The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Big Sandy 35,

Power-Dutton-Brady 0

It was a bitterly cold day this past Saturday up in Dutton, Montana, as the Pioneers shut out Power-Dutton-Brady 35 – 0 to capture the 6-man North Title and move one step closer to competing for the State 6man Championship. It took the Pioneers a full quarter of football to get warmed up and gain some traction, but that will happen when you’re playing in 3 inches of freshly fallen snow.

It seemed as if the “Gator” clearing the snow off the field during timeouts and in-between quarters was clearing a path for the Pioneers to pounds the lights out in Titan country. The Titans had no answers for the Pioneers punishing running game once the field was cleared of snow and could do nothing against their dominate defense.

As has been common this season, Kade Strutz led the team with four touchdowns doing his part to help back his preseason prediction of taking these Pioneers “All The Way.” Kade got the Pioneers on the board early in the second quarter as he “Power” rushed (excuse the pun) his way through a big hole opened up by Hunter Jappe and Clint Darlington.

It didn’t take Strutz but a few plays before he had the Pioneers back on the scoreboard, this time doing it all on his own on the defensive side of the ball. As the Titans tried to gain some traction on their ensuing possession, Strutz picked off a wayward Nicholas Widhalm pass and returned it 43 yards untouched for his second touchdown of the game putting the Pioneers up 14-0, and it would remain that score through the half.

The field was cleared of snow during halftime, and it only bolstered the Pioneer running game as they were able to get better footing on the field. Strutz would again punch one in midway through the third quarter running behind the blocking machine of Brock Proulx and Clint Darlington as he stretched out across the goal line willing his way to the endzone. Then in the fourth, the Proulx brothers Brock and Parker would be the ones clearing the path as Strutz pranced his way to the endzone for the fourth time, putting the Pioneers up 29-0.

The Pioneers would put one final score on the board late in the forth, this time quart back Parker Proulx would be the one dancing his way to the endzone and diving headfirst just inside the pylon for the Pioneers final score of the game.

With that win, Big Sandy moves to 8-0 on the year and will be the North’s No. 1 seed for the state playoffs next week. The Pioneers will host Richey-Lambert this Saturday, November 2nd, at 1 pm in Big Sandy for the first round of the state playoffs.