Wolves open playoffs Saturday in Malta

It's playoff time for the Three Forks High School Football team.

After finishing the regular season with a 6-3 record and earning the third seed in the Southern B Division, the Wolves will open postseason play on Saturday, October 28, at Malta, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

Three Forks Head Coach Connor Sullivan is extremely proud of his team for making the program's first playoff appearance since the 2018 season.

"Like I said to begin the season, our kids looked bigger, faster, and stronger. That doesn't happen by accident; the weight room plays a major role. Getting in there and grinding with your brothers all offseason while gaining that confidence goes a long way. It carries over to your play on the field. We had a great season, but we're not satisfied. There's more football to be played," Sullivan said.

Looking toward the matchup with the second-seeded Mustangs (5-4), Sullivan said he, the staff, and most importantly, the players are excited about the opportunity.

"It's a different type of energy and vibe in the air for Saturdays at 1 p.m. Everyone is back to 0-0. Every possession is valued that much more on both sides of the ball. The coaches will meet, come up with a game plan, and we will go out this next week for practice with great preparation and focus," he said.

The Wolves ended their regular season on October 18 with a dominant 62-0 win at Big Timber.

"We came out and executed very well in all three phases of the game. Going into this game with a short week, a big focus was put on 'perfect focus.' Hone in on the small details, and the rest will take care of itself," Sullivan said.

Three Forks would finish with six rushing touchdowns and another three through the air in the regular-season finale.

Quarterback Shane Williams ended his night 7 of 17 passing for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Colten Hayder had two receptions for 75 yards, which included a 58-yard touchdown. Sawyer Andersen found the end zone on both of his receptions, one from 49 yards and the other a 19-yard touchdown.

The Wolves ended the night with 314 rushing yards. On his lone carry of the night, Hayder scored on a 65-yard run. Caleb Van Vleet, Tallyn McCauley, Jackson Fanning, Trevor Davis, and Wyt Oliver also had rushing touchdowns for Three Forks. Oliver was also 2 of 3 passing for 16 yards and led the team with ten total tackles. Cole Sloan had eight total tackles, and Andersen finished with seven.