Polson takes 3rd playoff seed after being axed by Loggers
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LIBBY — The Pirates will enter the playoffs as the number three seed from the Northwest A Conference after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Loggers Friday.
Polson led 16-3 in the third quarter before the Loggers finished the game with 14 unanswered points to pull out a 17-16 victory, finishing second in the conference.
For the Pirates, the loss means a road playoff game Saturday and a matchup against the defending Class A state champion, Frenchtown.
"We really wanted to get a win so we could host a playoff game. The key now is to let that game go and be ready to play against Frenchtown," head coach Scott Wilson said. "In the end, a playoff game is a playoff game. It would have been nice to have it at home, but every game is going to be tough from here on out no matter where it is played."
Both teams came into Friday's matchup with identical 2-1 conference records, but it was Polson that was able to grab the lead first on a 25-yard field goal by Kyle Bagnell in the second quarter.
The Loggers answered with a 36-yard field goal from their kicker, Patrick Valentine, to tie the score three minutes later.
Polson was able to take lead into the halftime break as quarterback Vince DiGiallonardo hooked up with Bagnell from 5 yards out to put the Pirates up 10-3.
The Pirates were then able to extend the lead to 16-3 in the third quarter when DiGiallonardo found Bagnell for another touchdown, this one from 13 yards out. Bagnell was unable to connect on the extra point attempt, a miss that would come back to haunt the Pirates.
The Loggers were able to cut the lead to 16-10 heading into the fourth quarter after Kelly May found Tyler Troy with a 46-yard touchdown pass late in the third. Valentine added the PAT to leave Polson up by six heading into the final 12 minutes of play.
Polson continued to lead late into the fourth quarter before May was able to find Troy from 25 yards out for the game-winning touchdown with 1:11 to play. Valentine added the PAT to secure the victory.
"We had some let-downs, that's for sure," Wilson said about the loss. "We had trouble sustaining drives and we gave them too much on first downs. It's hard to recover from that. We played well, overall, it was just one or two things that got us in the end."
Saturday's playoff matchup will be the second time the Broncs and Pirates have met this season as Polson came away with a 21-16 win in both team's season opener.
Wilson said that picking up that win was nice, but the Pirates will have to beat a totally different team if they want revenge against the team that bounced them from the playoffs a year ago.
"It's going to be like seeing two completely different teams out there. It's the same kids, but everyone has gotten a lot better over the course of the season," he said. "It's going to be a playoff game, but we still just have to set a plan and execute it just like any other time."
The Pirates will face the Broncs in Frenchtown Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Summary
Polson 16, Libby 17
Polson01060–16
Libby0377–17
P - Kyle Bagnell 25 FG
L - Patrick Valentine 36 FG
P - Bagnell 5 pass from Vince DiGiallonardo (Bagnell kick)
P - Bagnell 13 pass from DiGiallonardo (kick failed)
L - Tyler Troy 46 pass from Kelly May (Valentine kick)
L - Troy 25 pass from May (Valentine kick)
