Billings, Montana: Billings Central Beats Rival Laurel 13-7 to Reach Class A Quarterfinals

Billings Central beat rival Laurel 13-7 on Friday night at Herb Klindt Field in Billings, winning a defensive first round game in the Montana Class A football playoffs and sending the Locomotives home.

Cade Ashcraft ran for both Central touchdowns. His second, a two yard run with 5:39 remaining, capped a 19 play drive and broke a 7-7 tie that had held since the second quarter. The fifth ranked Rams improved to 8-2. Laurel, in its first season under coach CJ Edgmond, finished 6-4.

Laurel scores first

The first quarter was scoreless. Laurel, the third seed from the Central division, struck first in the second quarter when Davin Graves hit Luke Maack with an 83 yard touchdown pass at 6:24 of the quarter. Maack kicked the extra point and the Locomotives led 7-0.

Central, the second seed from the East, answered before halftime. Gunnar Larsen threw a 52 yard pass to Kaden Wahl, and two plays later Ashcraft ran nine yards for a touchdown at 2:29 of the second quarter. Grady Martin kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.

Defense holds, then one long drive

Neither team scored in the third quarter. Central finally put together the drive it needed in the fourth, moving the ball on the ground and using up the clock before Ashcraft scored from two yards out. The extra point attempt missed, so the lead stayed at six points, 13-7.

Laurel got one more chance. The Locomotives drove to the Central 26 yard line, but the drive stalled after eight plays and Laurel turned the ball over on downs with 1:09 remaining. Central ran out the clock.

Rams coach Jim Stanton said his team struggled to get its offense going but found a way when it had to. Larsen, a tight end and linebacker who has committed to Army, said moving on is what matters in the playoffs, and he praised Ashcraft as the team's workhorse. Edgmond said his Laurel players gave everything they had and that a few plays simply did not go their way.

Revenge, and a trip to Hamilton

The win settled a score from the regular season. Laurel beat Central 31-29 at Laurel on September 18, when Maack kicked a 28 yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

Central now travels for the quarterfinals. The Rams play at Hamilton on Friday, November 6, at 7 p.m. Hamilton is the top seed from the Southwest A, stands 7-1, and is ranked fourth in the 406 MT Sports rankings. Laurel's season is over.