ROUNDUP — Randy Stultz rushed for four touchdowns as Bigfork earned a dominant, wire-to-wire 43-18 win at previously unbeaten Roundup in the quarterfinal round of the Class B football playoffs on Saturday.
Stultz carried the ball 17 times for 111 yards and the four scores, but it was the Viking defense that stepped up early. With a 3-0 lead, Brady Thorness intercepted Roundup quarterback Brody Grebe and returned it for a touchdown to give Bigfork a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
Grebe cut the lead to 10-6 with a short rushing touchdown in the second quarter, but Stultz quickly answered with his first score. Another Roundup touchdown brought the score to 17-12 at halftime, but Bigfork would dominate after the break.
Stultz added a rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter, and Thorness caught a 5-yard TD pass from Anders Epperly to make it 30-12 going to the fourth. Stultz added two more rushing touchdowns, sandwiching a Grebe score, in the fourth quarter for the final 43-18 margin.
Epperly finished the game completing 11 of 17 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also contributed 58 rushing yards on eight carries. Thorness caught four passes for 85 yards and the touchdown.
Bigfork limited Grebe to just 69 rushing yards on 25 carries. The senior quarterback completing 11 of 21 passes for 132 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Bigfork (9-1) will now play at Fairfield (10-0) in next week’s semifinal round. The Eagles defeated Manhattan, 34-6, in Saturday’s quarterfinal round.
Big Timber (9-1) and Missoula Loyola (10-1) will meet in the other semifinal. The Herders beat Colstrip 37-7 on Saturday, while Loyola topped Huntley Project 56-12.
Class B football scores
(Click the links for video highlights)
Big Timber 37, Colstrip 7
Missoula Loyola 56, Huntley Project 12
Bigfork 43, Roundup 18
Fairfield 34, Manhattan 6
