The Laurel Locomotives will square off against the East Helena Vigilantes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Laurel is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Fergus, who was ranked fourth at the time (Laurel was ranked third). The Locomotives enjoyed a cozy 35-21 win over the Golden Eagles on Friday.
Curtis Fox
| 09/26/25 @ Fergus | 219 |
| 09/19/25 @ Billings Central Catholic | 3 |
| 09/12/25 vs Lockwood | 124 |
| 09/05/25 vs Sidney | 136 |
| 08/29/25 @ Dawson County | 123 |
Curtis Fox continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 219 yards while picking up 7.1 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 121 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Krew Hunter, who rushed for 25 yards and a pair of scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Laurel was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 267 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Laurel's defense and their four sacks. Leading the way was Griffin Weisenberger with two. Gabe Glassing got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, East Helena waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 48-0 victory over the Rangers. The Vigilantes' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
East Helena found their leader in sophomore Cole Redden, who rushed for 94 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries.
East Helena's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Laurel, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Laurel has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 186.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Helena struggles in that department as they've been averaging 184.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Laurel took their win against East Helena in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 49-29 score. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Vigilantes' Hayden Wright, who rushed for 85 yards and a pair of TDs, and also picked up 33 receiving yards. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Locomotives to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
