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Sawyer Andersen gets the tackle in first-half action against Red Lodge. Voice photo by Melissa Jenkins
Freshman Kanon Reichman hauls in a pass against the Rams. Voice photo by Melissa Jenkins
While their season may have ended with a loss in a November 4 quarterfinal matchup at Red Lodge, it was truly a special 2023 campaign for the Three Forks High School Football team.
The Wolves finished 7-4, winning three non-conference games, three Southern B Conference games including a 22-7 over semifinals-bound Jefferson, and picked up their first playoff victory in multiple decades with a 40-22 opening-round win at Malta.
Moments after the 56-18 loss to Red Lodge, Three Forks Head Coach Connor Sullivan said he was very proud of his team's accomplishments this season.
"I just told them, 50 years, 70 years, whatever it is, you made history, and that's something you can hang your hat on. You guys laid the blueprint for these younger kids, and they will have to build off of it. I'm really proud of this group of seniors we had. We spoke at the beginning of the season about how we would lean on the seniors, and they carried us all the way," Sullivan said.
It was a strong start to the quarterfinal matchup for the Wolves, who scored on their opening drive and took a 6-0 lead with 8:53 left in the first quarter on a six-yard Shane Williams touchdown run.
Three Forks would hold the high-powered Rams scoreless in the first, but Red Lodge struck quickly in the second and took a 7-6 lead with 11:32 left in the first half.
The Wolves would bounce back and took a 12-6 lead after a 63-yard touchdown run from Tallyn McCauley with 10:42 remaining in the second quarter.
The undefeated Rams would respond emphatically with three more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 28-12 lead into halftime and push the lead to 56-12 with 6:30 left in the game.
The Wolves would score their final points of the game on a six-yard McCauley touchdown with 1:26 left.
"We had a great first quarter, and it was tough nose football on both sides. Then we had two turnovers and gave up a couple of big plays that broke the momentum on defense, but Red Lodge is a great team. They made big plays at the right time, and we didn't," Sullivan said.
Looking towards the future, Sullivan said the program has put a big emphasis on the weight room and hopes to see the numbers continue to grow in the strength and conditioning program.
"Like I just told the guys, the juniors and seniors built the blueprint. Now it's time to build off of it and see where we are next year," he said.
