Pirates' running game downs Bigfork

The Polson Pirates are still battling injuries, but their running game got back on track last Friday night, giving them a 35-16 win over Bigfork behind 288 yards on the ground.

"By far the highlight of the game was the running attack. We finally got Bryce (Picard) back, and Ted (Morigeau) had a great game," head coach Scott Wilson said.

Picard and Morigeau had a great night on the ground, finishing with 116 and 107 yards respectively, but the Pirate offense had a good night in the air, too, with quarterback Craig Bagnell connecting with five different receivers, for two touchdowns and 119 yards total.

John Rausch had three catches for 42 yards, including two touchdowns in the second quarter to help give the team a 20-8 lead going into half.

Picard, who has been out with an ankle injury for the past couple of weeks, got the team on the board with a six-yard run in the first, and Morigeau's PAT made it 7-0.

Rausch caught a 13-yard pass and a 19-yard pass from Bagnell for his two TD's, after being set up by a long pass to Pat Dellwo on the first drive.

Derek Gerrity started the Pirates' third quarter with a two-yard run for a touchdown, and finished with 73 yards on 19 carries.

Joe Andrews and Beau Nordberg also had carries for the Pirates, as did Dellwo, before he was injured in the second quarter.

Dellwo will most likely miss Friday night's game against Ronan. He has an ankle injury, while Billy Johnson, who was injured several weeks ago, might return this Friday night, Wilson said.

"We are so banged up. We've had to make so many adjustments especially with our backs," Wilson said.

Cody Doyle and Timmy Rausch are back, though, and Andrews was cleared to play last week.

The play of the night came on Morigeau's 70-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter, which pretty much put the game out of reach for Bigfork.

"Ted only needs a little bit of a seam and he can make that happen. I always like it when special teams scores," Wilson said.

Rausch added an interception on defense, and overall, the defense held Bigfork's rushing game to 71 yards, although the Vikings still had a good night passing.

The Pirates are now turning their attention to Ronan, and Wilson said they must defend against the Chiefs' backs, who have great speed in Tylar Espinosa and Joe McCarthy.

"Defensively, we need to hold their backs. Those guys have speed," Wilson said.

The Pirates are 2-1 in league play and 4-1 overall. They travel to Ronan Friday night before hosting Eureka for homecoming next week.

These next two games are crucial in that wins will set up a chance to play for second place — and home field advantage in the playoffs — when the Pirates face Whitefish for the last regular season game. The top three teams go to the playoffs, but the third seed has to go on the road.