The Flathead Braves/Bravettes will challenge the Butte Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses apiece.
On Friday, Flathead came up short against Capital and fell 27-20. Despite 189 more yards than the Bruins, the Braves/Bravettes couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Flathead might have lost, but man, Eli Coopman was a machine: he rushed for 154 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 241 yards and a pair of TDs. Another player making a difference was Tim Zundel, who picked up 96 receiving yards and one score.
Flathead didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kellen Mouat and Matthew Lewis.
Meanwhile, there was early excitement for Butte after they claimed the first score on Friday, but it was Helena who ended up claiming the real prize. The Bulldogs fell 35-28 to the Bengals. While the Bulldogs had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Bengals 14-7.
Flathead will have to contain Hudson Luedtke as he made an impact in Butte's last game. He picked up 180 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. With that strong performance, Luedtke is now averaging an impressive 101.7 receiving yards per game.
Flathead's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Butte, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Flathead has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.8 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Butte, though, as they've been averaging only 61.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Flathead was taken down by Butte 41-10 when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Thankfully for the Braves/Bravettes, Colton Shea (who threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes, and also punched in one score on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
