Football: Big Horns fall to Trojans in two-night home opener

By Mira Brody VP MEDIA

BIG SKY – With one win against the Eagles of Manhattan Christian High School under their belts, the Lone Peak Big Horns charged the field against the Drummond High School Trojans with high energy for their first home game on the nights of Sept. 9 and 11 in a game that was postponed by lightning, and then resumed after the weekend. The game concluded Monday night with a Big Horns loss, 64-32.

Friday opener shortened by thunderstorms

On Friday, the game started with a defensive performance from the Big Horns, forcing a Trojans punt, which was shortly after returned for a touchdown, Trojans. With 10:07 left in the first quarter, the Trojans gained a 10-0 advantage early on. 

At the end of the first quarter, the sky began to turn orange and thunder in the distance led to a 30-minute lightning delay. By the time both teams returned to the field at 9 p.m., the Big Horns had reorganized their defensive line to prevent any further touchdowns from the Trojans. However, the storm continued, forcing officials to postpone the game until the following Monday. 

“I was proud of the understanding and flexibility of our coaches and players,” John Hannahs, athletic director at Lone Peak High School, told EBS in an email. “The situation was not ideal but they came out with a lot of energy and fought hard; stopping play when you had momentum and then resuming two days later is not an easy task.”

Monday’s game begins in the second quarter, score 32-18 

Undiscouraged, both teams returned Sept. 11 to pick up where they left off: in the second quarter, the Trojans leading 32-18. At the start of Monday’s continuation, the Big Horns were down four players from previous games, and by the end of the night, they were down five. Head coach Dustin Shipman commented in an email to EBS that although momentum is hard to replicate 72 hours later, both teams “played hard for the entire game, both nights.”

“We are a little banged up right now and it shows with the little mistakes that lead to big swings in score and momentum; but those who needed to step up did so and played a good game against a tough team,” Coach Shipman wrote. “We are looking forward to the next couple weeks and getting everyone healthy. It is a long season and we just need to keep working every day to get better.”

This article includes reporting by Mario Carr. Photos by Micah Robin.