Titans use fourth-quarter surge to secure season opening win over Park City

PHILIPSBURG – The Flint Creek Titans sputtered and stalled for the first three quarters of play, but got fully on track in the fourth to secure a 50-22 win over visiting Park City Friday night, 50-22.

Flint Creek starts the year at 1-0 for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

Park City falls begins the ’24 season at 0-1.

It looked very much like the first game of the year for both teams as neither could mount a significant offensive threat. The defenses kept the game scoreless until the end of the first quarter.

The Titans worked the ball down to the ball down to the Panther one when Flint Creek senior Logan Hauptman punched it in as time expired. Sophomore Jake Daunhuer added the conversion run and the locals took an 8-0 lead.

Hauptman scored another touchdown in the second, this time from 34 yards out. Austin Knoeller ran in the two-point conversion and Flint Creek took a 16-0 advantage.

As time wound down before halftime, Park City was forced into a punting situation from its own 32 yard line. That when Titan senior Chance Dunkerson burst through the line, blocking Brody Schmidt’s kick, scooping up the ball and returning it 24 yards for the score.

“Coach told me to take that guard and throw him on top of the punter. And I was like ‘Alright Coach, I got you.” described Dunkerson of the play. “I did that and the ball bounced up and I took it in.”

Junior Austin Knoeller added the conversion run to put Flint Creek up 24-0.

After Dunkerson’s score, Park City managed a drive that came to fruition when Tegan Hahne hit Paiton Peck with a five-yard TD pass. The duo connected for the conversion and the Titans took a 24-8 lead into the halftime locker room.

That score set the tone for the third period, as the Panthers surged with two points after a pair of scores. Hahne hit Mason Tilzey on a 52-yard pass play to close the gap by six. The a mishandled snap in the end zone by the Titans was recovered by Park City for another eight points with 17 seconds in the period.

As the two squads opened the final stanza, momentum seemed to be on the visitor’s side as the hosts quickly turned the ball over.

That’s when Flint Creek found its rhythm.

It started with transfer senior Logan Fluharty intercepting a deep pass by Hahne and taking it back to the panther 32. A change of possession later, it was senior Kadin Graveley picking off a Hahne pass attempt and returning it near midfield. The Titans quickly drove it down to the Park City 4 where Hauptman pushed it in for another score to extend the lead to 30-22.

A few minutes later Hauptman was at it again, this time on defense. He recovered at Panther fumble with 5:09 to play and scored just over a minute later from the 23 to make it 36-22.

The following squibbed kickoff saw a panther player touch the ball only to have sophomore Tony Barkell recover it at the Park City 17. One player later Knoeller dashed in for the score and a 42-22 margin.

And to add insult to injury, as Flint Creek got the ball with under a minute remaining, sophomore Wyatt Daniels found a hole on the right side of the Panther defense and scored from 35 yards out with five seconds remaining. Daunhuer hit Daniels with the conversion pass and the victory was secured.

Dunkerson and Hauptman agreed that despite the big win, there was lots to work on the team readies for its Week 2 game at Lodge Grass.

“Snaps,” said Dunkerson of his team’s play. “It causes some upset when the snap hits the ground and everybody gets a little frustrated and off their game.”

“We’ve just got to lower the amount of flags that come out on the field,” added Hauptman. “After that we’ll be way better.”

Hauptman was referencing the numerous holding penalties that occurred in the first half, two of which called back scoring plays by Knoeller and Fluhartgy.

Lodge Grass started the year losing to Arlee 54-14 in a game played at Manhattan Christian Thursday. Had one of the team’s hosted that game, it would have been more than a six-hour drive for the visitor. The Titans will get to cut a whole hour off that drive when they make it for Friday’s 5 p.m. start.

Now in their 11th season, the Titans have won their season opener every year except 2019 on the road against Clark Fork where they lost 74-42. … Flint Creek is 10-1 in openers, 9-0 at home and 1-1 on the road. … They have score 50 or more points in those first week games, with 58 being the tops three times. The only games under 50 were in the loss to Clark Fork and in their 2015 victory over Plains (48-20). … After being the only freshman to helm the team at quarterback in 2023, Jake Daunhuer is now the second sophomore to be under center. The first was Kade Cutler who led the 2017 squad to the first of three state championships. … Park City starts 2024 at 0-1. It is the fifth straight year they have opened the year by losing falling to Fort Benton (2023 & 2022) and Chinook (2021 & 2020). Their last opening day win was against the Sugar Beeters in 2019, 56-24.

SCORING

Park City – 0/8/14/0 – 22

Flint Creek – 8/16/0/26 – 50

FIRST QUARTER

0:00 FC Hauptman 1 yard run TD. Daunhuer run.

SECOND QUARTER

3:30 FC Hauptman 34 yard run TD. Knoeller run.

2:26 FC Dunkerson blocked punt return 24 yards TD. Knoeller run.

0:17 PC Hahne 5 yard pass to Peck TD. Hahne to Peck pass.

THIRD PERIOD

10:58 Panthers Hahne 52 yard pass to Tilzey TD. Pass failed.

5:48 PC Panthers recover fumble in the end zone for TD. Hahne pass to Tilzey.