AA Football Glacier caught by Hawks
By JOSEPH TERRY
The Daily Inter Lake
BOZEMAN — Glacier dominated its Class AA football game against Bozeman on Friday night at Van Winkle Stadium.
Everything but one play.
The Wolfpack outgained Bozeman 263-172 and kept the Hawks from ever getting inside 30 yards of a touchdown on offense, but lapsed for one play, allowing Bozeman (3-0) an 80-yard kickoff return that decided the 7-6 game and dropped Glacier to 0-3.
Glacier found a rhythm with a new quarterback under center, handing the reins to junior Evan Todd in its third possession of the game. Todd showed some zip on his passes, immediately completing a 28-yard strike to Drew Deck for a first down that put the Wolfpack into the red zone. Three plays later, on fourth-and-short from the 5-yard line, Todd kept an option run, finding room around right end for a touchdown.
Glacier led 6-0 after the extra point sailed wide right, but was in full control.
The Wolfpack limited Bozeman to one possession in the first quarter — a three-and-out — and had just run off an 18-play drive that took 7 minutes, 27 seconds off the clock, ending in a missed field goal on the possession before the score.
The defense was dominant too, forcing a fumble to give Glacier the ball in plus territory to set up the scoring drive.
The Wolfpack was penalized for offsides on the ensuing kickoff and was forced to back up and re-kick.
Bozeman’s Latrell McCutcheon took advantage, returning the re-kick for an 80-yard touchdown. The Hawks made the extra point and took a 7-6 lead, all it would need in a defensive battle.
Glacier nearly put together a scoring drive on its first possession of the second half, pushing the ball deep in the Bozeman red zone, but what looked to be a first down inside the 5-yard line was called back for a penalty and a loss of down, ending the Wolfpack’s best shot at retaking the lead.
Glacier only had four more possessions in the third and fourth quarters, stalling twice and shooting itself in the foot on another, forced to punt after a holding call negated a fourth-down conversion in Hawk territory.
Glacier’s last chance came with just 13 seconds on the clock. Starting at the Wolfpack 44, Todd missed on his first shot, sailing it long, and threw his second to the wrong team, with McCutcheon pulling in an interception to stick the nail in the coffin.
Todd finished 9 for 19 passing for 98 yards and a rushing touchdown. Brady Peiffer, who started the game, was 6 for 6 for 52 yards.
Glacier running back Drew Turner finished with 22 rushes for 75 yards.
Jackson Pepe ran the wildcat often in the game, finishing with 31 yards on nine carries.
Mark Estes had a game-high six catches and 46 yards receiving and Drew Deck had three catches for 45 yards.
The last time the Wolfpack started 0-3 was in 2007, the first year of the program. That season ended winless.
Glacier is on the road again next week to face Helena High (2-1).
Helena clobbered Missoula Hellgate 67-6 on Friday.
The Wolfpack has won the last three games against the Bengals after dropping the first eight of the series.
Glacier 0 6 0 0 — 6
Bozeman 0 7 0 0 — 7
Second quarter
Gla — Evan Todd 6 run (kick missed), 4:06
Boz — Latrell McCutcheon 80 kickoff return (kick good), 3:57