Big Game Time

Savage Heat to host Red Devil in key 6-Man contest

 

September 17, 2020



It’s big game time in Montana 6-Man football.

With both teams hoping to strike an early blow for playoff position, the 2-0 Hot Springs Savage Heat, fresh off a 51-0 road conquest of the Gardiner Bruins, will host the 1-0 Noxon Red Devils Friday night in the Spa City.

Coach Bart Haflich and his Devils had the week off last week, giving the West End boys time to ponder ways to finally get to the elusive Savage Heat, who have fairly well dominated the series since Noxon moved down to the 6-Man level five years ago.

Interestingly, Noxon had already played Gardiner the week before and also banished the Bruins by an identical score of 51-0, meaning there isn’t even a point’s difference between the teams’ efforts so far.

“This is a big game for both teams,” Hot Springs coach Jim Lawson said. “Noxon has some big kids and like the power run game. We will have to get some stops if we hope to win.”

“Hot Springs is always just so solid, and they spread the field out so well,” Haflich said. “We will need to find a way to defend that and to move the ball when we have it, too.”

The Heat and the Devils have both advanced to the State 6-Man playoffs the last three seasons (and the Heat’s streak of playoff appearances extends well beyond that), so it’s not like these teams have not been here before. Now it’s a matter of hoping that the large cloud of wildfire smoke sitting squarely on top of western Montana finally dissipates.

Like most teams in the area, the Heat had been forced to practice indoors early this week. The chance of canceling Friday’s game still hangs in the air along with the thick smoke.

“Right now, we are still hoping to have the game but probably won’t be able to play if it doesn’t clear out some by Friday,” Lawson said, adding that in the very worst case, the game could possibly be rescheduled as both teams have some open dates to work with, given the canceling of other games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hot Springs’ win over Gardiner was an easy one for the Heat, ranked No. 2 in the latest 6-Man 406mtsports.com poll. Haflich and his Devils were unranked in the latest poll but will be hoping for some serious looks next week, depending on how they fare in Hot Springs.

Kyle Lawson ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns and caught a 16-yard pass from Jack McAllister for another touchdown, Lincoln Slonaker gained 51 yards rushing and scored another touchdown, and McAllister picked up 24 yards running and scored another TD, in addition to passing for 42 yards and the touchdown to Lawson.

Jesse Uski led the Hot Springs defensive effort in Gardiner with seven tackles and Kyle Lawson and Bert DeTienne had six apiece.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024