Montana Prep Football Rankings: Oct. 20

The dust certainly has settled as we reach the eighth week of the 406mtsports.com high school football rankings.

The top two teams in all five classes remained stout. And perhaps other than Fairview (5-2) downing fifth-ranked and previously unbeaten Culbertson (6-1) 30-14 in a seeding game to avenge a season-opening loss (48-14), no major upsets were recorded last week.

Only two other ranked teams fell to unranked teams, both in Class A and neither shocking: Lewistown (6-1) toppled then-No. 3 Billings Central (5-2) by a touchdown in Class A for its first win over the Rams in 35 years, and Columbia Falls (5-1) walloped then-No. 5 and previously undefeated arch-rival Whitefish (7-1) by 16 points.

The other shakeups were a result of showdowns between ranked teams: No. 5 Malta (7-0) throttling No. 6 Glasgow (6-2) by 31 points and No. 7 Eureka (6-2) downing No. 3 Bigfork (6-1) by a point in Class B, No. 5 Fort Benton (6-1) rallying past No. 3 Simms (7-1) by 10 points in a seeding-game reversal of their previous week’s tilt and No. 10 Park City (6-1) edging No. 9 Sheridan (5-1) by two points in 8-Man play, and No. 5 Shields Valley (5-1) fending off No. 3 Bridger (6-1) by four points in 6-Man.

Upcoming Class AA game of the week: Sentinel still figures to have its hands full at No. 3 Butte (5-2), which owns home wins over Great Falls, No. 4 Helena and Kalispell Glacier (along with its 43-3 head-scratcher loss to No. 5 Helena Capital). Honorable mention: Helena (5-2) and Capital (5-2) have more at stake than mere crosstown pride when they meet at Vigilante Stadium.

As for Class A, the three top teams Hamilton (7-0), Laurel (7-0) and Polson (8-0) show no signs of weakening either.

Upcoming Class A game of the week: High-flying Polson (8-0) figures to be facing a determined Whitefish squad on the road a week after the Bulldogs suffered their first defeat.

Class B has been dominated by No. 1 Florence-Carlton (7-0), which has outscored opponents not named Townsend 279-32. The Falcons have plenty of capable foes lined up behind them positioning for a shot though.

Upcoming Class B game of the week: Florence-Carlton will be at home but faces a wounded Bigfork team after the Vikings were handed their first loss. 

The rankings for Oct. 12:

Class AA

1. Missoula Sentinel (7-0)
2. Billings West (7-1) 
3. Butte (5-2)
4. Helena (5-2)
5. Capital (5-2)

Class A

1. Hamilton (7-0)
2. Laurel (7-0)
3. Polson (8-0)
4. Lewistown (6-1)
5. Billings Central (5-2)

Class B

1. Florence-Carlton (7-0) 
2. Townsend (6-1)
3. Columbus (6-1)
4. Malta (7-0)
5. Eureka (6-2)
6. Bigfork (6-1)