FLORENCE — In pursuit of a third consecutive Class B state championship, Florence rolled into the semifinals with a 36-14 victory over Columbus on Saturday.
After a defensive stand prevented Columbus from taking the early lead, Gabriel Hartsell-Miller put Florence in front with an 11-yard run for a 7-0 first-quarter advantage. Florence struck again in the second quarter quarterback Mason Arlington ran one in from 8 yards to make it 14-0.
Columbus answered with a long drive and found the end zone on Wyatt Meier's 1-yard touchdown run. A two-point try made it 14-8.
Hartsell-Miller scored for Florence just before halftime, though, and the Falcons tacked on a 41-yard touchdown reception by Isaac Bates and a 5-yard TD run by Arlington to pull away in the second half.
Florence will host Red Lodge in the semifinals next week for what will be an anticipated matchup between undefeated juggernauts. The Falcons are now 11-0 and Red Lodge, after a 56-18 quarterfinal rout over Three Forks on Saturday, is now 10-0.
Elsewhere in Class B ...
Manhattan 46, Shepherd 0
Jefferson 33, Eureka 32, OT
Red Lodge 56, Three Forks 18
