FRENCHTOWN — It was a scene fit for a movie script.
The underdog trailing by double digits and the starting quarterback out with an injury — but a team and community that never stopped believing.
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"All coach (Seth) Mason says is nobody has to believe in you except for you, and everybody in this community (believed) — nobody else but this community — and we got it done," Frenchtown senior Bailey Corrette said after the Broncs upset Billings Central 31-21 for the Class A state football championship.
"We talked, we got nothing to lose, cut it loose, let it free, see what happens," Mason said. "Find ourselves in a ball game and see if we can take it to four quarters, and that’s what we did. So proud of these kids.”
Frenchtown trailed heavily favored Billings Central 14-3 in the second quarter. But in stepped freshman quarterback Cody Forthofer, who guided the Broncs to four touchdown drives to pull off the upset.
Starting QB Dawson Rodoni left the game with an injury in the first half and did not return.
“I was ready. Dawson, he was the starter and he went down, and I just had to step up," Forthofer said. "I was really nervous at the start, but I got better during the game.”
“We talked about, it’s going to take every single one of us. Didn’t know who was going to need to step up or what was going to happen, and holy cow, that kid stepped up in a big way," Mason said of Forthofer. "A freshman coming in, balling out, his brother getting his first varsity start ever in the backfield, just magical. Unbelievable.”
And it wasn’t just Forthofer — every Bronc made big plays.
“When they punch, we’ve got to punch back, heavyweight bout," Mason said. "Our kids just held belief, did it together, rode for the brand, baby.”
“We know what to do when it comes down to it, we rely on each other. We’ve got each other’s backs," Corrette said. "We just rise to the occasion every time. It’s that brotherhood.”
A Brotherhood of Broncs — that movie would sell.
