It could easily have been mistaken for a whirlwind business trip.
The Big Sandy Pioneers (5-0) traveled Friday to Valier, quickly wrapped up their first shutout of the season by a 57-0 count and got back on the bus before its engine had time to cool.
Kickoff had already been bumped up to 5:30 p.m. on the Panthers' home field as the first autumn snowfall loomed on many Montanans' minds. With a running clock throughout the last three quarters, the Pioneers were in position to begin the return trip home only minutes after the game originally would have started at 7 p.m.
Junior running back Kade Strutz scored his team-high three touchdowns all in the first quarter.
Junior quarterback Parker Proulx connected on a pair of touchdown strikes, to Hunter Jappe in the final minute of the first quarter to trigger the mercy rule at 35-0 and again to Christopher Burns in the second quarter. Proulx added an interception return for a TD that represented the only score in the second half. The catch marked Jappe's first TD on the season.
Senior stepbrothers Brock Proulx and Ryan Roth each added a first-half rushing touchdown for Big Sandy.
"It's kind of what we expected," Pioneers coach Larry Jappe said of his team's execution. "Kade scored the first play from scrimmage ... then we just started moving the ball around and getting more kids involved."
Every eligible Pioneer saw playing time against the outmatched foe. Second-teamers entered the game in the second quarter, Jappe said, and the third string played much of the second half.
"Our defense, (Valier) couldn't move the ball at all on them," Jappe said, adding he opened up the offensive playbook wider and "ran a little spread, a little option."
The Pioneers are set to go back on the road Saturday with the 6-Man Northern "A" division on the line. While the Tri-City Titans, representing Hobson, Moore and Judith Gap, have home field advantage and an identical 2-0 record against division foes, Big Sandy has plenty reason to feel confident entering the pivotal matchup. Statewide media are unanimous in ranking the Pioneers higher this season and against common opponents, Tri-City only edged Valier by 6 points at home and also fell 45-0 hosting Jordan, a team Big Sandy beat by 16. The Titans had opened 3-0 overall but lost again, 59-10 Saturday at MonDak, a team Big Sandy demolished by 46 points going away.
Entering the Week 5 games, a consensus formed around the Top 5 teams in the 6-Man classification. Big Sandy remained No. 1 in the Great Falls Tribune ranking, followed by fellow undefeateds Power-Dutton-Brady, Hot Springs, defending state champion Wibaux and Geraldine-Highwood.
Other polls were in even greater agreement, with the Treasure State Media Poll, MontanaSports.com and 406MTSports.com each ranking Wibaux and Big Sandy 1-2. Those three polls placed Hot Springs, Jordan and PDB 3-4-5 in varying orders. TSMP has Hot Springs No. 3, PDB No. 4 and Jordan No. 5. MontanaSports placed Jordan No. 3, Hot Springs No. 4 and PDB No. 5. 406 has Hot Springs No. 3, Jordan No. 4 and PDB No. 5. Only the 406 poll included a full Top 10, placing Tri-City at No. 6 followed by Richey-Lambert, White Sulphur Springs, Shields Valley and Geraldine-Highwood.
Results for Week 5 games/scheduled Week 6 contests for the MontanaSports.com Top 10 are as follows:
1. Wibaux (5-0): def. Froid-Medicine Lake 56-0, next at Custer-Hysham
2. Big Sandy (5-0): won at Valier 57-0, next at No. 6 Tri-City
3. Jordan (4-1): def. No. 7 Richey-Lambert, next at Savage
4. Hot Springs (5-0): def. Valley Christian (Missoula) in Alberton, 47-13, next vs. Noxon
5. Power-Dutton-Brady (4-0): at Sunburst (ppd. due to weather), next vs. Harlowton-Ryegate
6. Tri-City co-op (Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap) (3-2): Lost 59-10 at MonDak, next vs. No. 2 Big Sandy
7. Richey-Lambert (3-2): Lost at No. 3 Jordan 45-42, next vs. MonDak
8. White Sulphur Springs (3-2): def. Gardiner 46-13, next vs. Sheridan
9. Shields Valley (4-1): def. Reed Point-Rapelje 63-36, next at Broadview-Lavina
10. Geraldine-Highwood (3-1): Idle, next at Denton-Geyser-Stanford
