Heart-Stopping Hawks Sit atop Class AA Football Standings
By Danny Waldo
With the high school football season officially at the halfway point, the Bozeman Hawks find themselves in lonely company as the only remaining undefeated team in Class AA football.
But it hasn’t been easy.
After opening the season with a convincing victory over a reborn Missoula Hellgate football program, the Hawks needed some last minute heroics in Week 2 to overcome a talented Billings West squad. Bozeman trailed West 33-24 heading into the fourth quarter, and still trailed 33-27 in the final minutes. But a late-game touchdown pass from senior quarterback Kris Brown helped the Hawks stave off defeat
In Week 3, Bozeman made the long trek to Kalispell to take on their nemesis, the Glacier Wolfpack. Bozeman and Glacier have had some epic battles in recent years, including the 2013 state title game, but there would be no doubt this year, as Bozeman drubbed the Wolfpack 38-22 to move to 3-0.
Week 4 saw longtime rival Butte come to Bozeman for the Hawks’ annual Homecoming game, and after a tight opening half, Bozeman dominated the last 24 minutes of football, running away with a 48-16 victory to set up a huge showdown with two-time defending state champion Billings Senior in the Magic City.
Bozeman and Senior entered their Week 5 at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum; Bozeman was riding high following a thorough defeat of Butte, while Senior was licking their wounds after being defeated handily by Helena High, ending a 27-game winning streak that dated back to the 2015 state title game which they lost to Bozeman.
In a back-and-forth game that saw Senior race out to a 19-10 halftime lead, only to have Bozeman come storming back in the second half, it was only fitting that the outcome wasn’t decided until the final seconds when Montana State University commit Joe Olson barreled his way in from 14 yards out to seal the victory for the Hawks.
The win put Bozeman at 5-0 and in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage throughout the Class AA playoffs which begin later this month.
But Bozeman’s work is not done. Key games remain on the schedule including at home versus Helena High, last season’s runner-up, as well as on the road at Great Falls High, and a trap game at winless Skyview to close out the season.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer covering Bozeman Hawk athletics.
