PAUL RUHTER/Gazette Staff - Billings Gazette
Being the top team in NAIA football is becoming a tradition at Carroll College — and this year might not be any different.
Especially when Chance Demarais is running the ball for the No. 1-ranked Saints.
With the powerful legs of the 227-pound halfback accounting for 202 yards and two touchdowns, the reigning national champions fought off Rocky Mountain College 35-16 Saturday before an estimated crowd of 4,000 at Herb Klindt Field.
In what was the Frontier Conference opener for both schools, the running of Demarais, a junior from Malta, helped the Saints stay a step or two ahead of the upset-minded Battlin' Bears, who scored their only touchdowns on a 46-yard interception return by Travis Bertelsen and a 103-yard kickoff return by JT Fitzgerald.
"I can't take much of that credit," Demarais said of his own rushing exploits. "Our offensive line is extremely physical and extremely athletic and they have the will to win. All I have to do is hang on to that ball and follow them."
After falling behind 7-0 on Bertelsen's first-quarter interception return, the Saints capitalized on a pair of 2-yard scoring runs by Demarais to move ahead for keeps 14-7 by late in the second quarter.
Demarais, who had 110 yards rushing in the first half and carried the ball 35 times on the afternoon, broke tackles and just refused to go down in displaying uncanny balance and power against the Bears.
"He ran hard," said Carroll coach Mike Van Diest. "He made a lot of yards on his own. The offensive line, I thought, did a good job at the point of attack, but Chance is 227 pounds and I don't know if anybody worked harder than him this summer in Helena.
"He's just a great, great competitor. One of the best competitors I've ever been around."
Carroll, 1-0, has now triumphed in 43 consecutive conference games dating to 2006. The Saints have also beaten the Bears, 1-1, in 22 straight contests going back to the 2000 season.
The six-time national champions used their classic formula of a tough running game combined with a swift, physical and swarming defense.
"We just got pushed around, offensively and defensively," Rocky coach Brian Armstrong said. "There's no two ways about it. Look at the stat line, watch the film, watch it in person, whatever, they were a lot better than us."
The Saints rolled up 454 yards on offense — 312 of it rushing. The Bears had just 174 yards overall.
Rocky played without its starting quarterback, redshirt-freshman Bryce Baker, who suffered an ankle injury the previous week against Dickinson State.
Senior Paxton Paynter took Baker's place, passing for 115 yards and rushing for 32.
The Bears had trouble moving the ball against the Saints, but also couldn't contain Demarais on defense.
"We didn't tackle well," Armstrong said. "Some of that was us, and some of that was the kid was pretty dang good. He's running behind some pretty darn good guys, too."
Ahead 14-10 at halftime, Carroll took the third quarter kickoff and drove 79 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 13-yard pass from Dane Broadhead to Anthony Hogan to increase its advantage to 21-10.
That's when Rocky's Fitzgerald backpedaled into the end zone to catch the football, then followed his blockers on the outside for his 103-yard return, which is likely a school record.
Fitzgerald nearly stumbled a couple of times, but stayed on his feet and got the Bears back in the game at 21-16 with 10:52 left in the third quarter.
"I hoped to get everybody fired up again," he said of his return. "I was excited. I was ready to get back out there on defense after I caught my breath."
Carroll quickly responded, though, with another scoring march. The big play coming when Broadhead raced 21 yards on a keeper on a fourth-and-six play from the Rocky 30.
Moments later, Matt Ritter, lined up at quarterback, scored on a 1-yard run to make it 28-16.
The well-protected Broadhead, who threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns, capped the scoring with a 30-yard scoring strike to Trey Infanger in the corner of the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
"Offensively we couldn't protect our defense at all," Armstrong said. "Too many three-and-outs and not enough sustained drives. ... Obviously, it's always tough when you don't have your starting quarterback, but that's not an excuse. Good teams find a way to get it done."
Rocky will be playing at Montana Western on Saturday.
NOTES: The Big Sky All-Stars were escorted to their seats on the 50-yard line before the game by the Rocky cheerleaders. The U.S. runners-up at the Little League World Series were saluted at halftime and received a standing ovation from one of the largest Rocky football crowds in years. ... Rocky linebacker Steffan Blume was in on 21 tackles.
04 Sep, 2011--
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