GREAT FALLS -- Fort Benton defeated Great Falls Central 20-14 in Great Falls on Saturday afternoon to clinch the 8-Man North regular-season title and the conference's No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Fort Benton struck first in the low-scoring affair, as Garrett Diekhans found William Ullery in the end zone for an 11-yard score. Ullery made a phenomenal one-handed snag to secure the score. The two-point conversion gave Fort Benton an 8-0 lead. Great Falls Central would score before halftime, though, as Shane Girres hit Jackson Malsam for a 14-yard touchdown. Fort Benton led 8-7 at halftime after the Mustangs kicked the PAT.
Fort Benton would go to the air again to score in the second half, as Diekhans found Ullery for the duo's second scoring connection of the day, as Ullery stretched the ball across the goal line to give the Longhorns a 14-7 lead. Fort Benton was driving again looking to score, but Girres came up with his second interception of the game. That would lead to a 14-yard touchdown run by Girres to knot things up at 14-all entering the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns would deal the knockout blow in the fourth quarter, though, as Garrett Diekhans let loose a 38-yard touchdown pass to little brother Hayden Diekhans to put Fort Benton up 20-14. That would hold as the final score to give Fort Benton the 8-Man North title.
Fort Benton will have a bye week before the playoffs begin, where the Longhorns will play the fourth seed out of the East. Great Falls Central will be the North's No. 2 seed and will host the third seed out of the East.
Saturday football scores:
(Scroll through the videos above for highlights from Saturday's games)
Arlee 64, Victor 14
Choteau 40, Centerville 36
Denton-Geyser-Stanford 45, Valier 6
Ekalaka 46, Circle 20
Fairview 50, Scobey 0
Fort Benton 20, Great Falls Central 14
Gardiner 32, Sheridan 31
North Star 40, Geraldine-Highwood 20
