Savage Horsemen dealt first loss of the season

Matt Unrau

“We lost it, I don’t think they won it,” is all Coach Seth Pettit can say about last Friday’s 29-35 loss to Bigfork in overtime. Besides losing two seperate leads of 13 and 14 points, the Savage Horsemen had two costly penalties in overtime that put them out of field goal range.

“It sucks,” says Wide Receiver Brian Green. “We should’ve never gotten down by that. It’s terrible losing that close.” Green finished the day with three catches for 70 yards. Riley Winebrenner had three touchdown runs of 44, 27 and 70 yards for the game.

In overtime high school rules place the offensive team at the opposing team’s 10 yard line and then the offensive team has four attempts to score a field goal or a touchdown before the defensive team gets a chance to answer.

Plains started with the ball in overtime and was called for holding and a block in the back on two seperate plays that put them well out of field goal range and Winebrenner’s long pass went uncaught. This allowed Bigfork to score a touchdown on their turn and hand the Savage Horsemen their first defeat of the season.

“That really hurt,” says Coach Seth Pettit of the two penalties that cost his team in overtime. Plains-Hot Springs also lost the game despite gaining 536 yards of total offense.

The 14 point lead that the Savage Horsemen lost in the fourth quarter ominously mirrors the lead they held against Cutbank that was also threatened in the fourth quarter of that game. Coach Pettit points to the low numbers that are on the team as a possible reason for these fourth quarter lulls. “I think what it is, is us wearing down a bit,” says Coach Pettit. “It comes down to us just putting that final nail in the coffin and we’re not doing that.”

Now the team will look to rebound in preparation for their homecoming game against Troy this week who beat them last year 33-0. “We have to get a good intense practice in and try to start over, get another streak going,” says Green who looks to rebound from the disappointing loss.

The conference loss now takes Plains out of the drivers seat in their quest to reach the playoffs, but not out of contention with facing their toughest foe, Eureka, at home. “We still have a good chance,” says Green. “It’s only one conference game. And, we’re still, I think, the top team in the conference or second, close to Eureka.”