Bulldogs advance to face Fort Benton
First-year head coach Carson Oakland signals in a play to his offense. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
The Mission football program took another step forward Saturday with a 34-12 road victory over Joliet in the first round of the state 8-man playoffs.
It was the Bulldogs’ first playoff victory since 1988, and it was the first under new head coach Carson Oakland.
Junior quarterback Kellen McClure threw three touchdown passes and senior Charley Adams rushed for a pair of TDs in the win.
The Bulldogs (7-2) led 8-0 after the first quarter and 20-12 at half. The Mission defense shut out the J-Hawks (6-2) in the second half.
McClure hit junior receiver Bryce Umphrey from 9 yards out on his first TD. He also tossed a pair of scoring passes to junior Canyon Sargent, the first for 24 yards and the second for 32.
Adams opened the scoring with a 33-yard dash in the first quarter and added another from 4 yards out in the third.
Rye Brastrup scored both of Joliet's touchdowns, which came in the second quarter.
Mission, the No. 3 seed out of the West, will travel to North top seed Fort Benton (7-1) for a quarterfinal game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Longhorns defeated Mission 61-6 in the first round of last year’s postseason, then beat Joliet 64-14 before bowing out in the semifinals to eventual champion Drummond.
Fort Benton’s lone defeat this season was a 41-28 road loss to Simms. They avenged the loss the following week at home, 35-25.
Mission 34, Joliet 12
MIS — 8-12-14-0—34
JOL — 0-12-0-0—12
MIS — Charley Adams 33 run (Canyon Sargent run)
MIS — Bryce Umphrey 9 pass from Kellen McClure (pass failed)
JOL — Rye Brastrup 1 run (pass failed)
MIS — Sargent 24 pass from McClure (run failed)
JOL — Brastrup 20 pass from Hayden Ward (pass failed)
MIS — Adams 4 run (run failed)
MIS — Sargent 32 pass from McClure (Adams run)
8-Man playoffs
First round
Friday, Oct. 29
Fairview 34, Chinook 25
Saturday, Oct. 30
Mission 34, Joliet 12
Thompson Falls 55, Circle 6
Park City 60, Alberton-Superior 40
Drummond-Philipsburg 55, Sheridan 7
Belt 36, Culbertson 15
Scobey 60, Simms 24
Fort Benton 42, Plentywood 22
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 6
3W Mission (7-2) at 1N Fort Benton (7-1), 1 p.m.
3N Belt (8-1) at 1W Thompson Falls (10-0), 1 p.m.
2W Drummond-Philipsburg (8-0) at 1E Fairview (7-2), 1 p.m.
3E Scobey (7-1) at 1S Park City (8-1), 1 p.m.