HELENA — One of the state’s most storied football programs is back on top.
Merek Mihelish threw four touchdown passes, Dylan Almquist caught three TDs and had a key interception on defense, and Helena Capital proved to be too much for Kalispell Glacier in a 34-21 victory to capture the Class AA state championship Friday night at Vigilante Stadium.
The win gave the Bruins the 13th title in program history and their second in three years. It was Capital’s 17th appearance in the AA championship game.
The Bruins finished with an 11-1 record while Glacier ended with a 10-2 mark after losing in the title game for the second straight year.
The game was a rematch of an Oct. 4 meeting that the Bruins won 35-14.
Capital marched down the field on its first possession and scored on a 3-yard rush by running back Cole Graham for a 7-0 lead. A 30-yard pass from quarterback Merek Mihelish to wide-open tight end Conor Toivonen down the left sideline helped set it up.
Glacier was called for four penalties on its first possession, which ultimately pushed the offense back to its own 8-yard line. But quarterback Jackson Presley and the offense shook it off and scored when Presley hit Bridger Smith for a 17-yard touchdown pass to tie the game in the first quarter.
Each team’s defense stiffened in the second quarter, as Capital punted twice and Glacier turned the ball over on downs on two occasions. But the Bruins eventually broke that trend to go back in front.
Capital pushed into Glacier territory as Mihelish found Daniel Larson twice, and then Mihelish connected with Dylan Almquist for a 9-yard TD strike as Capital took a 14-7 lead with 1:46 on the clock, and that’s how things stood at halftime.
The Wolfpack got the ball first to start the second half, but Capital’s Almquist intercepted Presley for the first defensive takeaway of the game— one play after being called for pass interference.
Capital was then lined up to punt on a fourth-down play, but Glacier jumped offside to give the Bruins a first down.
Two plays later Mihelish threw long to Larson, and Larson wrestled a Wolfpack defender for the ball inside the 5. Almquist then caught a 5-yard TD pass from Mihelish — their second scoring connection of the day — to give the Bruins a 21-7 lead.
Graham and teammate Brit Linder helped Capital get the ball back when they combined to sack Presley on third down on the next series. That set up a Mihelish touchdown pass to Drew Almquist, a 10-yarder, and the Bruins held a 28-7 lead with 1:31 left in the third.
Glacier, though, cut into that gap with a 38-yard touchdown run by Kobe Dorcheus with 9:51 to go. Mihelish then lost a fumble near midfield, but Capital’s defense forced another turnover on downs to preserve its two-possession lead.
Mihelish and Dylan Almquist later connected for their third touchdown pass, a 69-yard hookup. The point-after kick missed, but the Bruins took a 34-14 lead with 5:14 remaining.
Another touchdown run by Dorcheus with 3:35 left made it 34-21, but Glacier’s ensuing onside kick attempt didn’t go 10 yards and rolled out of bounds.
The Wolfpack did get the ball back with 2:30 on the clock but the possession stalled on fourth down, and Capital was able to kneel on the ball to seal a state championship season.
Mihelish threw for 291 yards and four scores, while Dylan Almquist had 108 receiving yards with three TDs. Glacier's Dorcheus finished with 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
