Class AA and 6-Man football have new No. 1s this week, according to the MontanaSports.com high school football power rankings. Butte and Big Sandy climbed to the top spots in their respective classes.
The Bulldogs (7-0) narrowly edged previous No. 1 and defending Class AA state champion Billings West in the polls, which are voted on by members of the MTN Sports team across the state. Butte shut out Kalispell Flathead 38-0, which saw the Bulldogs lead 24-0 at halftime. Kameron Moreno and Tommy Mellott continue to be impressive for Butte's offense, which has amassed 321 points this season.
West, meanwhile, survived a sluggish game at Great Falls High, defeating the Bison 14-7 to remain undefeated at 6-0. Voters kept Missoula Sentinel, Bozeman and Helena Capital third, fourth and fifth, respectively, after each won last weekend.
Big Sandy moved to No. 1 in the 6-Man rankings by way of Jordan's win over former No. 1 Wibaux on Saturday. The Mustangs (6-1) held on for a 47-41 victory in a state championship rematch against the Longhorns. Big Sandy continued its dominance, thumping Heart Butte 88-6 on Friday. Hot Springs and Power-Dutton-Brady round out the rankings, with the Titans set to meet the Pioneers in two weeks for the 6-Man North's No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The North and South divisions hold their sub-division playoffs beginning this weekend.
Libby's stay in the Class A power rankings was short-lived after the Loggers suffered their first defeat of the season Friday night in Dillon. The Beavers won 28-12 and climbed to third behind Hamilton and Miles City in this week's polls. The Cowboys became the only unbeaten in the classification after trouncing Billings Central 41-10. Frenchtown and Laurel are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, this week.
Libby looks to bounce back when it travels to No. 1 Hamilton this Friday night.
Class B had no changes in teams represented in its power rankings, though last week's two ties were broken this week. Manhattan and Red Lodge shared third place a week ago, while Malta and Missoula Loyola each had a grip on No. 5. Loyola's loss to Eureka dropped the Rams to the "receiving votes" category. Fairfield and Eureka again hold the top two spots, with Manhattan edging out Red Lodge for the No. 3 position. Fairfield put up a class-best 61 points in a win over Harlem, while Eureka moved one step closer to a Western B championship with its 32-0 win over Loyola.
This week, No. 5 Malta travels to No. 1 Fairfield with the Northern B's top spot on the line, while Manhattan welcomes a Townsend team that sits just outside the Class B top five.
The 8-Man rankings saw only one change this week, with Scobey falling from the "receiving votes" category. Fairview, Fort Benton, Alberton-Superior and West Yellowstone are all unbeaten and ranked Nos. 1-4, while Great Falls Central (6-1) is fifth. The Mustangs host Fort Benton for the 8-Man North title and the league's No. 1 seed in the upcoming postseason.
The MontanaSports.com high school football power rankings, along with team records, can be found below. To view updated high school football standings, please click here.
Class AA
1. Butte (7-0)
2. Billings West (6-0)
3. Missoula Sentinel (6-1)
4. Bozeman (6-1)
5. Helena Capital (5-2)
Class A
1. Hamilton (6-1)
2. Miles City (6-0)
3. Dillon (6-1)
4. Frenchtown (6-1)
5. Laurel (5-1)
Class B
1. Fairfield (6-0)
2. Eureka (6-0)
3. Manhattan (6-0)
4. Red Lodge (6-0)
5. Malta (6-0)
Receiving votes: Missoula Loyola (4-3).
8-Man
1. Fairview (7-0)
2. Fort Benton (7-0)
3. Alberton-Superior (7-0)
4. West Yellowstone (6-0)
5. Great Falls Central (61)
Receiving votes: Drummond-Philipsburg (5-2), Centerville (6-1).
6-Man
1. Big Sandy (7-0)
2. Jordan (6-1)
3. Wibaux (5-1)
4. Hot Springs (7-0)
5. Power-Dutton-Brady (6-0)