HELENA — Helena Capital scored five unanswered touchdowns after falling behind top-ranked Kalispell Glacier, and the fifth-ranked Bruins went on to a 35-14 victory Friday night at a gusty Vigilante Stadium.
Capital’s win was its fourth in a row and kept the Bruins (5-1) unbeaten in the Western AA at 4-0. Glacier, which has been No. 1 in the MTN Sports power rankings all season, dropped to 3-1 in conference and 5-1 overall.
Bruins quarterback Merek Mehlish passed for three touchdowns and ran for another, and Cole Graham added a touchdown run as the Bruins roared back from a 14-point deficit.
Kobe Dorcheus scored on a touchdown run in each of the first and second quarters to give the Wolfpack a 14-0 lead, but the Bruins rallied from there.
The score was 14-14 at halftime on a Mihelish 10-yard run and a Mihelish 25-yard pass to Bret Linder, and the Bruins took a two-score lead after the break going into a steady 20 mile-per-hour wind with gusts up to 44 mph.
Mihelish first found Daniel Larson from 15 yards out for a 20-14 lead on a second half-opening drive that consumed 5 minutes, 53 seconds. Then, following a Glacier miscue on a punt, the Bruins found themselves with a short field and took advantage. Cole Graham eventually scored from 3 yards out, and with Mihelish running in the conversion, the Bruins were up 28-14.
Larson hauled in a second TD pass from Mihelish, this time from 31 yards, putting the game out of reach for the Wolfpack.
Elsewhere in Class AA …
No. 2 Bozeman Gallatin 51, No. 4 Great Falls 10
No. 3 Billings West 36, Bozeman 17
Great Falls CMR 15, Billings Skyview 9
Helena 47, Kalispell Flathead 13
Missoula Big Sky 7, Missoula Hellgate 2
Billings Senior 21, Belgrade 14, OT (Thursday)
Missoula Sentinel 38, Butte 31 (Thursday)