Hawks Rally Falls Just Short Against Highwood, 32-26, on Senior Night
By Chad Smith / HLSN Sports
Highwood held off a late charge from CJI to beat the Hawks 32-26 on Thursday night at CJI Field, in a game with big seeding stakes. CJI needed to win by 11 or more to move into second place in the North division and avoid a first-round matchup with top-ranked Grass Range-Winnett. The Mountaineers, who came in 7-1 and in first place in the North, improved to 8-1 and 4-0 in conference play. Trailing 30-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Hawks scored twice in under two minutes to get within 30-26 with 5:34 to play, and the defense came up with a fumble recovery near its own goal line, but a safety with 2:06 left sealed it.
It was Senior Night at CJI Field, and the evening started at 6:45 with the Hawks recognizing five seniors: Dane Grammar, Ryan Ramberg, foreign exchange student Ivar Englund, team videographer Isabelle Habets, and Wrigley Lalum, who played one season of football and spent three years as the team's "stat guy." Grammar, Ramberg, and Englund were all in the middle of the action once the game began.
Just before the CJI pep band played the national anthem, a new addition to the football complex was unveiled when a 10-foot by 15-foot American flag was raised for the first time on a brand-new 50-foot flagpole at the CJI Sports Complex. The project was made possible by the CJI Hawks Booster Club and Ramberg Dental, and the permanent flagpole stands as a symbol of the nation's freedom, the community's pride, and the generations who have shaped its future.
The Booster Club is also giving community members, families, and businesses a chance to help fund the project and be part of it. A donation of $200 or more will permanently recognize a chosen name or dedication on a plaque near the flagpole, whether honoring a family member, coach, teacher, or community member, remembering a veteran or loved one, or simply showing support for the community. To donate or for more information, contact Abbey Ludwig at 406-750-6382 or cjihawksboosterclub@gmail.com.
Highwood opened the game with a 54-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 3-yard run from senior Miles Zanto, and the extra point made it 8-0. CJI answered right away. On the first play after the kickoff, DeVries handed to junior Levi Nelson, who raced 52 yards for a touchdown, and Englund's extra-point kick tied it at 8-8 after one quarter.
Highwood took the lead back in the second quarter when junior quarterback Ryder Bowman hit senior Braxton Crowder for a 33-yard touchdown on fourth and 2, making it 16-8. Nelson ripped off a 32-yard run to the Highwood 10, but the Hawks came up empty and turned the ball over on downs at the 4-yard line. The defense responded, forcing a fumble that Grammar recovered, and three plays later Nelson ran 21 yards for a touchdown with 2:24 left in the half. Highwood blocked the extra point, leaving CJI down 16-14. The Mountaineers then scored again on fourth down, with Bowman finding junior Carson Tinklenberg for a 30-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and the kick made it 24-14 at the break.
The third quarter was a defensive battle until late. After CJI turned the ball over on downs at the 7:19 mark, Highwood worked its way to the CJI 6-yard line and converted a fourth-and-goal when Bowman threw to Crowder for a touchdown with 34 seconds left in the quarter. Grammar blocked the extra-point kick, and Highwood led 30-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Jace Ramberg fielded the ball and appeared to be down before it came loose. Highwood jumped on it, and officials ruled it Highwood's ball, a call that kept possession with the Mountaineers. The Hawks defense held, forcing a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter.
The Hawks refused to go away. After that stop at the 8:53 mark, CJI took over at its own 30. With DeVries under pressure in the backfield, he got rid of the ball with short tosses well behind the line of scrimmage to Grammar, who turned them into gains of 8 and 22 yards by breaking several tackles. The 22-yarder came on a 1st and 15 from the CJI 30 after a penalty, and it moved the ball to the Highwood 8. On the next snap, Buffington caught a short toss, evaded several defenders and scored on an 8-yard touchdown with 7:19 to play to make it 30-20. Moments later, Nelson stepped in front of a Ryder Bowman pass and returned the interception 41 yards for a touchdown with 5:34 left, pulling CJI within 30-26.
CJI tried an onside kick, but Highwood came up with it at midfield and then leaned on freshman Rhett Bowman, driving 37 yards to the CJI 3-yard line. The Hawks defense stood tall at the goal line, stopping Rhett Bowman for no gain on second and goal and then recovering a Highwood fumble on the next play, with DeVries falling on it at the 4-yard line. With 2:06 left, a snap on the next play sailed out of the end zone for a safety, making it 32-26, and Highwood ran out the clock.
Nelson was the catalyst for the Hawks. He carried 11 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns, added the 41-yard interception return for a touchdown, and accounted for 18 of CJI's 26 points. He also led the team with 11 tackles (7 solo) and returned a punt 8 yards.
DeVries, back at quarterback after missing several weeks, completed 6 of 10 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, carried 5 times for 21 yards, and added 3 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. Buffington caught 3 passes for 29 yards and the touchdown, Grammar caught 2 for 30 yards, and Jace Ramberg added a 17-yard catch. Ryan Ramberg, also back in the lineup after missing last week's win over Sunburst, rushed once for 5 yards and handled kickoff returns. As a team, CJI gained 245 yards on just 27 plays, 169 on the ground and 76 through the air.
On defense, Grammar had a huge night with 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and the blocked extra point, while also handling the kickoffs. Ryan Ramberg finished with 9 tackles, sophomore Shane Woods had 7, sophomore Connor Mattson had 6 and a pass breakup, and Lex Wolery had 4 with a tackle for loss. The Hawks finished with 52 tackles, an interception, and two fumble recoveries.
Highwood controlled the ball for most of the night, holding it for 23:34 to CJI's 7:54 and running 57 plays to the Hawks' 27. Rhett Bowman, a freshman, carried 34 times for 201 yards to lead the Mountaineers, who totaled 336 yards. The CJI defense held Highwood to 4 of 15 on third down, but the Mountaineers were 5 of 6 on fourth down, including all three of their touchdown passes. Ryder Bowman finished 7 of 11 for 107 yards and three touchdowns, and Braxton Crowder caught 4 passes for 61 yards and two scores.
CJI finished the regular season 5-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play, and will be the third seed out of the North. Big Sandy, at 2-1 in conference play, closes its regular season Saturday against winless North Star and will be the No. 2 seed from the North regardless of the outcome.
Instead of avoiding the top team in the state, the Hawks will open the playoffs Saturday, October 31, in Grass Range against 8-0 Grass Range-Winnett, with kickoff time to be announced. The Rangers are the team CJI beat for last year's state championship, and they beat the Hawks 47-0 in this season's opener. It will be the third meeting between the two teams on GRW's home field in less than a year.
The fourth-quarter fight in this game proves that anything can happen in 6-man football, and the Hawks will be fighting with all their might to prove the pundits wrong. Speaking of the pundits, they have not been very accurate in predicting critical CJI contests this year. The weekly projections said CJI would win this game, and they also had the Hawks beating Big Sandy, while projecting losses to Jordan and Burlington, two teams CJI went on to beat. Stay tuned for more about this in the next week, as we take a closer look at how the projections stacked up against what actually happened on the field this season.
Click here for a full gallery of action photos.
