Freshman QB Jens Biggerstaff expected to make full recovery after scary takedown
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
Homecoming football offered a dazzling display of hometown talent as Lone Peak High School torched Harlowton High School, 68-0.
Usual suspects lit the scoreboard: senior Will Helms ran for 60- and 25-yard touchdowns, plus a 25-yard TD reception; junior Lucas O’Connor had three touchdown catches; and senior Ebe Grabow caught two touchdowns, rushing for a third.
On defense, the return of senior linebacker Eli Gale helped overwhelm the Engineers’ offense. The Big Horns forced a handful of turnovers including an interception by junior Boone Jorgensen and a fumble recovery by senior Matthew Tomkins.
The shutout win solidified an expected playoff berth with two weeks remaining, offering positive takeaways for the Big Horns. Unfortunately, the mood was dampened by a pair of nerve-wracking injuries.
Shortly before halftime, Lone Peak freshman quarterback Jens Biggerstaff was grabbed around the neck and thrown violently to the ground, his helmet yanked off by an aggressive Engineer tackler. After being assessed on the turf, Biggerstaff was carted off the field and transported via ambulance for assessment.
Early in the second half, Harlowton’s Phoenix King took a hard sack and suffered a hip injury, requiring the Big Sky Fire Department to perform another careful extrication via stretcher and a second ambulance ride.
“Looks like for both injuries Friday night boys will make a full recovery and just deal with some rest and soreness,” Lone Peak head coach Dustin Shipman stated in an email to EBS on Monday morning.
He offered a positive outlook for Biggerstaff: “As with any injury, we will keep an eye on him and collaborate with his family on his return to the field, however we do anticipate taking it slow this week and seeing him suit up for Friday night.”
Explore Big Sky thanks our first responders for their efficient and professional work treating the injured players.
With senior night Friday, focus shifts to playoffs
Reflecting on Lone Peak’s 68-0 win, coach Shipman said the team didn’t make many mistakes. They cleaned up a past struggle by avoiding penalties and demonstrated that they’re peaking at the right time.
“We’re at the point in the season where everybody’s comfortable in their positions, they’re confident in their positions, they’re confident in the coaches…. I think we played well in all three phases,” Shipman said after the game. “And we saw a lot from our younger guys that were put into spots where they maybe haven’t got a lot of snaps at before, so that went well too.”
Senior Eli Gale, sidelined with a back injury for much of the season, said the Big Horns executed on everything they practiced, and nailed their basic fundamentals against the Engineers. He said it’s great to be back, helping lead his team on both sides of the ball.
“It was kind of hard watching our team, although it was fun,” he said. “Just awesome to be back.”
Gale said the team feels good about their playoff chances. The Big Horns will host Sheridan High School on Oct. 17 for senior night, and travel to Lame Deer to wrap the regular season on Oct. 24.
The team could lose one of its remaining two games and likely make playoffs, but their intent is to take care of business against Sheridan and Lame Deer, setting up the best seed possible—Sheridan should be the more difficult opponent of the two.
“No matter what, we’re going to be the three or the four [seed] from our division,” Shipman said. “And the three and the four are going to have to go west, to play the one or the two.”
Senior Matthew Tomkins filled it at quarterback for the first time in two years, in the absence of Biggerstaff and Grabow—who was removed for rest in the lopsided win. Tompkins passed for a touchdown and rushed for another, taking advantage of his speed against Harlowton’s slower defensive unit.
“I tried to bounce outside, and there was a [defender], but I got past him with a stiff arm,” Tomkins said. “It was open field to the touchdown.”
He said the team played well together, and reflected on the homecoming atmosphere, with a few hundred well-fed fans as Montage Big Sky donated a barbecue on the surprisingly mild October night.
“It means a lot to us because everybody in the community came out,” Tompkins said. “It’s my last homecoming personally. To get a W and a shutout, it’s very valuable for my memories and the team.”
Tomkins added a shoutout to his teammate, Jens Biggerstaff, with hopes that he’ll rest up and get healthy.
Shipman thanked the community for celebrating local athletes including the football team. “It’s really a special time in a high school athlete’s life,” he said.
