Titans’ ground assault vanquishes Viking horde

CHARLO – It’s always a party when the Titans and Vikings get together, and this time was no different. Both teams entered the contest at 3-0 and starting to look ahead to the postseason.

When the dust finally settled is was Flint Creek that came away with a 60-24 victory that kept them unbeaten at 4-0 as they head into a key South Central Conference battle with Ennis next Friday in Drummond for Homecoming.

Flint Creek and it’s fans may have thought this was going to be another early blowout, as Charlo took the ball and made two bad snaps that sailed past the head and hands of QB Hayden Hollow. Their eventual punt led to the Titans’ first score at 8:24 of the opening stanza when senior Andrew Tallon snapped off a 41-yard scoring run. Fellow senior Tyler Burden added the two-point run and the locals were up 8-0.

Charlo quickly regrouped and started a methodical drive that was highlighted by a solid short aerial attack. Hollow put the exclamation on the drive with a 23-yard TD pass to Wesley Anderson. Charlo was unable to score the point after and trailed 8-6.

That proved to be as close the Viking would get to Flint Creek all night long.

“There at the end we started getting our alignment a little better,” said Titans’ Head Coach Jason Ostler of his squad’s pass defense. “But some of it, they’re going to get some of the underneath stuff when you’re jamming the run and covering it deep. Sometimes you gotta pick your poison and what you’re willing to give up.”

The tight play continued into the second period, with Burden adding a TD for Flint Creek and Keaton Piedalue running one in for Charlo. But with 15 ticks on the clock Tallon dove in from the one to extend Flint Creek’s lead to 22-12 at halftime with the Titans receiving the second half kickoff.

And that’s when Burden started punishing Viking defenders with a rushing attack that, t put it simply, brutal.

"The way this program has been, we’re gonna get everybody’s best game.” ~ Jason Ostler, Titans Head Coach

It started with a 15-yard carry for a score at the 10:16 mark of the third period. And while Piedalue responded with a 1-yard TD of his own, Burden broke off a 30-yard scoring jaunt before period’s end. He added two more in the fourth and Flint Creek’s scoring was capped by a 52-yard weaving run from Tallon for his third score of the game.

Tallon (16 carried. 173 yards, 3 TDs) and Burden (30 carries, 240 yards, 5 TDs) combined for 413 of the Titans’ 417 yards on the ground. Toss in Tallon’s 76 yards in the air, and the duo put 489 yards of total offense together, not counting kick returns.

It all came behind an offensive line that worked to dominate Charlo from the opening kickoff to the final horn. On that line were Riley Wiant, Ben Bradshaw, Grady Radtke and Chance Dunkerson, with Aedan Dotson and Trey Phillips contributing on occasional sets.

“They’ve got some big, physical kids. Big offensive line and big kids up front (on defense).

We have big kids too and they got out and got movin’,” added Ostler. “This was a good physical game, something we haven’t had yet this year. A real hard hitting game, so that’s good. The way this program has been, we’re gonna get everybody’s best game.”

After the game Charlo Head Coach Reese Cox congratulated Ostler and added, “Let’s do this again in the state title game!”

Defensively Flint Creek had 34 tackles and 23 assists, showing just how the Titan defenders were constantly swarming to the ball. Logan Hauptman (6) and Dotson (5) led the charge on solo stops with Colt Parsons chipping in six assisted tackles. Dotson and Bradshaw each logged a sack.

Flint Creek’s win over Charlo was a non-conference victory, leaving them at 3-0 in the South Central and 4-0 overall.

In other South Central Conference games Lone Peak (1-2) edged Cascade 47-42 (2-1) for their first victory, Choteau (2-2) blanked Powell County (0-4) 40-0, and Sheridan (1-3) slipped past Seeley Swan (2-2) 33-32 in double overtime at home. Simms will play at Ennis Saturday night in a 6 p.m. start.

A Victory by the Mustangs would set up a battle for first in the South Central Conference with the only two undefeated teams. The winner would have first place, the tie-breaker and the MHSA’s ‘golden ticket’ as they would have the advantage of playing at home throughout the playoffs. The Titans held that advantage in 2017 when they won their first state championship.

SCORING

FLINT CREEK – 8/14/16/14

Charlo – 6/6/

FIRST QUARTER

8:24 FC Tallon 41 yd run TD. Burden Run.

0:07 CH Hollow 23 yd pass to Anderson TD. Run failed.

SECOND QUARTER

8:19 FC Burden 15 yd run TD. Burden run.

3:47 CH Piedalue 5 yd run TD. Run failed.

0:15 FC Tallon 1 yd run TD. Run failed.

THIRD QUARTER

10:16 FC Burden 38 yd run TD. Tallon run.