Montana high school football quarterfinals Underway this week

The air in Montana is thick with anticipation as the high school football playoffs march toward the semifinals. Last week’s games separated the contenders from the pretenders, and this week, the stakes are ratcheted even higher with a trip to the final four on the line. MTN Sports reported that the opening round was a proving ground, but the quarterfinals are where legacies are forged and seasons are defined.

Across all five classifications, the path to the state championship is narrowing. In Class AA, a giant is stirring. Great Falls, the only sub-.500 team still alive, pulled off a stunning 28-21 road victory over Helena Capital last week. Now, the Bison face their ultimate test: a visit to the state’s only unbeaten team, Billings West. The Golden Bears crushed Great Falls 48-0 during the regular season, a result that looms large as the two teams prepare to clash. This week, the 4-6 Great Falls Bison face the 9-0 Billings West Golden Bears in the quarterfinals.

Wolfpack Begin Title Defense with Home Game

After a first-round bye, Kalispell Glacier begins its defense of last year’s state title with a home game against Bozeman. The Wolfpack are fresh off a first-round bye and riding a wave of momentum, having shut out their last four opponents. Their 42-0 drubbing of Bozeman back on September 4th set the tone for their dominant season. Gallatin, boosted by the return of sophomore quarterback Luke Vigen, travels to Missoula Sentinel. Vigen has thrown for 417 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games, giving the Raptors a potent offense as they look to avenge a regular-season loss to the Spartans. Meanwhile, Missoula Big Sky and Great Falls CMR square off in a quarterfinal that pits two strong teams with identical 8-2 records against each other, promising a hard-fought contest.

2026 Montana high school football scores first-round playoffs

A Collision of One-Loss Titans

In Class A, the marquee matchup is a tragic collision of two worthy programs. When Whitefish and East Helena take the field Friday night, one of them will see its season end. Each team carries a single loss, and both fell to the same common opponent, Columbia Falls, by a razor-thin three points. East Helena’s 38-35 defeat came on September 11th when a late lead evaporated, while Whitefish fell 34-31 on October 9th. The season will end for either Whitefish or East Helena in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The travel demands in Class A are staggering this week. Billings Central is embarking on a 370-mile journey to Hamilton, while Hardin is trekking an incredible 490 miles to face Columbia Falls. The longest trip, however, belongs to defending champion Frenchtown, which will travel over 630 miles to take on unbeaten Sidney.

Manhattan, Three Forks storm into Class B football quarterfinals

The Return of a Star and a North-South Divide

The story of the Class B playoffs is centered on a single player’s return. Three Forks senior quarterback Kanon Reichman, a Montana State commit, missed six games with an injury but has orchestrated an offensive revival since coming back. In his last two games, he has accumulated 587 passing yards and six touchdowns. Now, he leads the Wolves to a major showdown with one-loss Fairfield. The Falcons have been nearly impenetrable on defense, surrendering no more than seven points in a game since their narrow 34-33 win over Fairfield on September 11th.

The opening round in Class B was not competitive, with an average margin of victory of 33 points. The closest game was Jefferson’s 34-21 win over Thompson Falls. This week, Jefferson travels to take on the Huntley Project Mavericks, who are a perfect 10-0. Elsewhere, Malta makes its 385-mile trek to face Florence, and Red Lodge battles Manhattan in another intriguing quarterfinal matchup.

Northern Teams Advance in 8-Man Classification

The 8-Man classification saw a Northern surge in the first round, with Belt, Chinook, Choteau, and Fort Benton all advancing by double digits. The stakes are even higher now. Chinook travels to play unbeaten, defending champion Scobey, while Fort Benton visits the top-ranked team in the nation from the South, the unblemished Drummond-Philipsburg. Choteau, whose 64-42 victory over Superior turned heads, now travels to take on Twin Bridges.

In 6-Man, two key rematches from the regular season highlight the quarterfinals. West Yellowstone, which is undefeated, hosts Big Sandy after outlasting them 67-58 on October 3rd. Highwood, also unbeaten, travels to face Power-Dutton-Brady after falling 45-14 to them on September 25th. The D-G-S-G-at-Jordan game is another marquee contest, with both teams sitting on one loss, setting the stage for a winner-take-all battle for a spot in the semifinals.

“These kids are playing for the highest stakes, and you can feel it in the air. Every play matters, and every mistake can be the one that ends your season. That’s the beauty of these quarterfinal games.”