Hot Springs vs. St. Regis

HOT SPRINGS - The Hot Springs football team dominated St. Regis in their game Friday, claiming a decisive victory with a final score of 80-6.

The Savage Heat came out strong, playing a great game on all fronts. Every time the Tigers went on the offensive, the Hot Springs players were able to hold the line and prevent them from making progress down the field. The home team was also able to reclaim possession of the ball with ease.

St. Regis also suffered from a number of bad plays, failing to complete passes or fumbling the ball on multiple occasions. They had some good plays as the game progressed and were able to begin a rally late in the game; during the fourth quarter, the Tigers were able to outmaneuver the Savage Heat to score a single touchdown. Hot Springs Head Coach Jim Lawson recalled this was the first time they had another team score during a game this season.

“That’s alright, you know; good for them,” he said. “They played hard all the way to the end of the game.”

The Hot Springs boys had a number of great plays over the course of the game, which led to touchdowns. Running back Trevor Paro blocked a pass to a St. Regis player and helped get the ball back into the Savage Heat’s possession; Paro was then able to run the ball from the mid-field to the end zone.

In another play, the ball was passed to the end zone. While trying to catch it, one Hot Springs player fumbled the ball; Paro was able to catch it in mid-air though, and score another touchdown.

Lawson was happy with how the game went and said they met their goals for the game. Everyone gave a good effort and executed their plays well, getting off to a fast start with the first quarter going as they had discussed it.

“That’s what we talked about all week, was just getting off to a fast start,” Lawson said.

According to the coach, two of the running backs had great games. Paro and Kane Lawson were both strong players and made a number of great plays. Paro had two rushing touchdowns and a punt return while Kane made two touchdowns as well as an interception return.

The whole team played well, though, with Lawson especially noting their strong defense. He said this was a major contributor to them being able to dominate the field.

Hot Spring’s next game will be on September 19 in West Yellowstone. During practices leading up to the game, Lawson did not plan to work on improving anything specific; he felt they would likely change some things around to make a better defense against West Yellowstone’s team, but that was it.

“Offensively, I don’t think I’ll change much,” he said. “We’re executing pretty well.”