Traditional powers Billings Senior, Dillon, Hot Springs climb in MontanaSports.com polls

This week’s MontanaSports.com high school football polls saw three perennial powers move up the rankings and one fall out of the top five.

Billings Senior, which has won the past two Class AA state championships, climbed one spot to a No. 3 ranking this week. The Broncs outlasted Butte for a 40-27 win to move ahead of Helena High, which suffered a 42-22 loss at top-ranked Bozeman. The Bengals do own a head-to-head win over Senior, crushing the Broncs 41-14 back in August, but the votes reflect the what-have-you-done-lately nature of the poll.

Dillon, which appeared in six consecutive Class A state championship games from 2011-16, moved up to fourth in the MontanaSports.com Class A rankings. The Beavers got an 18-14 win at Frenchtown, handing the Broncs their first loss of the season and taking their place in the rankings. Frenchtown is fifth this week.

The Class B and 8-Man polls went unchanged from last week, but 6-Man saw a familiar face fall from the rankings. Defending state champion Westby-Grenora is out of the top five after losing to Jordan, 38-32, on Friday. In the Thunder’s place in the MontanaSports.com 6-Man rankings? Another traditional power, Hot Springs, which improved to 7-1 with a 52-7 win over Heart Butte and a forfeit win over Lincoln.

The full rankings, which are determined by the MTN Sports team, are below. Teams which also received consideration but ultimately fell just outside our top five are also included. Team records are through Oct. 6 and unofficial.

Class AA

1. Bozeman (7-0)
2. Billings West (6-1)
3. Billings Senior (5-2)
4. Helena High (5-2)
5. Kalispell Flathead (5-2)

Class A

1. Billings Central (7-0)
2. Hamilton (7-0)
3. Columbia Falls (5-1)
4. Dillon (5-1)
5. Frenchtown (6-1)

Receiving votes: Laurel (6-1), Lewistown (6-1).

Class B

1. Bigfork (6-0)
2. Fairfield (6-0)
3. Roundup (6-0)
4. Missoula Loyola (6-1)
5. Big Timber (6-0)

Receiving votes: Colstrip (6-1).

8-Man

1. Drummond-Philipsburg (6-0)
2. Fairview (6-0)
3. Great Falls Central (6-0)
4. Joliet (6-0)
5. Shelby (6-0)

Receiving votes: Charlo (5-1).

6-Man

1. Wibaux (6-0)
2. Geraldine-Highwood (6-1)
3. Richey-Lambert (6-1)
4. Grass Range-Winnett (8-0)
5. Hot Springs (7-1)

Receiving votes: Roy-Winifred (6-0).