HAMILTON — Like a muddy chute before a bareback ride, Friday night’s “Battle of the Broncs” featured a slick turf field after a dreary afternoon in the Bitterroot Valley.
The opening two drives between Hamilton and Frenchtown ended in lost fumbles, the second drive also featuring a muffed snap. Another muffed snap occurred in the third quarter, delivering Frenchtown with a second down with 29 yards to the line to gain.
“I’d rather play on grass,” Frenchtown quarterback Dawson Rodoni told 406 MT Sports. “The turf burns are crazy. It was a little slick out there, but it definitely got better as the game went on.”
In a classic “A” matchup between two of the top teams in the Southwestern A, Frenchtown (5-1) outlasted Hamilton (4-1) thanks to a gutsy showing from its defense in the second half. The win was the (orange and black) Broncs’ second-straight win over the (red) Broncs after snapping a 13-year losing streak in 2024. The victory was also Frenchtown’s first win at Hamilton’s stadium since 2009, when Frenchtown head coach Seth Mason was a sophomore football player for Hamilton.
“Good, fun, competitive game tonight,” Mason said after the win. “It was awesome.”
The road win comes three weeks removed from the Broncs’ only loss of the season, a 35-7 defeat at Billings Central. After getting, “kicked in the mouth,” by the Rams, Rodoni said, the team got right back to practice and has been grinding to get better.
After two wins over Florence-Carlton and Dillon, and now a road rivalry win over Hamilton, Frenchtown is back on track.
“Now we know we aren’t as bad as we played against Billings,” Rodoni added.
The quarterback got to work early Friday night. After a 30-yard touchdown run from Hamilton’s Jude Widmer, Rodoni quickly responded with a deep pass to Jordan Warner that set the Broncs up inside the 10-yard line. The Rodoni-to-Warner connection struck again for a 8-yard touchdown to close the drive.
The junior signal caller found Bailey Corrette for a 20-yard score on the very next drive, the senior wide out leaping to make the grab over a Hamilton defender in the end zone. Frenchtown forced an interception on the ensuing possession, setting the team up in quality field position that running back Cole Johnson turned into a 3-yard touchdown run.
Frenchtown carried a 21-6 lead into halftime. Frenchtown’s skill position athletes like Corrette, Johnson and Warner make Rodoni’s life easier as he works through his first season as the Broncs’ quarterback, Rodoni said.
“Everybody on our offense can make a play,” Rodoni added. “Our depth is insane.”
Frenchtown punted on its opening drive of the second half, setting up a long and methodical drive from Hamilton. Fueled by runs from Widmer to set up manageable third downs, the Broncs drove the length of the field and capped the series off with a 3-yard run from quarterback Cooper Weston. The sophomore quarterback finished the night with 98 passing yards, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
A successful two-point conversion attempt brought Hamilton within seven as the fourth quarter commenced. Frenchtown punted once again, and Hamilton took its next drive down inside the Frenchtown 30-yard line thanks to a couple of fourth-down conversions.
With its back against the wall, Frenchtown’s defense rose to the occasion. Junior Cooper Michaud caught an interception in the end zone, ending Hamilton’s drive and returning the ball to his offense.
Even when Frenchtown was stopped on fourth down later in the fourth quarter, and Hamilton drove past midfield in the final minutes of the game, Michaud and his defense were able to hunker down for another stop. Weston’s run was brought down before the first-down marker.
“We know adversity is going to strike,” Mason said of his team’s defensive performance. “Nobody has to do anything special. When everyone does their one-eleventh, that creates special.”
Johnson was able to run for a couple of Frenchtown first downs that drained the clock down to triple zeroes. Johnson finished the night with 184 yards, a season-high that brings the senior to 738 yards on the season.
“He’s (Johnson) a slippery runner and fast,” Hamilton head coach Bryce Carver said. “When he gets going, he’s hard to bring down and that does good in their scheme.”
With just three games to go before the postseason begins, Friday’s win puts Frenchtown in a position to take the drivers’ seat in the Southwestern A with a win against Butte Central next week. Despite losing quality seniors after the 2024 season, the Broncs have reloaded and are getting better as the season progresses.
A “Battle of the Broncs” victory is a guaranteed way to demonstrate that.
“They (Hamilton) put a whip on us when I was in middle school and elementary school,” Rodoni said. “To win this game was a lot, it was a big confidence booster for us. Now everybody knows in the state, we’re good, too.”
Carson Cashion is a sports writer for 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @CarsonCashion or contact him at carson.cashion@406mtsports.com.
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