Scobey, Carter County Kids Play One Fantastic Football Contest

What a fantastic and riveting football game it was down in the extreme southeast corner of Montana when the Scobey Spartans traveled to Ekalaka for an East C Division conference matchup, the winner seizing first place for the time being.

Fortunately, it was the local lads from Daniels County capturing a thrilling 42-38 victory, giving them a 4-0 record and maintaining their status as the top-ranked team in the Class C 8-player ranks. The Carter County Bulldogs, meanwhile, saw their overall record drop to 3-1.

Played Friday, September 19, on an absolutely beautiful evening at Rowley Field, the Spartans found a way to hold off the hardcharging Bulldogs as the fourth-quarter clock ticked away.

The home team of head coach Tenadore Kittelmann was showing signs it just might pull off the comeback.

Trailing by four points with with 6:03 remaining on the fourth-quarter clock, the Bulldogs began their final offensive drive of the night at their own 38-yard line. They earned a couple of 4-yards rushes then moved the chain gang on a 2-yard rush for a fresh four downs. A 15-yard penalty on Scobey gave them another first down but the turning point of the contest might have been a holding penalty with 1:58 to go, pushing them 10 yards backward to the 18-yard line. Ekakala tried a rush and a huge tackle by Cooper Axtman limited it to zero yards, making it 4th-and-14 from the 18. The Bulldogs, who most likely will make a deep run in the playoffs if they can stay injury free to key players, attempted a pass falling incompete at the 54.6-second mark. Scobey quarterback Reese Tande rushed the ball the final three times netting 11 yards and at 8:13 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time it was a final!

This contest was so tight it was a one-possession game—8 points or less— from start to finish.

Scobey caught a big break four plays into the contest when the Bulldogs fumbled at midfield and Bram Handran fell on the ball. Four plays later it was 8-0 Spartans. Ekalaka knotted it at 8-all, Scobey went ahead 16-8 but the home t...