Polson football wins in 2OT thriller

FRENCHTOWN - All season, the young Polson Pirates football team

had been learning lessons. It certainly paid off with a 27-21

double overtime win over the defending state champion Frenchtown

Broncs last Saturday.

FRENCHTOWN - All season, the young Polson Pirates football team had been learning lessons. It certainly paid off with a 27-21 double overtime win over the defending state champion Frenchtown Broncs last Saturday.

"Our success all season has had to do with us playing really well as a team," Polson head coach Scott Wilson said.

Including their thrilling win against the Broncs, the Pirates have played in five games decided by less than two touchdowns. One of those close games was a 21-16 win over Frenchtown in the first matchup of the season. One of those close games was a heart-breaking homecoming loss to Columbia Falls where the Pirates overcame a slow start in the first quarter but the Wildcats scored in the closing moments of the game for the win. One was a 17-16 loss to Libby in the final game of the season, a game during which Wilson thought his team gave up too much yardage on first down.

They were lessons well-learned.

"I honestly think that a couple of those situations early really paid off," Wilson said.Frenchtown got off to a good start, scoring on their opening drive and forcing Polson to go three and out.

"They went right down the field and scored," Wilson said.

However, the Pirates recovered from their slow start - like they did against Columbia Falls - and scored 14 unanswered points in the first quarter. The first was an 11-yard pass to senior wide receiver Kyle Bagnell by junior quarterback Vince DiGiallonardo. The second was another passing strike, a 46-yard pass to senior receiver Louis Mohr.

"They were going to double team Kyle and take him out of the game," Wilson said. "Louis is a very valuable receiver. He had a great game."

Bagnell was held to two catches for 20 yards but took defenders away from Mohr, who caught six balls for 100 yards. It was needed as Frenchtown allowed Polson just 75 rushing yards.

"They did a good job of shutting down the rushing game," Wilson said.

The Pirates would hold onto the lead until the third quarter when Frenchtown's Andy Domingo broke a 33-yard touchdown run to tie up the game 14-14 and that's how it would stay in regulation. Wilson credited the defense with coming up big against the Broncs and bending but not breaking.

"They had a couple of drives that had us on our heels," he said.

Polson's defense was tight through the air as their players carried out their assignments well and allowed just nine yards.

"We had a lot of kids play well," Wilson said. "I could name our whole defensive line, our linebacker corps."

Frenchtown did end the game with 209 rushing yards. Wilson said that when the Broncs got big first-down yardage, they were able to move the ball effectively.

"We had a couple series where we gave up those things and those were the series they had success," he said.

Frenchtown scored first in overtime and put the pressure on Polson, who responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mohr.

"We answered and that puts more pressure on the defense," Wilson said.

The second overtime gave Polson the ball first. The Pirates scored with a six-yard run by DiGiallonardo, but the extra point was blocked. That set the stage for the most dramatic defensive stand by Polson of the season. This time, they wouldn't be giving up any first down yardage. On Frenchtown's first offensive play, the Pirates stopped them cold.

"We stuffed them and it made it 2nd and nine," Wilson said. "That really put the pressure on them. If they would have gotten five or six yards on that first down they would have had more options."

The Broncs never recovered and Frenchtown quarterback Brad Nordahl's incomplete pass on fourth down sealed the roller-coaster victory for Polson.

The win advances them to the quarterfinals where they'll play Butte Central, a team with good skill players.

"They do a good job of mixing the pass and run," Wilson said.

Polson will travel to Butte Central and play at 1 p.m. on Saturday.