VanVleet helps Red Devils roll over Gardiner

If you stuck a smokestack on Noxon fullback/linebacker Cade VanVleet you’d probably have to change his name to “Cat a’ Pillar.”

The 6-1, 260-pound VanVleet, blocked, ran and tackled with the effectiveness of a bulldozer last Tuesday as Noxon thumped the Gardiner Bruins 44-20 in a Montana high school six-man football game played on a neutral field in Philipsburg.

The game, which was scheduled to be played in Gardiner, was moved to the neutral site when the originally scheduled game was canceled due to Covid-19 concerns. It was hastily rescheduled, in part to allow both schools to get back on track for scheduled games, including this Friday night in Noxon for the Red Devils’ homecoming.

The schedule shuffling and cancellations had been part of a two-week layoff for the Red Devils, whom coach Bart Haflich admitted were “rusty.”

But VanVleet and crew shook off the rust and broke a tight game open in the second quarter.

Gardiner got on the scoreboard first on a 53-yard scoring run with 7:21 to play in the quarter. The extra point attempt was no good, leaving the designated “home” team with a 6-0 lead.

A few plays after the kickoff following the Bruins’ score, VanVleet broke loose for a 37-yard power run that tied the score one minute later. The point after touchdown kick was good, putting the Red Devils ahead 8-6.

Gardiner fumbled on their next possession and the ball was recovered by Noxon’s Treven Monegan, giving the Red Devils the ball on the 28 yard line.

However, neither team was able to move the ball the rest of the first quarter, although VanVleet opened some tractor-size holes in the Bruins’ defensive front that running back Gage Hendrick scooted through for sizable chunks of yardage before penalties killed the drive.

The first quarter came to an end with Noxon ahead 8-6. One play into quarter number two, Noxon took over on downs on their own 30 when they stopped a fourth and eight Bruins’ running attempt.

Noxon could not advance the ball, and on a second and 11 play, a Gardiner player literally took the ball from Hendrick as he ran. The turnover set the Bruins up first and goal from the four yard line and Gardiner cashed in on the opportunity two plays later, giving them a 12-8 lead with 8:12 to play in the first half.

Starting from their own 15 following a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Red Devils passed and ran their way to the Gardiner 17. With 5:53 to go in the second quarter, VanVleet powered through the Bruins’ defense as at least one player stepped out of the way rather than take on the hulking running back.

VanVleet crossed the goal line with his second TD of the game and a successful two-point kick put the Red Devils ahead 16-12.

They would never trail again.

Led by a stout defensive line and ball-hawking secondary, Noxon stopped the Bruins on the Red Devils’ 21 yard line. Two plays later quarterback Derreck Christensen found a wide open Nathan Cano who romped 63 yards for a quick-strike touchdown that upped the Noxon lead to 24-12 with 2:09 to go in the first half.

Once again the stingy Red Devils defense clamped down on the Gardiner offense and forced them to punt with just over a minute to go in the opening half. With the ball on their own 12 yard line, Monegan scrambled away from the defense and sped 68 yards down the sideline for another Noxon touchdown with just 28 seconds left in the half.

Another successful PAT kick put the Red Devils ahead 32-12 as the two teams headed to the halftime intermission.

Gardiner got the ball to open the second half as rain squalls mixed with snow began to make the pigskin a slippery object, as was demonstrated by a fumbled snap from center by the Bruins that caused them to punt from their own territory.

Noxon took over on their own 22 and moved methodically downfield behind a punishing running attack mixed with timely passing.

VanVleet capped that drive with a four yard touchdown plunge. The point after attempt was no good, but Noxon had established a commanding 38-12 lead with 3:51 remaining in the third quarter.

Noxon again clamped down on the Bruins next possession and took possession of a short Gardiner punt that flickered out of bounds at the 40 yard line, midfield in 6-man football.

A long, 23-yard run by Hendrick helped set the Red Devils up on the Gardiner 10-yard line as time ran out in the third quarter. On the first play of the final quarter, VanVleet plowed ahead for his fourth running TD of the game, just five seconds into the final quarter.

The score at that point was 44-12 and the clock began running non-stop except for changes of possession or timeouts due to the Montana Mercy Rule to help prevent serious routs.

The Bruins managed to score one final touchdown with 17 seconds to play, but the game was already solidly in the win column for Noxon.

“Not a great first quarter, but the second and third quarters were much better,” said coach Haflich. “We definitely saw the rust after the two-week Co-vid pause, but the boys buckled down and did some good things the rest of the way”.

The win squared the Red Devils’ season mark at 2-2.