Lockwood, Montana – In less-than-ideal circumstances, the South defeated the North 14-8 in the 2023 Class B all-star football game on Saturday at Lockwood High School.
“(Our defense) was exceptional,” South head coach Travis Rauh said. “I felt really good about the kids we had over there and the scheme we had. Joe Horn, our defensive coordinator, did a phenomenal job getting them prepared this week, so I felt we matched up very well there.”
After South quarterback Ryan Racht was sacked by Remington Little of Eureka, a safety resulted from the ball popping loose from the back of the end zone. Caleb Utter of Eureka scored on a 1-yard run for the North to make the score 8-0.
Just before the first half ended, the South managed to score thanks to a long pass from Racht to Whitehall’s Sage Buus, bringing the score to 8-6 as the teams went into the locker rooms.
The South maintained its lead in the second half thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Racht that made the score 14-8 after Jefferson’s Zach Zody’s opening drive interception.
In the dying seconds, the North might have had a chance to tie the game, but Guy Lesh of Baker sacked Utter to put the game out of reach.
“They could have complained, because we’re a spread team, and all of the sudden we’re playing left-handed,” Rauh said of the weather. “They kept fighting and showed a lot of mental toughness. Ultimately, they made enough plays to win the game.”
Racht was named the offensive MVP for the South, and Lesh was named the defensive MVP. Utter was named the offensive MVP for the North, and Manny Baldi was named the defensive MVP for Bigfork.
The North now holds an 18-16 advantage in the overall series.
