The Havre High Football team made the most of their homecoming with a huge (41-6) win over East Helena. After starting the second half of the Lockwood game last Friday night, sophomore quarterback Griffin Terry got the nod for his first start as a Blue Pony.
His team scored on their first two possessions, courtesy of a Tre Gary 23-yard touchdown catch culminated a 12-play drive. Gary then intercepted a pass on the first East Helena drive to set up Havre in oppposing territory. Four plays later, Tate Nelson punched it in from one yard out. Then, Jacob Herring made a huge special teams play with a punt block and ran it in from ten yards out and Havre was up 21-0 at the 2:32 mark of the first quarter.
The Vigilantes got back into it after quarterback Jack Taylor threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Slade Olson early in the second quarter, but the Blue Ponies rattled off 20 unanswered for the rest of the game, which included another block punt that Pierce Caplette initiated and Herring fell on in the end zone.
“(The players) took what we’ve been working on and finally put it together in a football game,” head coach Jake Eldridge said. “I know the running game was on point tonight and that always helps. Those big guys up front can clear lanes for the running backs makes the quarterback’s job a lot easier.”
Deuces were wild at Blue Pony Stadium. Nelson finished with two rushing touchdowns, Terry threw for two scores, and Herring had one of the most unique stat lines: two catches for 37 yards, two interceptions (both of which happened on the first plays from scrimmage on each East Helena drive), and two punt block recoveries for touchdowns.
“(I) haven’t done that before,” Herring said.
“(Herring) does so much for us in all three phases of the game,” Eldridge said. “The proof is in the pudding and it showed (tonight).”
Havre moves to 4-2 on the 2023 season and will head on the road to Laurel next Friday night at 7pm.
Scoring
Havre TD 7:16 1Q – Griffin Terry 27-yard pass to Tre Gary (Ty Golie XP good, 7-0)
Havre TD 4:18 1Q – Tate Nelson 1-yard touchdown run (Golie XP good, 14-0)
Havre TD 2:32 1Q – Jacob Herring blocked punt returned for a touchdown (Golie XP good, 21-0)
East Helena TD 10:20 2Q – Jack Taylor 43-yard pass to Slade Olson (XP no good, 21-6)
Havre TD 6:23 2Q – Griffin Terry 3-yard pass to Colter Solomon (Golie XP blocked, 27-6)
Havre TD 2:54 2Q – Tate Nelson 1-yard touchdown run (Golie XP good, 34-6)
Havre TD 9:15 3Q – Pierce Caplette punt blocked returned by Jacob Herring for a touchdown (Golie XP good, 41-6)
