MTN Sports high school football rankings
Monday, Oct. 27
Final regular-season rankings
CLASS AA
1, Kalispell Glacier (9-0). Last: Beat No. 4 Missoula Big Sky 42-12
2, Billings West (8-1). Last: Beat Belgrade 55-21
3, Gallatin (8-1). Last: Beat Billings Senior 42-0
4, Missoula Big Sky (7-2). Last: Lost to No. 1 Kalispell Glacier 42-12
5, Missoula Sentinel (6-2). Last: Beat Kalispell Flathead 21-7
Around Class AA: Top-ranked Glacier put the cap on an unbeaten regular season with a rout of No. 4 Missoula Big Sky, a game in which the Wolfpack forced six turnovers. Meanwhile, No. 2 Billings West hammered Belgrade. As the playoffs begin this week, will anyone stand in the way of Glacier and West meeting in the Class AA state title game? Glacier beat the Golden Bears 14-10 on opening night back in August. Gallatin's only loss this season was a seven-point defeat to West on Oct. 9.
Keep track of the Class AA playoff scores and pairings here.
CLASS A
1, Billings Central (9-0). Last: Beat Glendive 67-13
2, Frenchtown (8-1). Last: Beat Stevensville 49-8
3, Laurel (8-1). Last: Beat Havre 49-13
4, Hamilton (7-1). Last: Beat Corvallis 53-3
5. East Helena (7-2). Last: Beat No. 4 Lewistown 42-6
Around Class A: East Helena cracked the top five following a blowout win over previously ranked Lewistown last week. As a result, the Vigilantes will host a Class A football playoff game for the first time. But this season has been trending toward another coronation for Billings Central, which hasn't been challenged much all year. The Rams have a 28-point win over No. 2 Frenchtown and a 35-point victory over No. 3 Laurel to their credit.
Keep track of the Class A playoff scores and pairings here.
CLASS B
1, Manhattan (8-0). Last: Beat Whitehall 62-13
2. Glasgow (9-0). Last: Beat No. 2 Malta 38-13
3, Malta (8-1). Last: Lost to No. 3 Glasgow 38-13
4, Three Forks (7-1). Last: Beat Jefferson 50-28
5, Red Lodge (7-1). Last: Beat Colstrip 45-7
Around Class B: In what was billed as the game of the year in Class B, Glasgow beat Malta last week to win the North division and leapfrog the Mustangs for the No. 2 spot in the final rankings of the regular season. Elsewhere, Manhattan, ranked No. 1 all year, capped a perfect regular season last week while No. 4 Three Forks and No. 5 Red Lodge both registered blowout wins to go into the playoffs with momentum.
Keep track of the Class B playoff scores and pairings here.
8-MAN
1, Scobey (8-0). Last: Beat Poplar 52-0
2, Fort Benton (9-0). Last: Beat Choteau 58-6
3, Belt (8-1). Last: Beat Harlem 62-8
4, Drummond-Philipsburg (8-0). Last: Beat Harlowton-Ryegate 64-6
5, Circle (7-1). Last: Beat Forsyth 14-12
Around 8-Man: The only close game among the top five in Week 9 was No. 5 Circle's 14-12 squeaker against Forsyth last Thursday. Everyone else cruised in their respective finales. That sets the stage for an interesting postseason that feels like several teams have legitimate championship aspirations. Scobey, Fort Benton, Drummond-Philipsburg and Seeley-Swan, the last of which sat outside the top five during the season, are the unbeatens going in, but many others have their eyes on the prize.
Keep track of the 8-Man playoff scores and pairings here.
6-MAN
1, Grass Range-Winnett (8-0). Last: Idle.
2, Absarokee (8-0). Last: Beat White Sulphur Springs 57-24
3. D-G-S-G (7-1). Last: Beat Broadview-Lavina 44-6
4, C-J-I (7-1). Last: Beat Big Sandy 52-6
5. Lincoln (7-1). Last: Beat Noxon 56-0
Around 6-Man: Top-ranked Grass Range-Winnett had a bye last week and enters the playoffs as one of two unblemished teams, along with No. 2 Absarokee, which beat White Sulphur Springs in its finale. No. 5 Lincoln won big in its final regular-season game but faces a tough one in its playoff opener against unranked Custer-Hysham-Melstone (5-3), a team that placed third in the rugged South behind Grass Range-Winnett and No. 3-ranked Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine.
Keep track of the 6-Man playoff scores and pairings here.
Please email game scores/scoring plays, standings and any necessary corrections to scores@montanasports.com
