Football

BIGFORK - It was perfectly evident that Polson running backs Kevin Owen and Terry Lundeen more than complement one another on the football field. They also flourish together.

Polson, brutalizing Bigfork with a punishing and time-consuming ground attack spearheaded by Owen and Lundeen, thumped the Vikings 37-7 in a Northwestern A matchup last Friday at Bigfork.

The victory vaulted third-ranked Polson to 2-0 in conference play and kept the team undefeated at 6-0 overall this season.

The Pirates racked up more than 300 yards rushing, including a big 215-yard, three-touchdown effort from Owen. Lundeen, who also rushed for nearly 70 yards, sprang Owen for big gains with keen blocks. Not bad for a 170-pound tailback.

"We have a nice one, two punch with Kevin and Terry," Polson coach Scott Wilson said. "And in our system, Terry does a lot of blocking from the tailback position."

Owen, on the other hand, churned out chunks of yardage against Bigfork. The senior running back finished with 220 yards on 23 carries, and he scored twice on runs of 25 yards and one yard after the break to seal a Pirates victory.

Lundeen, also a senior, doesn't mind springing his teammate with ample holes. But Lundeen also got his two cents in with a 16-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter.

Polson's two senior running backs have been feeding off each other for years.

"We've been friends forever," Lundeen said of his solid relationship with Owen. "Our offense is centered around the fullback and I do a lot of blocking. But when (Kevin) is not getting the job done, we always find another way."

The goal against Bigfork, according to Wilson, was to limit Viking quarterback Mitchell Hill's offensive antics. Hill threw a long touchdown pass to Shaun Reed in the opening quarter to give Polson a preview of his talent.

But after the Pirates built a cozy 23-7 halftime lead, their main ambition was to keep Bigfork's offense off the field.

Polson achieved it by a consistent running attack that ate time off the clock and resulted in three scoring drives.

Owen made it 30-7 with his 25-yard TD and he plunged in from a yard at 2:38 of the third quarter to round out the scoring.

Both touchdowns came after long Polson marches.

"We did a great job of sustaining drives," Wilson said of his team's second-half showing. "The Hill kid is a good quarterback and we wanted to try and take him out of the game by (controlling the football). Our running game consistently gained yards and that took time off the clock.

"Our guys up front did a great job blocking. We knew coming in, that we needed to control the line of scrimmage, and the kids were able to do that."

Polson quarterback Joe Locke also turned in a fine effort, completing seven of 15 passes for nearly 100 yards.

The Pirates opened the scoring on their first drive. Owen capped the march with an 11-yard touchdown run.

From there, Polson upped the lead to 9-0 on a safety after Bigfork unsuccessfully attempted to punt from its end zone.

The Pirates added some momentum when Andy Nelson returned the ensuing kick 74 yards for a touchdown.

In all, Polson accumulated more than 400 yards. The team's 6-0 start has been a pleasant surprise.

"We have a very good senior class and I realized we would be good," Wilson said. "But I didn't know how good.

Added Lundeen of the Pirates' success: "Our goal from the beginning has been a conference championship. We had a good pre-conference showing, and now it's all about conference. Our goal is just trying to get (a conference title) done."

Polson hosts Columbia Falls Friday for Homecoming.

POLSON 37, BIGFORK 7

First quarter scoring

P-Kevin Owen 11 run (Joe Locke kick).

Second quarter scoring

P-Safety, punter stepped out of end zone.

P-Andy Nelson 74 kick return (kick good).

BF-Shaun Reed 49 pass from Mitchell Hill (Erik Torgerson kick)

P-Terry Lundeen 16 run (Locke kick).

Third quarter

P-Owen 25 run (Locke kick).

P-Owen 1 run (Locke kick).

Rushing-Owen 23-220, Lundeen 6-68, Ted Morigeau 7-16.

Passing-Locke 7-15-1 90.

Receiving-Brandon Couture 1-33, Mac Gordon 2-26, Colton Woods 2-24, Nelson 1-6.