Senior Duke Darlington (55) looks for running room in Big Sandy's 43-6 win over the Augusta Elk last Wednesday.
Senior Tanner Shipp-Allderdice breaks free from his defender for a nice gain against Augusta. Big Sandy will host a first round playoff game Saturday against the Richey/Lambert Fusion Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
The Big Sandy Pioneer Football team locked up the Number 2 seed in Montana Class C State Football playoffs which begin this Saturday.
Big Sandy secured that position by defeating the Augusta Elk 43-6 in the final contest of the regular season in front of their hometown fans.
The Pioneer defense was responsible for the first points of the game. Clint Darlington tackled the Elk receiver in the end zone for a safety with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter for a 2-0 lead.
Moments later freshman Kade Strutz scored from 37 yards out on a nice run. The point-after kick by Duke Darlington was good giving the Pioneers a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Strutz continued to run hard closing out the first quarter with a 35 yard touchdown run.
The Pioneers converted the extra-point conversion when senior Bryant Jones completed his pass to senior Duke Darlington to give Big Sandy a 17-0 lead after one quarter of action.
It didn't take long before the Pioneers found the end zone again in the second quarter. Senior Weston Allderdice scored on a 29 yard jaunt to give the Pioneers a 23-0 lead with 6:25 left in the first half.
Jones continued his strong throwing with a 41 yard pitch and catch to Strutz for a touchdown with 6:25 left in the first half.
Strutz then added the conversion run for a 32-0 Big Sandy lead as the team was rolling on both sides of the ball.
Allderdice completed the first half scoring for the Pioneers with a 65 yard sprint to paydirt to give Big Sandy a commanding 36-0 lead entering the halftime intermission.
Augusta showed some fight to begin the second half scoring their first points to cut the deficit to 36-6.
Big Sandy responded quickly with a Dallas Geyer or pass to Brady Pleninger for 39 yards and a touchdown. Following the conversion run by Cameron Schwarzbach Big Sandy had concluded their scoring in route to a 43-6 win to conclude the regular season.
Jones completed 4-7 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown and Geyer was 4-5 for 77 yards and a touchdown giving the Pioneers a spark in the passing game.
Leading the Pioneer rushing attack was Strutz, carrying 14 times for 143 yards.
Allderdice, who has been the workhorse for the Pioneers all season was able to take it easy as the team looks to be as healthy as possible heading into the playoffs.
Against the Elk he carried the ball twice for 94 yards scoring on both occasions.
Junior Ryan Roth picked up 52 yards on eight carries and Tanner Shipp-Allderdice added 29 yards on 2 carries.
All told the Pioneers out gained the Elk 476 yards 234 yards in the contest. The Pioneers ran the ball for 331 yards and threw for 145.
Brady Pleninger hauled in three balls for 61 yards in the contest while Kade Strutz caught 1 for 41 yards. Roth added a catch for 23 yards. Clint Darlington caught one ball for17 yards and Hunter Jappe and Elijah Wagoner each caught a ball as well.
Defensively Big Sandy was led by the efforts Wagoner with five solo tackles and an assist. Clint Darlington added three solo tackles and four assists as well.
Tanner Allderdice and Weston Allderdice each recorded a sack in the win.
Looking ahead to the first round contest of the Montana Class C State Six-man Football Playoffs it will be the Pioneers taking on Richey Lambert at home in a first-round contest.
The 16 team tournament opens with eight games being played at the location of the top two seeds from the four divisions. The second round contests will be played at the home of the highest remaining seed. The semi-final and championship rounds home site goes to the higher seed, if both teams hold identical seeds the West will host the North South or East, while the North will host the South or the East and the South would host the East.
Richey Lambert is the three seed out of the Eastern Division and will come to town to face the second seeded Pioneers on Saturday October 28th with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
The winner of that contest will then take on the winner of the Bridger versus Valley Christian game the following weekend, Saturday November 4th.
Should Big Sandy win this weekend and Bridger then the Pioneers would travel to Bridger. If the Pioneers win and Valley Christian wins they would remain home for a second round contest.
The Pioneers battled their way through a tough Northern C Division to get to this spot finishing 7-2 in the regular season.
Big Sandy;s losses came at the hands of top seeded Valier in a close contest and to Power-Dutton-Brady.
The Pioneers picked up impressive wins over the three and four seeds from the North along the way, hammering Sunburst and edging Geraldine/Highwood.
Big Sandy certainly has the offensive fire power to go far and their defense has been stout as well all year long. Anything can happen in the post season and the only certainty is win and move on or lose and go home.
Everything is on the line each week and good luck to our Big Sandy Pioneers as they look to make their postseason run last as long as possible.
Big Sandy Pioneers 43
Augusta Elk 6
Augusta - 0 0 6 0 - 6
Big Sandy - 17 19 0 7 - 43
1st Quarter
Big Sandy - Safety Clint Darlington tackles Elk receiver in end zone.
Big Sandy - Kade Strutz 37 yard run (Duke Darlington kick).
Big Sandy - Kade Strutz 35 yard run (Bryant Jones pass to Duke Darlington.
2nd Quarter
Big Sandy - Weston Allderdice 29 yard run (Darlington kick)
Big Sandy - Bryant Jones 41 yard pass to Kade Strutz (Kade Strutz run)
Big Sandy - Weston Allderdice 65 yard run (Conversion pass no good)
3rd Quarter
Augusta - Kolton Scherrer 33 yard run (kick failed)
4th Quarter
Big Sandy - Dallas Geyer 39 yard pass to Brady Pleninger (Cameron Schwarzbach run).
