116 points, 1,200 yards, 1 painful loss

ARLEE – After scoring a combined 116 points and racking up more than 1,200 yards of offense Saturday, the Arlee-Great Falls Central playoff game came down to the final minutes.

The Warriors trailed 12-0, 30-8 and 46-30 and 54-42 in the Class C 8-man playoff game but clawed their way back each time on a dark, drizzly, chilly day before an emotional home crowd that seemed to consist of every person in the city.

Trailing 54-48 with 5:11 left in the game, Arlee’s Harold Yocum picked off a Mustang pass to thwart a crucial drive and set up the Warriors at their own 18-yard line.

From there, the Warriors mounted a furious drive with short runs and passes to P.J. Haynes. Coach Mike Rogers stubbornly stuck with the run game despite trailing most of the game with Haynes as the workhorse. Based on the number of weary Mustangs who rested their hands on their hips, the strategy paid off.

On second-and-7 from their own 38-year line, Patrick Big Sam ran a perfect deep crossing pattern and quarterback Riley Rogers hit him in stride at about the 15-yard line and Big Sam bolted in for the touchdown to tie the game at 54-54 with 3:11 left to play.

Before the crowd stopped cheering, Haynes swept over the left side for the two-point conversion and the Warriors led for the first time, 56-54.

Undaunted, the Mustangs started the ensuing drive at their own 16 and the Warriors gave up time and ground grudgingly before quarterback Reid Nelson tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Nolan Donisthorpe with 58.6 seconds left.

But for the sixth time, the Warriors stopped the 2-point conversion pass and trailed just 60-56.

The fans prepared themselves for a potential game-winning drive, but the slippery ball escaped the hands of the Warrior return team and the Mustangs covered the ball at the 18-yard line to all but end the game.

It was a bittersweet loss for a team that started the season posting basketball scores on the way to seven consecutive victories, including a 42-22 victory over Charlo in an Oct. 10 homecoming game.

Arlee finishes 7-2 overall while Great Falls Central moves on to the second round Nov. 8 against Wibaux on a neutral field.

Riley’s numbers were cartoonish. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 527 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 99 yards.

Arlee’s  Tyler Tanner snagged eight throws for 184 yards and five TDS.

Big Sam, a master of the diving catch, had nine receptions for 204 yards and two TDs.

The stalwart Haynes scored one rushing touchdown on 24 carries , picked off one pass on defense and returned a few kicks.

The Mustangs started the game with two long, quick scores in the first three minutes but missed both 2-point attempts and led 12-0.

In fact, the Warriors stopped the Mustangs’ first five 2-point conversion attempts. The lack of points came back to buck the Mustangs.

Needing a big play to get back in the game, Arlee’s Kyler Clinkenbeard blocked a punt to set up his offense on Central’s 30-yard line.

Six plays later, Riley threw to Tanner from 13 yards out then the paid hooked up again to close the score to 12-8 with 3:59 left in the frenetic first quarter.

The Mustangs scored on three successive drives to build a 30-8 lead with 5:35 left to halftime.

The scrappy Warriors struck back when Big Sam made a juggling catch to put Arlee in position to score at Central’s 23-yard line. On the next play, Riley threw in the face of a big pass rush and hit Big Sam again for the TD. Arlee’s 2-point conversion failed but the score stood at 30-14 with 4:43 to the half.

It looked like the Mustangs would score again but a penalty, a big tackle by Bradley Brazil and a batted pass stopped them on fourth down at the Arlee 15 with 58 seconds left to halftime.

The teams exchanged turnovers before Riley, again under pressure, hit Tanner for a 33-yard TD. Rogers ran for 2 and the Warriors trailed 30-22 at halftime.

Tanner caught a 33-yard strike from Rogers and, after a penalty, Rogers scrambled in from 13 yards out to knot the score at 30 three minutes into the second half.

The Mustangs regained their advantage a minute later when Nelson ran in from the 2. His pass added 2 more points and Central led 38-30.

With 1:27 left in the third, Nelson scrambled over from 18 yards and converted the 2-pointer with a pass to extend the lead to 46-30.

The Warriors then drove 60 yards on 10 persistent plays and scored when Rogers pump faked the defenders then threw a bolt to Tanner for a 35-yard score. The pass failed but the Warriros were within 46-36 with 10:35 to play.

The Warriors squibbed the kickoff and recovered the ball near midfield.

After a 12-yard pass from Rogers to Haynes set them up inside the 1, Rogers punched over. His kick was wide but Arlee had new life, trailing 46-42 with 7:42 to play.

Their joy was short-lived when Nelson broke away for a 55-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage then he threw for the 2-point conversion and suddenly the lead was 54-42. The entire exchange took 11 seconds.

Highlighted by a 25-yard Big Sam catch, the Warriors rove downfield again to score when Tanner caught a 2-yard toss for the score. That set the score at 54-48 with 5:54 remaining and set up the cardiac ending.

Class C 8-man Football playoff

G. F. Central 60

Arlee 56

G.F.C    8  12 16 14 – 60

Arlee    8 14 8 26 – 56

FIRST QUARTER

GFC -- Reid Nelson 46 run (run failed) (0-6)

GFC – Nelson 43 run (pass failed) (0-12)

ARLEE – Tyler Tanner 13 pass from Riley (Tanner pass from Rogers) (8-12)

GFC –  Nelson 1 run (pass failed) (8-18)

SECOND QUARTER

GFC –  Nick Wilkens 30 pass from Nelson (pass failed) (8-24)

GFC –  Nolan Donisthorpe 64 pass from Nelson (run failed) (8-30)

ARLEE –  Big Sam 23 pass from Rogers (pass fail) (14-30)

ARLEE –  Tanner 33 pass from Rogers. (Rogers run) (22-30)

THIRD QUARTER

ARLEE –  Tanner 33 pass from Rogers (Rogers run) (30-30)

GFC –  Nelson 2 run. (Pass good) (30-38)

GFC – Nelson 18 run (Donisthorpe pass from Nelson) (30-46)

FOURTH QUARTER

A – Tanner 35 pass from Rogers (pass failed) (36-46)

A – PJ Haynes 2 run (kick failed) (42-46)

GFC – Nelson 55 run (Donisthorpe pass from Nelson) (42-54)

A – Tanner 3 pass from Rogers (pass failed) (48-54)

A – BigSam 42 pass from Rogers (Haynes run) (56-54)

GFC – Nelson 5 run (pass failed) (56-60)