The Gallatin Raptors will face off against the Helena Bengals on Friday. Gallatin knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past nine matches -- so hopefully Helena likes a good challenge.
Gallatin's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed two weeks ago. They blew past Skyview 56-0. Given the Raptors' advantage in MaxPreps' Montana football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while the Falcons are ranked 50th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Reese Dahlke, who rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. His rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 108 rushing yards. Hayden Patton was another key player, rushing for 95 yards.
Meanwhile, with a playoff game on the line, Helena rose to the challenge on Friday. They put the hurt on the Rustlers with a sharp 34-12 win. Considering the Bengals have won three contests by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Helena's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trygve Braun, who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Braun was even better on defense, forcing a fumble and making nine total tackles.
Helena was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Helena wouldn't let Russell keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Helena can thank Braun and Chase Orchard for forcing both of them.
Gallatin's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. As for Helena, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 5-5 record this season.
Everything came up roses for Gallatin against Helena when the teams last played back in November of 2023, as the squad secured a 40-6 victory. Will Gallatin repeat their success, or does Helena have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
