Eagles soar over Titans, 50-26

Brooks Phillips / Photo

PHILIPSBURG – In the scope of 8-man football in Montana, both teams are relatively young.

The Flint Creek Titans are in their tenth season, having collected three state titles and nine postseason appearances.

The Manhattan Christian Eagles starter their program just five weeks ago.

Friday night proved there’s a reason we play the games.

Flint Creek scored first but a sustained aerial assault by the Eagles gave Manhattan Christian a 50-26 victory over the Titans in Philipsburg. The Eagles improve to 3-1 while the Titans fall to 2-2.

Flint Creek started the game with the ball and the opening score when quarterback Kadin Graveley scampered in from 13 yards out for a 6-0 lead.

But the fledgling Eagles were unphased as their QB Christian Triemestra led his his team to four straight touchdowns, three of which he threw. He hit Mason Venema for two of them on 27 and 47-yard strikes and tossed the other Rance Hamilton from four yards out. Shaphan Hubner snapped off a 40-yard as well and Manhattan Christian was on top 26-6.

The two squads traded scores before halftime and went into the locker room with the Eagles up 34-12.

“We gotta block better on the ‘O’ line, play better on the ‘O’ line,” said Flint Creek Head Coach Jason Ostler. “We just couldn’t run the ball today and usually we’re gonna struggle if we can’t run the ball.

“Effort was better from Choteau. We were pretty low after that. … We’re making some small mistakes and penalties we can’t have. And when we don’t get our blocks, that’s the way it’s gonna go.”

The third quarter started like the first, with Logan Hauptman scoring his second rushing touchdown of the day for the Titans, but two more Triemestra TDs squelched any chance of comeback for the locals.

While still stinging from the loss, there were some solid performances statistically for Flint Creek. Graveley was 9-for-13 passing for 203 yards, 133 of those going to senior Trey Phillips on six catches. Austin Knoeller was in on 10 tackles, seven of which were solo, and tossed in a fumble recovery. Javier Ostler had the Titan’s other fumble recovery. Wyatt Daniels and Phillips each had seven solo tackles, with the latter also logging his team’s only sack and tackles for loss.

After the weekend’s play, Flint Creek in a three-way tie for fifth with Seeley Swan and Cascade at 2-2. Ennis is in first at 4-0, while Choteau, Simms and Manhattan Christian are all 3-1. Lone Peak is in eighth at 1-3 while Deer Lodge and Sheridan are 0-4.

SCORING

Manhattan Christian – 20/14/16/0 – 50

Flint Creek – 6/6/8/6 – 26

FIRST QUARTER

11:18 FC Graveley 13 yd run TD. Run failed.

9:38 MC Triemestra 27 yd pass to Venema TD. Triemestra to Venema pass.

8:16 MC Triemestra 4 yd pass to Hamilton TD. Run failed.

5:31 MC Hubner 40 yd run TD. Pass failed.

SECOND QUARTER

7:08 MC Triemestra 47 yd pass to Venema 47 TD. Run failed.

4:38 FC Hauptman 1 yd run TD. Pass failed.

0:00 MC Triemestra 7 yd pass to Venema TD. Triemestra to Hamilton pass.

THIRD QUARTER

8:41 FC Hauptman 1 yd run TD. Graveley run.

6:08 MC Triemestra 2 yd pass to Venema TD. Triemestra to Hoekema pass.

0:45 MC Triemestra 7 yd run TD. Triemestra to Venema pass.

FOURTH QUARTER

2:07 FC Dauenhauer 17 yd run TD. Pass failed.

NOTES – The loss puts Flint Creek at 2-2 on the season, marking only the third time in the team’s 10 seasons that they have been at the .500 winning percentage in the regular season. … Friday’s defeat also marks only the fifth time the Titans have lost on their home field, third in the regular season. … Three of those losses have occurred in Philipsburg to Charlo (2016, 54-6), Belt (2022 postseason, 48-0), and Manhattan Christian (2023, 50-26). Charlo also posted a 64-52 win in Drummond in 2015 and Belt beat Flint Creek 36-26 in a postseason tilt.