Bigfork squashes Deer Lodge, moves on to playoff quarterfinals

Bigfork High School football kept their trend of coming out fast Saturday, and secured their spot in the state playoff quarterfinals, beating Deer Lodge 44-7.

Deer Lodge kicked off to Bigfork and immediately made it clear they were going to put up a fight, holding Bigfork back and making them punt on their first drive. Viking defense shutdown Deer Lodge’s first drive forcing a punt and made the most of their next possession charging up the field with a combination of passes and rushing from Josh Sandry, Vinny Quirk, Tyler Piazzola, Matthew Farrier and Isaac Martel. After being pushed back five yards for a delay of game, Bigfork called their first time out. They came back on the field and with four minutes left in the first quarter Sandry hit Jon Landon with a pass for the Vikings’ first touchdown.

Deer Lodge’s next possession was cut short when the ball was intercepted by Landon, putting the Vikings in position for Quirk to get the ball on the one-yard line for Sandry to take into the end zone. 

The Vikings scored once more in the first quarter with a seven-yard run from Sandry. They finished setting the tone of the game early in the second quarter when Logan Mejak deflected a Deer Lodge pass into the hands of Quirk, who ran 53 yards to give Bigfork a 25-0 lead.

The Vikings scored twice more in the half, with a 63-yard run by Sandry, and an 11-yard run from Farrier.

Quirk charged his way into the end zone for Bigfork’s only score of the second half but that would be enough as Viking defense kept Deer Lodge from scoring until the last minute of the game.

“I felt our defense was great,” head coach Todd Emslie said. “Games are won and lost with the line.”

Though the score depicts a familiar Bigfork blowout, Deer Lodge presented more of a challenge for Bigfork than they’d seen since the start of the season, forcing Bigfork to work a little harder for their 44 points.

“They fit the billing, they were tough,” Emslie said. “That was something we needed.”

“It was a good team victory and we feel pretty confident going into next week,” Sandry said.

Bigfork will play Malta (6-3) on Saturday, at 1 p.m. in Bigfork, to fight for a spot in the semi-finals.

Bigfork 44, Deer Lodge 7

Deer Lodge 0 0 0 7 — 7

Bigfork 19 19 6 0 — 44

1st quarter

B — Jonathan Landon 10 yard pass from Josh Sandry (Landon kick)

B — Sandry 1 yard run (kick failed)

B — Sandry 7 yard run (kick failed )

2nd quarter

B — Vinny Quirk 53 yard interception return (kick failed)

B — Sandry 63 yard run (kick failed)

B — Matthew Farrier 11 yard run (Landon kick)

3rd quarter

B — Quirk 6 yard run (kick failed)

4th quarter

D — Sawyer Johnson 20 yard pass from Quade McQueary (Koby Owens kick)

Total offense Deer Lodge149, Bigfork 361

Passing yards Deer Lodge 137, Bigfork 146

Rushing yards Deer Lodge 12, Bigfork 215

First downs Deer Lodge 11, Bigfork 19

Time of possession Deer Lodge, 13:58, Bigfork 34:02

Turnovers Deer Lodge 2, Bigfork 1