HELENA — With the Helena High Bengals’ 22-7 win over the Kalispell Flathead Braves last Saturday, the Bengals secured the No. 3 seed and a home playoff game in the Class AA football playoffs.
The third-place seeding may help or haunt the Bengals as they will face the No. 6-seed Kalispell Glacier Wolfpack. When the two teams met in Kalispell earlier this season, the Wolfpack ran the table against the Bengals, winning by a score of 48-14.
Bengals head coach Scott Evans says that beating Kalispell Flathead leading into the first round of the playoffs provides a bit of confidence.
“We beat a playoff-caliber team, a top four team in AA,” said Evans. “That’s the biggest thing, is you beat a top program and you get to move forward in the playoffs knowing that.”
Bengals junior Hayden Ferguson echoed his coach’s sentiment.
“It’s definitely a boost to, not just our confidence, but just how we play,” Ferguson said. “I think every team probably plays better at home, so it just lets us know, and especially beating Flathead — which is now the No. 4 seed and they’re a playoff-caliber team — so going in there and beating them, we know we can play with these top-tier teams, which is good.”
Helena High will host Kalispell Glacier on Friday at 7 p.m. at Vigilante Stadium as both try to advance to the quarterfinals.
