Havre football beat up on the Sidney Eagles on Friday night, (39-0). The senior night crowd was lit from the start to finish. There were 23 seniors ranging from marching band to cheerleaders to football players who were honored before the game in front of the Havre community. Once the kickoff got underway, the Ponies scored on six of their nine drives throughout the game.
“It meant everything to me,” Senior quarterback Ciaran Courtnage said. “I’m just happy that I could go out there and perform a little bit. It felt amazing.”
“It just brings tears to me knowing that this is going to be you next year,” Junior wide receiver and cornerback Tre Gary said. “It goes by quick. Just to (have that kind of effort) is a really good feeling.”
In terms of how the scoring got started, sophomore wideout Aiden Moomey caught a 36-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. Gary snagged a 28-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Junior running back Tate Nelson scored on a rushing touchdown about six minutes later and Ty Golie added a 25-yard field goal to put Havre up (25-0) at halftime.
The Blue Ponies found the end zone twice in the third quarter. Gary caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this one for 21 yards down the far sideline.
“It’s always great to play well in front of my seniors,” Gary said. “I always want to put everything I can on the field for (them).”
Even Courtnage, who was benched three games into the season, got another run as the signal caller. He threw an interception on the first drive of the game, but came in for the second half and rushed for a 35-yard touchdown.
“The game just happens; that’s how it goes,” Courtnage said. “I flushed it in the second half and just got a second chance, went out there and I tried my hardest.”
“It was awesome to be able to see Ciaran come in there and do a lot of things with his feet and distribute the ball where it needed to go,” Coach Jake Eldridge said.
The Blue Ponies allowed 25 yards of total offense to the Eagles through three quarters. Sidney had a turnover on downs to start the game and to end the game.
“Our guys put in a lot of work and just did a good job of playing team defense tonight,” Eldridge said. “Alignment assignment football, that’s all it is. Kudos to our guys for stopping the run and putting them in favorable situations for us to go after them and get some sacks as well.”
Havre moved to 5-3 and are guaranteed a playoff appearance. It’ll just be a matter of where they’re situated as they wrap up the regular season is Lewistown to take on Fergus next Friday night.
What was done in Blue Pony Stadium on Friday night would be summed up best by Eldridge, who is in his third season with the program and just experienced his second senior night in Havre as the head coach.
“These kids only have so much time to be able to play this great game, especially in this community,” Eldridge said. “These kids grow up being Blue Ponies; nobody else is a Blue Pony.”
“It’s just special to see these guys grow, mature, and be great leaders and football players, but then just great people,” Eldridge continued. “This is a great time in their lives and it’s just so awesome to see them have so much success on their senior night. They deserve it.”
