After flying high against Belgrade last Friday, Bozeman came back down to earth. The Hawks took a 27-21 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Russell Rustlers on Friday. The Hawks were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Rustlers apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in October of 2024.
When it comes to explaining why Bozeman lost, don't look at Van Shockley. Despite the final result, he rushed for 88 yards and two scores, and also threw for 222 yards and one TD.
A big part of Russell's victory came down to the chemistry between Caleb Taylor and his top target Ben Cunningham. Taylor threw for 236 yards and one touchdown while picking up 11.2 yards per attempt while Cunningham picked up 138 receiving yards and one score. Taylor's passing game has become a key predictor of Russell's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise.
Bozeman's loss dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Russell, they now also have a winning record of 4-3.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Bozeman will face off against Billings West at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Golden Bears will roll in looking for their seventh straight win, something the Hawks surely won't give up without a fight. As for Russell, they will take on Skyview at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Rustlers are facing the Falcons at the right time seeing as the Falcons are stuck on a three-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
