Knoeller, Goettle set pace as Flint Creek beats Twin Bridges

TWIN BRIDGES – It was a win that Flint Creek needed, and one they got Friday night at Twin Bridges, 60-8.

Last week’s lost to Manhattan Christian jumbled the postseason outlook for the Titans. But now at 6-1 in the MHSA 8-Man Southern Division and with one game to play, it’s not a matter if they’ll make the postseason but where they will play.

That gets decided October 25 against Lone Peak in Philipsburg.

The Big Horns beat Lodge Grass 64-12 Thursday afternoon, improving their division record to 5-2. With a win over Lone Peak, Flint Creek will be the No. 2 team out of the South, guaranteeing them a first-round home game. Should the Big Horns win, they would tie Flint Creek in record at 6-2 and hold the tiebreaker, giving them the opening-round home game and putting the Titans on the road.

In their meeting a year ago, Flint Creek beat the Big Horns at Lone Peak, 54-19. The Titans are 2-0 lifetime against the Big Horns.

Friday’s game against Twin Bridges started with defense, as Flint Creek held the Falcons on four straight plays. The Titans wasted no times as junior Austin Knoeller took a handoff at midfield and rambled in for the 40-yard score. One series later Knoeller repeated the feat, this time from 28 yards out and giving Flint Creek a 14-0 lead.

Michael Goettle got his first start of the year at quarterback and took full advantage of the opportunity. On the Titans’ third possession he hit senior wide receiver Eric Pitcher with an 18-yard scoring throw and followed it with a conversion pass to senior Kadin Graveley.

Flint Creek led 22-0 and the rest, as they say, was sauce for the goose.

Logan Hauptman saw limited playing time, scoring the final TD of the first period on a one-yard dive, collecting 13 yards on three carries in the win.

The second period started with a Wyatt Daniels interception that he returned for 72 yards and a score. Goettle followed it later in the quarter with a 45-yard TD pass to Graveley. Goettle scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and Lucas Shoutis did the same in the fourth.

Twin Bridges got its only score of the game in the final stanza.

Friday’s upcoming game with Lone Peak will be Senior Night.

SCORING

Flint Creek – 30/14/8/8 – 60

Twin Bridges – 0/0/0/8 – 8

FIRST QUARTER

9:18 FC Knoeller 40 yd run TD. Hauptman run.

7:44 FC Knoeller 28 yd run TD. Pass failed.

3:16 FC Goettle 18 yd pass to Pitcher TD. Goettle pass to Graveley.

1:12 FC Hauptman 1 yd run TD. Goettle pass to Graveley.

SECOND QUARTER

11:15 FC Daniels 72 yd interception return TD. Pass failed.

7:31 FC Goettle 45 yd pass to Graveley TD. Barkell run.

THIRD QUARTER

8:50 FC Goettle 35 yd run TD. Barkell run.

FOURTH QUARTER

4:31 TB Poirier 3 yd run TD. Smith run.

1:11 FC Shoutis 21 yd run TD. Barkell run.

PENALTIES

Flint Creek 0 for 0 yards.

Twin Bridges 1 for 10 yards.

NOTEBOOK – Flint Creek guaranteed itself a playoff appearance for the 11th straight year, dating back to its inaugural season of 2014. There has been a Granite County football team in the MHSA 8-Man Postseason since 2009. Both Granite and Drummond went 4-4 in 2008 and failed to make the playoffs. The only school with a similar streak is Fairview, which has made the playoffs every year dating back to 2011. … The Titans’ 60 points is the most ever scored against Twin Bridges but is second in winning margin to its 54-0 victory in 2017. … Flint Creek was not flagged for any penalties against Twin Bridges, the first time that has happened all season. The Falcons had just one fourth-quarter flag for holding. … The Titans were 6-for-8 (.750) on conversion plays Friday night. It was the second-best performance of the year behind the 5-for-6 (.833) effort in Week 3 against Charlo. The six made conversions by Flint Creek are the most this season. … Hauptman’s scoring run pushed him past Andrew Tallon on the rushing scoring list to No. 3 with 46 running TDs. Hauptman is still 22 yards shy of Colby Manley for third in all-time yards. Kade Cutler (3,746 yds) is first and Tyler Burden (3,451 yds) is second. … Jason Ostler is now 33-7 (.825) as the Titans Head Coach. … Flint Creek is now 95-19 (.833) overall since the program began in 2014. They are 78-12 (.867) in regular season games.