Locals play in annual 6-man, 8-man football games

Just when you thought football was a long way off, local athletes engaged in gridiron warfare in two distant, Montana all-star football games this past weekend.

In the 6-player all-star game in Highwood, the Red team, featuring four seniors from Hot Springs, outscored the Blue team 60-51 in the 29th Annual 6-man game, the highest total score in the history of the game and the third straight win for the Red squad. 

In the Bob Cleverly 8-man All-Star game in Butte, the Blue team held on for a 28-23 win over the Red team, which had just one player from Sanders/Mineral Counties on the roster, St. Regis’ Kaden Sanders. 

Sanders’ appearance in the game was a reflection of the youth movement that dominated this past season’s local 8-man rosters with mostly underclassmen. 

Hot Springs’ senior Nick McAllister had an outstanding game for the 6-man Red team, hooking up with teammate Axel Becker (Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine) for a pair of third quarter touchdown passes and a first quarter point-after-touchdown from Becker to McAllister. 

McAllister helped the Red team secure the win when he caught a fourth-and-eleven pass in the fourth quarter that kept his team in the lead as the Reds held on for the historic win. 

Joining McAllister on the Red team were Hot Springs teammates John Waterbury, David Chapman and Weston Slonaker.  Also on the Red roster was Hot Springs head coach Jim Lawson, who was chosen as an assistant coach. 

Box Elder, the 2024 6-man state champs also had four players on the Red team, including quarterback Tuarie Stiffarm-Rosette, who was named the Red team’s MVP after throwing six touchdown passes in the game.  Box Elder, which defeated Hot Springs in this past season’s semi-final playoffs, made it a sweep of the MVP awards when Box Elder’s Tracen Jilot was selected as the defensive MVP. 

Following their state title this Fall, Box Elder was moved up to the 8-player ranks for next season. 

Several players who participated in the game, including McAllister and Jilot, are headed to Northern Montana on athletic scholarships this fall. 

Meanwhile, at the 8-player all-star game in Butte Saturday night, the Blue team took the lead with 25 seconds left in regulation, overcoming a game-long deficit to win the 41st version of the 8-man all-star game 28-23. 

Sanders was the lone representative of Sanders/Mineral 8-player teams for the Blue team. 

Culbertson’s Bridger Salvervold scored the game-winning TD for the Blues on a quarterback keeper to wrap up their third straight all-star series win in the 41st annual game.  The game was played at Bob Green Field on the campus of Montana Tech in Butte, which has hosted the annual contest for several decades. 

    Hot Springs senior David Chapman returns a kick during a game earlier this season. (File photo)