Hot Springs falls in intense final game

The rain couldn't dampen the heat the Hot Springs football team had this past Saturday, even though they fell to the Harlowton-Ryegate Engineers 60-65.

"We knew Harlowton had a talented group of kids. Both teams played hard and gave the crowd a lot of action," Coach Jim Lawson said

The Engineers came out at high speed earning the first set of points on the scoreboard. Nick McAllister was able to find Johnny Waterbury for a massive 55-yard pass for the Savage Heat's first points of the game. Harlowton broke past the tight knit defense to score another touchdown in the first quarter. Coming into the second it would be halfway through before the Engineers were able to gain another touchdown. The next thing the crowd saw was a monumental 41-yard run by McAllister, and Harlowton would answer back with their own touchdown. With about a minute left in the first half McAllister got the crowd on their feet with an incredible fumble recovery, setting the Savage Heat up for one last touchdown with seconds left.

Coming back from halftime Hot Springs came out focused. Freshman Daniel Slonaker would set the mood for the third quarter with an extraordinary fumble recovery. Minutes in once again the Savage Heat would get another fumble recovery, only this time it would be junior David Chapman who earned the recovery, setting the tone for McAllister to find senior Quincy Styles-DePoe for a noble 25-yard pass touchdown putting Hot Springs ahead 38-34.

With only two minutes left in the third, Weston Slonaker was able to get a swift 3-yard touchdown. The Engineers remained scoreless in the third, but they would change that quickly in the final quarter by getting the first touchdown, only to have McAllister show once again that the muddy, slick field was no match for him, running in a tremendous 57-yard run putting the Savage Heat ahead 54-42. Seconds later Harlowton would answer with their own touchdown. Just like the start of the game McAllister was able to find Weston Slonaker for a Savage Heat touchdown, putting the score 60-49.

With five minutes left, the Engineers broke past the formidable Hot Springs defense to earn another touchdown. The score was now 60-57 with only minutes left, and it looked as though the Savage Heat would remain undefeated, until Harlowton was able to sneak a short pass into the end zone putting them ahead.

The Engineers would take a knee for the last minute of the game, running out the clock, not giving Hot Springs a chance to earn a play, putting the final score 60-65.

The Hot Springs Savage Heat 6-man football team has a lot to celebrate, going undefeated in the regular season.

"This season was a big season for realizing there is more to life than just winning every game, I am just really proud of them." Lawson declared.

The Savage Heat dedicated their playoff games to senior Jody Page who had passed away earlier in the season.