GREAT FALLS -- Either way, one team was going to end a playoff drought Friday night at Memorial Stadium. In the end, home field lived up to the hype.
Ryan Krahe had two second-quarter touchdowns, and nearly another, as Great Falls High defeated Billings Skyview 28-0 to earn the program's first Class AA football playoff victory since 2008.
After punts filled the opening quarter, Krahe hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Reed Harris to give the Bison of coach Mark Samson the early advantage. Skyview appeared set to tie or take the lead moments later, driving inside the Great Falls High 5-yard line, but Krahe jumped in front of a Falcons lob near the end zone and returned the one-handed interception nearly 100 yards for what appeared to be a touchdown. Officials threw flags for illegal blocks in the back, taking away the score.
But with momentum on its side, Great Falls High swiftly moved downfield, with Krahe scoring a 10-yard touchdown to cap the drive, bouncing from the inside back out and stretching for the end zone.
Harris added a 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper before the half expired, giving the Bison a 21-0 lead.
Rafe Longin finished the scoring for the evening with a 4-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter, ending the program's 12-year postseason drought.
Skyview ended a 22-game losing streak earlier this season, winning three times under coach Nathan Wahl. But the Falcons wouldn't find the end zone when it mattered most, ending the 2020 season with a 3-5 mark.
Great Falls High will advance to the Class AA quarterfinals, earning a trip to top-ranked and unbeaten Missoula Sentinel next weekend.
