59th annual Great Falls crosstown football game set for Friday
The 59th annual crosstown football game between Great Falls High and C.M. Russell High is finally here.
While the final game of the regular season doesn’t hold major postseason implications for either team, you can bet on feeling a playoff atmosphere as the game kicks off at Memorial Stadium Friday at 7 p.m.
“Cliché or not, we have nothing to lose now,” Rustlers head coach Dennis Morris said. “We have absolutely nothing to lose, so we lay it all on the line and find out what happens. Moreso than any other game, we’re playing for pride on the line right now.”
Great Falls High head coach Coda Tchida agreed.
“I’ve been a part of these seven years now and you can throw everything out,” Tchida said. “Records, playoff positioning. These kids, they grew up together, some of them played basketball and fourth- and fifth-grade football together. It’s a big game for these kids and they look forward to it all year.”
Great Falls High has won five straight in the rivalry, including a 24-10 triumph last season. CMR holds the all-time regular-season series lead at 32-26.
The Bison (3-3 conference, 4-4 overall) will likely be the Eastern AA’s No. 4 seed no matter the outcome Friday, with previous head-to-head wins over five- and six-seeded Billings Senior and Billings Skyview, respectively. A loss to CMR and a Senior win Friday could drop Great Falls High to the No. 5 seed. The Broncs take on undefeated Bozeman High to close out the regular season.
CMR (1-5, 3-5) was officially eliminated from the playoffs last week with a loss to Senior, as it would not have the sufficient head-to-head tiebreakers to move up with one more win.
Great Falls High is coming off a 40-0 victory over Skyview last Friday as it clinched the four-seed, scoring 33 points after halftime.
“I think we built some momentum in that second half coming into crosstown,” Tchida said. “That was a big game for us and Skyview both. So, I was super proud of the kids’ effort there. They came to play in the second half and our defense, every time I watched the film they played amazing.”
The Rustlers outgained the Broncs last week in Billings but turned the ball over six times on three fumbles, two interceptions, a fumbled punt while also surrendering an onside kick to start the second half.
“Statistically looking at it, we outperformed them on paper but you can’t lose the ball seven times and expect to win the game,” Morris said. “They took care of the ball and it was a physical matchup. I thought our kids played well and their kids played well. It was a physical matchup but at the end of the night, they took care of the ball and we did not.”
Great Falls High’s offense has been led by a strong rushing attack all season, with senior tailback Izayah Brown leading the way with 752 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Ryder English has 310 yards and six scores, while junior Braedon Rankin has earned more touches and ran for 196 yards last week.
Quarterback Riley Collette threw for three touchdowns against Skyview and has 10 scores to five interceptions on the season on top of 274 yards rushing.
“Their offense versus our defense, I don’t think it could be a better matchup,” Morris said. “I think it’s going to be a show for everybody involved. We’ve done a great job of taking away the run against every team this year. Where we’re getting beat is on the deep ball, but those kids at corner and safety have improved so much. I think that our defense is going to give them everything they can handle.”
The CMR defense is led by its pair of defensive ends in senior Kaiden Clement and junior Nick Donester and nose tackle Shawn Tadlock. Clement has 33 total tackles this year and 11.5 for a loss, while Donester leads the team with 8.5 sacks and 13.5 stops for a loss.
Senior linebacker Dorian White leads the Rustler defense with 61 tackles, followed by sophomore backer Hunter Lee with 50.
“(Donester and Clement) do not take plays off, they’re great football players,” Tchida said. “Along with that, their linebackers are good, and their secondary does some good things, I think they’re kind of growing into their own as well. Their defense is pretty stout and we’re up for the challenge Friday night as they are, I assume.”
The CMR offense will be without its leading rusher in Keegan Fuller, who sustained a concussion last week against Senior. Clement will continue to get carries on offense as well as Ty Holterback. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Taylor has been day-to-day this week with an arm ailment, Morris said.
Senior River Wasson paces the CMR receivers with 34 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns.
“I think we stack up great against their offense,” Tchida said. “They will give us fits, River is a great wide receiver and they have two running backs that run really well, their offensive line is big and their quarterback has been doing good things all year. He’s young but he’s very talented.”
Bison defensive end Cooper Collins anchors the front with 12 sacks and 15 total tackles for loss this fall. Safety Grant O’Neill has a team-high 74 tackles followed by linebacker Mason Kralj with 74. English is also a defensive standout with four pass breakups and 11 tackles for loss as a defensive back.
“They have an excellent defensive end, a linebacker that’s very good and a safety that we think is really good,” Morris said. “I think playing them, we can make our offense work. We’ve got to take care of the ball but I think we can move the ball down the field and score touchdowns as well. We’ve just got to take care of us.”
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Great Falls crosstown football game set for Friday
