Titans finish regular season perfect with win at Victor

VICTOR – Whatever the piratey verb you choose – sunk, scuttled, broadsided – the outcome was the same and never really in question

The Flint Creek Titans completed their second perfect regular season is as many years, beating the Pirates in Victor 62-0.

The win improves the Titans to 9-0 on the year and keeps them atop the Class C 8-Man West football standings. Flint Creek and the rest of the 8-Man playoff teams will begin the postseason next Saturday, October 27. The Titans will host a fourth-place team in Drummond at 1 p.m.

“(We’re) just trying to bring our intensity and get ready for playoffs,” observed Titan Defensive Line Coach Nate Bignell. “We’ve showed that in practice and they’ve really been picking it up. And I think that’s really helped us out in this slump with this kind of opponent.”

On their first play from scrimmage Flint Creek made it abundantly clear that they were head and shoulders above Pirates. Quarterback Kade Cutler threw a 45-yard scoring strike to Jaxon Lee to take an 8-0 lead. Five minutes later they connected on an 11-yard scoring play to double their lead to 16-0.

But Lee wasn’t done yet. With 4:36 to play in the period Lee took a Victor punt and returned it for 52 yards, a touchdown and a 24-0 advantage.

"The younger kids are huge for us. If they bring a high intensity and make these starters work, then we’ll be more prepared for the game. Intensity is huge.”

~ Nate Bignell, Titan Defensive Line Coach

As the final score indicates, the Titan defense was on its game for the entire 48 minutes. The regular-season finale offered Flint Creek an opportunity to fine tune its game before the playoffs start.

“(We’re working on) getting our gap and stick with doing our own job,” continued Bignell. “If everyone does their own job, then it’s a great win for our defense.

“It’s the intensity we bring in practice. The younger kids are huge for us. If they bring a high intensity and make these starters work, then we’ll be more prepared for the game. Intensity is huge.”

Back on offense, Cutler and Lee continued their aerial antics just 46 ticks in with a 14-yard scoring play that put the Titans up 32-0. Toss in a two-yard TD run by Manley and a 46-yard punt return for a score by Conley Wagner and Flint Creek had run their lead to 46-0 at the break.

While Victor held its Senior Night activities, the Titan starters divested themselves of their pads to allow their reserve players to get some action. And while they didn’t find their way into the end zone in the third stanza, they got in twice in the fourth.

Quarterback Caleb Parke and Tucker Weaver got Flint Creek’s offense back in gear when they connected on a 29-yard scoring play with 8:32 to play. Braden Huberg added the conversion and then snapped off a 46-yard scoring run with 3:45 for the final score of the game.

NOTES – Using a blank bracket provided by the Montana High School Association (MHSA), the Titans’ first round opponent will likely be the Choteau Bulldogs. Choteau was the fourth-ranked team in the north with a 6-2 overall record, according to 406mtsports.com, behind Shelby (7-0), Centerville (7-1) and Great Falls Central (7-1). The survivor would likely face the winner of the Ennis at Culbertson game. … The win is the 21st consecutive victory for the Titans, who are now tied with Gerladine (2001-2002). … Flint Creek outscored opponents 510-70 during the regular season, including four shutouts. … During their 2017 championship run, the Titans scored 624 points in 12 games (6th All-Time in MHSA Class C 8-Man Football). Should Flint Creek make it to the title game again this year, they would be playing a total of 13 games. … in 2017 the Titans averaged 52.0 points per game (PPG) which ranks them 8th all-time. This season through nine games they are averaging 56.7, which if maintained would place them fourth.

SCORING

Flint Creek – 24/22/0/16 – 62

Victor – 0/0/0/0 – 0

First Quarter

11:50 – 8-0 – (FC) Cutler to Lee 45 yards pass TD. Cutler conversion.

6:53 – 16-0 – (FC) Cutler to Lee 11 yard pass TD. Manley conversion run.

4:36 – 24-0 – (FC) Lee 52 yard punt return TD. Manley conversion run.

Second Quarter

11:14 – 32-0 – (FC) Cutler to Lee 14 yard pass TD. Cutler conversion run.

5:50 – 38-0 – (FC) Manley 2 yard run TD. Conversion failed.

3:00 – 46-0 – (FC) Wagner 46 yard punt return TD. Manley conversion run.

Third Quarter