Broncs-Beavers a Southwestern A rematch

by Mark Hebert

Late in October the Frenchtown Broncs traveled to Dillon in a game that would decide who would win the Southwestern A conference title and who would be the top seed out of the west in the Class A playoffs.   Dillon came into the contest as the top ranked team in the state and boasting a 14-game home winning streak. Frenchtown came into the game ranked fifth in the state and riding a five-game winning streak, something had to give.

After a hotly contested battle Frenchtown prevailed, 27-19, locking up first in the S.W., a first round bye in the playoffs and ultimately set up the Broncs to host a state championship.

“Even with all our mistakes I feel that we would have won if we just would have had more time,” Dillon head coach Terry Thomas told the Montana Standard after the first meeting. Now he’s got four more quarters. 

Dillon beat Belgrade last Saturday, 20-13, eliminating the home field advantage the Eastern bracket would have had had Belgrade won. The Montana High School Association rotates where the championship is played each year, this year going to the winner of the Eastern Bracket. However, because Dillon won the east, and Frenchtown beat them in the regular season, Frenchtown is now “Title-town.”

“If we get the championship game, I’m going to sing,” said Lyle Bagnell, longtime voice and public address man for Broncs, “even if we have the band here.”

Dillon comes into Saturday’s championship contest after posting three wins in the 2005 playoffs. Led by junior QB Zack McRae, the Beavers have averaged 23 points per contest and only allowed 16 per game (32 and 10 respectively during the regular season.)

The Broncs, who held the high-flying Beavers to just 19 points in their first clash, have averaged 27 points on offense during the playoffs and only 10 on defense. Last Saturday, Butte Central (who put up 43 points on a Libby team that shutout Hamilton the week before) only mustered six points and 283 yards.

“They (Butte Central) play a lot like Dillon in some respects,” said Broncs assistant coach Rod Paskey. “So we had some good experience coming into that. And then, just knew their keys, knew what they were going to do, and tried to carry it out.”

The Broncs held Butte Central’s all-time leading receiver and passer in check most of the game on Saturday. Jake Stagnoli, who came into Saturdays contest with over 4000 passing yards under his belt as a Maroon, was held to 239 yards and one touchdown versus three interceptions. Alex Murphy, Stagnoli’s main target, was held to 4 catches and 63 yards.  

The B.C. running game, which averaged over 150 yards in their first eight games of the years was limited to just 45 against the Broncs and Stagnoli, the Maroons leading runner with 456 yards on the season, was held to a mere 22.

“He has the ability to pull the plug when he needs it but we contained him well today. Our kids were very, very focused as they have been all year long,” said Paskey. “The credit goes to the whole team. It was a team effort all the way from the kids on the sidelines right up to the starters on the field. We prepare them all week, so we’re real proud of them. Now if we can just get one more.”

One more game, for the state crown, against a Beaver team that surely wants to re-pay the Broncs for ending their perfect season and knocking them off their perch (or beaver dam, if you prefer) as the top-ranked team in Montana.

In the first match of the year the Broncs racked up 468 yards, over 300 of the coming via the running game. On the flip side, Dillon threw for over 300 yards and completed 30 of 56 attempts. If you like a running game that chews up yards and the clock or a quick strike, throwing-all-over-the-field type of football game, you will probably get your fill at 1 p.m. at Lavoie Field in Frenchtown on Saturday.

“I’m pretty fired up,” said Colin Dilworth, Frenchtown’s junior running and defensive back. “I know my teammates will be too.”

###