Football: Ronan Rising

Chiefs down another top team in the state, now 2-0 in

district

RONAN - Ronan's group of seniors knows how to go out with a bang. With some internet critics in the state of Montana still not completely buying into the Chiefs - even after they had already knocked off some of the state's best teams - Ronan won a huge Senior Night matchup against conference foe and No. 4 ranked Loyola last Friday. Three different backs rushed for over 100 yards and the Chiefs pulled away in the second half for the 32-14 victory.

"That win was huge," Ronan head coach Jim Benn said. "It's put us in a position to win a conference championship."

It started out like a heavyweight boxer fight, and both teams were knotted in a 0-0 draw after the first quarter before senior Marcus Hungerford broke a 33-yard touchdown run to give the Chiefs a 6-0 lead.

Loyola would take the lead by scoring a touchdown of its own but senior Jake Skelton put Ronan up again by scoring from 15 yards out to make it 12-7 before halftime. Loyola scored to take the 14-12 advantage after the half, but the Chiefs took control of the game after that. Senior Chris Clary scored from a yard out for the 18-14 lead and then Skelton capped off a nine-play drive with a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Leading 24-14, Clary put the pressure on Loyola by getting a sack and forcing them into a long third and 29. The third-down attempt ended in an incomplete pass and after the punt put Ronan on their own 28 yard line, Clary ripped off an electric "Beast Mode" (or "Ginger Mode" if you think red heads are cool) 72-yard touchdown run with 5:11 left in the game. That put the game firmly within the Chiefs' grasp much to the joy of the hometown Ronan crowd.

"It came at a very important time in the game," Benn said. "We were hoping to chew up clock to protect the lead but then we popped that off. That's always better than chewing clock."

Loyola would turn the ball over on downs with 3:03 to go, but would get the ball back for one last attempt at a cosmetic touchdown. However, senior cornerback Jack "The Ripper" Humphreys intercepted the ball - his second pick of the game - on the next play to ice the game for sure.

Hungerford finished the game with 139 yards rushing to lead the Chiefs, while Skelton had 127 and Clary had 108. The Chiefs as a team rushed for over 400 yards against the team that had given up just six points in their last three games.

"That's exactly what you want to see," Benn said. "Getting 400 yards against a team like that says a lot about our kids."

Defensively, Ronan kept Loyola in check for 210 yards of total offense. The Rams had scored 147 points in their previous three contests.

"We beat a very good football team," Benn said.

Now Ronan, who improved their overall record to 5-1 and started conference play 2-0, shifts gears to take on the high-powered Florence Falcons on the road this Friday.

"This is one team this year I've seen that can score at will," Benn said.

So far this season, the Falcons have scored 261 points with an offense that likes to throw the ball, including 65 last week against Deer Lodge. Benn said one of the keys in the game will be holding onto the ball and keeping it away from Florence's dangerous offense. After losing their season opener, Florence has won five straight games but will be up against a strong Ronan running attack and a secondary with a prospensity for key interceptions.

"We have a lot of experience back there," Benn said. "They're a real smart group of kids."

If Ronan continues to win, chances are Senior Night won't be the last time you see these guys at home.