In Class AA, No. 1 Missoula Sentinel (6-0) and No. 2 Billings West (6-1) continue to show they’re a cut above, though No. 3 Helena Capital (5-2) is surging and No. 4 Butte (5-2) and No. 5 Helena (5-2) have shown they can both flex their muscles and produce head-scratchers at the same time.
Upstart Great Falls CMR (5-2) is back on the outside looking in after falling 21-14 at Bozeman on Friday.
Upcoming Class AA game of the week: Capital has a chance to prove its mettle when it travels to Sentinel at 7 p.m. Friday. Honorable mention: West won’t have a gimme at CMR on Friday.
Class A had no change as No. 1 Hamilton (6-0), No. 3 Billings Central (5-1) and No. 4 Polson (7-0) all coasted. No. 2 Laurel (6-0) fended off a challenge from dangerous Miles City 21-7 and No. 5 Whitefish (7-0), as expected, had to earn its 27-14 triumph at feisty Libby.
Lurking in the weeds ready for one of the five to falter is Lewistown (5-1), which has lost only by a touchdown to Laurel (28-21) and has not allowed more than eight points in any of its five wins.
Upcoming Class A game of the week: Speaking of lurking, Lewistown has another chance to prove it belongs in the top five when it travels to Billings Central for a 7 p.m. game Friday. Honorable mention: Arch-rivals Columbia Falls and Whitefish square off on the Bulldogs’ home turf Friday.
In Class B, many observers have thought Townsend the greatest threat to top-ranked Florence-Carlton even after — or perhaps because of — losing only 20-14 to the Falcons in Missoula on Sept. 18, and the Bulldogs validated the assertion by thumping previous No. 2 Columbus 43-22 last week to return to the second spot.
Otherwise, the class remained relatively calm, with the other eight teams all winning.
Upcoming Class B game of the week: No. 3 Bigfork (6-0) puts its perfect mark on the line at No. 7 Eureka (5-2), which has lost only to No. 1 Florence-Carlton and No. 8 Fairfield.
The rankings for Oct. 12:
Class AA
- Missoula Sentinel (6-0)
- Billings West (6-1)
- Capital (5-2)
- Butte (4-2)
- Helena (5-2)
Class A
- Hamilton (6-0)
- Laurel (6-0)
- Billings Central (5-1)
- Polson (7-0)
- Whitefish (7-0)
Class B
- Florence-Carlton (6-0)
- Townsend (5-1)
- Bigfork (6-0)
- Columbus (5-1)
- Malta (6-0)