goals for the season. "I'm just hoping to beat Fairfield, whether it's by 2 or 11," said Lee. "It is going to be a really close race for 1st in the conference so we will have to play to the level we know we are capable of. I know we can do it and I'm very confident in my team."

"It felt good to get a win after the precious week's loss to Malta, and to have win going into Fairfield," Idler said Monday. "They are a well experienced team with a lot of talent, so we are going to have to focus up in practice this week. I think that if we play our football and execute we have a real good shot at coming out on top."

Hallock said simply, "We are hoping for a win against Fairfield of course."

Game time is 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in Fairfield. The game will be on NFHS and KLTZ.