Titans ground Blackhawks, advance to 5-0

PHILIPSBURG – And air of complacency swirled around George Mungas Field early Friday evening. It was a night that saw fans arrive late and the Titan defense even later.

Still, the home standing Titans finally found their mojo in posting a 50-0 win over visiting Seeley Swan to improve to 5-0 on the year.

“I don’t understand it. I guess it’s my personality or whatever,” said a reflective Mike Cutler after the game of his team. “I don’t care who the opponent is, it’s a football game. Number one it’s a beautiful night and number two we live in the best country in the world. Why are we not excited to play football?

“(We were) not emotionally ready to play. Sluggish. If you’re a football player you can’t just turn it on and off.”

It may have been the fact that both the Titans and their fans knew who they were playing. In the six previous since the Flint Creek Co-Op was founded in 2014, the Titans have beaten Seeley Swan all six times and outscored them 356-56.

"Number one it’s a beautiful night and number two we live in the best country in the world. Why are we not excited to play football?" ~ Mike Cutler, Titans Head Coach

After kicking off to the Blackhawks, the Titan defenders almost stood and watched as the visitors systematically marched the ball down the field to the Flint Creek 8-yard-line. It was only then, after almost three minutes had ticked off the clock that the locals awoke from their slumber to stop Seeley from advancing any further. Titans claimed the ball on downs and drove the length of the field for a score, a four-yard run by Preston Metesh that put them up 6-0

Flint Creek made short work of Seeley on the visitors’ next series and scored against when quarterback Kade Cutler pushed it in from nine yards out. The quarter ended with the locals up 12-0 and the route was on.

The Blackhawks faced a fourth and long to open the second period, only to have the long snapper put the ball over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a safety. When the Seeley kicker failed twice to keep the ensuing punt in bounds, the visitors were backed up to their goal line to kick off from the ground. The resulting kick gave the locals great field position that resulted in the second of Preston Metesh’s second of three scores on the night.

Once awake, the Titan defense was its typically nasty self. Senior Tucker Weaver had a season best game with an interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth that he returned for a touchdown.

Flint Creek now turns its sights on what may prove to the best competition they’ll face in the regular season in Sheridan. The Panthers entered the night at 4-1 but fell to Ennis 62-35. Ennis had entered the game at just 1-3, but used a 22-point fourth quarter to pull away and put the game out of reach,

“They’re a playoff worthy team,” observed Cutler. “They do some different things on offense that we’ll have to get ready for.”

The Sheridan game will be played at Drummond High School instead of in Philipsburg as originally scheduled. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.