By Ben Catley
MaxPreps.com
Football: Billings West Has Streak Come to End
Billings West was still running on a win streak that started last season when it entered its Week 3 contest with Eastern AA and cross-town rival Billings Senior September 8 at Wendy's Field at Daylis Stadium.
The Broncs decided that they had seen enough streaking from the Golden Bears.
Led by Mo Burrough's 168 yards rushing, Billings Senior beat West for the first time since 2003, ending the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak, by a 42-30 margin.
Billings Senior (1-2) has struggled in its first two games on the offensive side of the ball, while West (2-1) had no problems putting points up on the board. But Friday, the Senior offense came to life and rolled up 370 yards.
Senior quarterback A. J. Paine finished the game with 176 yards passing on 11 of 13 attempts, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Sam Gratton on the first play from scrimmage. Burrough scored three touchdowns in the second and third quarters, helping the Broncs bounce back from a 14-7 deficit, and took a 34-21 lead into the fourth quarter.
The only Golden Bears' points in that 27-7 run in the middle two periods was an 85-yard kick return for a score by Levi Sutton.
West quarterback Gary Fox, Jr. finished 15 of 34 passing for 218 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The loss by West leaves three unbeaten teams in Montana AA - Butte (3-0), Helena Capital (3-0), and Kalispell (2-0). Flathead gets winless C.M. Russell Sept. 16, Butte will draw Missoula Big Sky (2-1), and Helena Capital will play Missoula Hellgate (1-2).
Football: State's Wildfires Throw Wrinkles Into Week 3 Schedule
Two of the latest wildfires in the state had a number of teams change their preparations, and one bow out of a game this week.
The Derby Mountain fire, just outside of Big Timber, has produced enough smoke to affect practices for all outdoor sports, and not just at Sweet Grass County High.
Practices were moved inside in both Bozeman and Belgrade, who also had smoke blown in from another wildfire just outside of Livingston. And Park High School cancelled a home football game with Miles City after not being able to practice outside for much of the week. Belgrade had a home game with Hardin moved to the Bulldogs' field, a game which Hardin won, 19-13. Bozeman lost their game to Helena Capital, 51-21, to drop to 2-1 on the season. Sweet Grass beat Red Lodge, 32-0, to stay unbeaten at 2-0.
Prevailing winds from the East were part of the problem, but the wildfires that have plagued nearly every part of the state have also made the air unhealthy, causing the move and cancellation of outdoor practices.
Cross Country: Stanley Makes it 2-for-3 for Miles City
One year ago, Diana Stanley lost a number of weeks of progress in her running due to an illness.
In her senior season, she's making up for lost time.
After dealing with - and running much of the season with - the effects of the West Nile virus, Stanley has jumped out to a solid start for the Miles City Cowgirl cross country team.
Competing in the Class A level, the Cowgirls have won two of the three meets they have participated in this fall, led by Stanley, who has won two events, and finished third to two Class AA runners in the other. The Cowgirls lone non-top finish was at the Billings Schools meet Sept. 1, an event which has teams in Classes AA, A, and B.
While dealing with the illness last season, Stanley didn't hit her stride until the state meet. This season, however, running healthy, she has already taken big steps.
"She's quite an athlete," said Mark Bilden, who has coached Stanley since the seventh grade. "She has really come into her own as a runner."
Stanley shaved nearly 30 seconds off her winning time in the first meet, also on the Billings Riverfront course, while finishing third at the Billings Schools invite. This weekend, Stanley had a huge lead and won comfortably at the Hardin Invitational, held in hilly terrain at the Crow Agency.
And her performance, as well as the performances of veterans Lauren Fuglevand and Brittany Holom, and freshman Audrey Tramp, will be paramount for the hopes of the Cowgirls, who have been at least in the top 5 in the Class A state meet each of the past 10 seasons.