By Acra Samuels EBS Contributor
LINCOLN/HOT SPRINGS, Mont. – On Sept. 18, the Lone Peak High School Big Horns traveled to Lincoln for their first road conference game of the season. Sporting new, white away jerseys, the Big Horns’ high-flying offense was in full swing, accompanied by a stifling defense.
Junior fullback Bridger Babcock got the LPHS scoring started, taking a 10-yard pass from junior quarterback Eddie Starz in for a touchdown, giving them a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Then the floodgates opened for the Big Horns, as sophomore Holden Samuels scored on a 5-yard pass from Starz 42 seconds into the second quarter.
After the following kickoff, the Big Horn defense stopped the Lynx in their tracks with senior Chase Samuels and sophomore Evan Redmond repeatedly stopping the Lynx behind the line of scrimmage, and eventually forcing a safety.
On the ensuing series, Starz scampered for a 30-yard touchdown and freshman Milosz Shipman kicked the points after touchdown for two more points. With 1:04 left in the half, Starz found Holden Samuels from 1 yard out for Samuels’ second touchdown reception of the game, and Shipman again made the PAT to make the LPHS lead 30-0.
The Big Horns then stopped the Lynx inside the 10, Redmond blocked the punt and Chase Samuels recovered on the 2 with seconds left in the half. Starz found sophomore Jackson Wade in the end zone to make it 36-0 at the half.
It was all Big Horns in the second half. On their first possession, Babcock broke free for a 46-yard touchdown run. Just before the end of the third quarter, sophomore all-purpose back Liam Germain rocketed 20 yards for a touchdown run and Shipman converted the two-point kick, bringing the final score to 50-0.
The Big Horns traveled to Hot Springs on Sept. 25 to take on the Savage Heat, riding a two-game-winning streak. The Savage Heat are currently ranked No. 4 in the state and has never lost a conference game. Hot Springs gave up only six points this year en route to a 4-0 record coming into the matchup against LPHS.
The game didn’t start well for the Big Horns, as the Savage Heat scored their first touchdown two minutes into the game and had a commanding 22-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Hot Springs team seemed to execute better and be more physical than the Big Horns, and the score was 43-0 by halftime.
LPHS managed two scores in the second half. Germain scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and threw a 60-yard touchdown pass in the fourth to junior Devin Quinn, but the Big Horns fell to the Savage Heat 71-14.
