I can't believe nobody mentioned this even though it happened 2 days ago but, yes, the Cowboys upheld tradition and also bounced back from a humiliating loss to Billings Central as they trounced Glendive 49-21. Proving that you can buy the Dawson County Red Devils a fancy new sports complex, but when it's all said and done, that won't buy-off their suckiness! GLENDIVE STILL SUCKS!!!!

I guess it was so expected that no one bothered to mention it.

They played the second half under the slaughter rule.

I've been out of town dealing with my uncle's death and funeral, so I wasn't able to post much on this game. If I get a chance, I'll post some tidbits on the Cowboys' playoff-clinching win and Alec Haughian's record-setting night.

Also, I'll break down the likely playoff scenarios for Class A.

Here are a few tidbits from the Cowboys' 49-21 victory over Glendive on Friday:

- This was Miles City's 18th consecutive victory over Glendive. The Red Devils' last victory in the rivalry was in 1996 (31-27).

- I don't yet have the official totals for the entire game, but according to the unofficial halftime stats, Miles City passed for 343 yards in the FIRST HALF. The previous team record for an entire game was 268, set in 1994 during a 41-0 victory over Laurel.

**UPDATE**

The Cowboys finished the game with 375 yards passing, as Alec Haughian (12-20-241-3-0) and Matt Blunt (11-14-134-1-0) both threw for over 100 yards. This was the first time in CCDHS history that two Cowboy passers threw over 100 yards in the same game. Haughian and Blunt's combined stats set a new single-game standard for the most completions (23, old record - 17 vs. Sidney in 2012) and featured the second-most attempts (34, record - 38 vs. Sidney in 1998). Their four touchdown passes marked just the sixth time in team history that the Cowboys had scored as many times via the pass.

- Friday also marked the first time that two different players both went over the 100-yard mark on receptions. Prior to Friday, there had been 31 100-yard receiving games registered by CCDHS players. Tyler Burk (5-111-1) and Wyatt Lesh (6-105-2) became the 20th and 21st Cowboys to surpass the century mark in their careers.

- Most importantly, the Cowboys clenched a playoff berth. Depending on the outcome of their upcoming game against Sidney, they'll either be the second- or third-seed out of the Eastern 'A'.

If the Cowboys win, Miles City will host the third seed out of the Central 'A' (Havre, unless the Blue Ponies fail to beat Browning for the first time since 1994 and Livingston beats Lewistown).

If Miles City loses, the Cowboys will travel to the second-seeded team in the Central 'A' (Lewistown). If Sidney wins, the Eagles will avenge their season-ending loss to the Cowboys in the final game of the 2013 regular season and will win the Eastern 'A' Conference and receive a first-round bye. In that scenario, Billings Central would be the second seed and would host Havre.

Sidney can either win the division or miss the playoffs completely. With a win over Hardin, Billings Central would win the division for the ninth consecutive season. In the very unlikely event that the Rams lose to the Bulldogs, they would be the second seed if Sidney beats Miles City and the third seed if Miles City beats Sidney.

Laurel can still make the playoffs with a win over Glendive and a Miles City victory over Sidney. If the Cowboys lose, so do the Locomotives, regardless of what happens in any other game. Laurel is the only Eastern 'A' team that does not control its own playoff destiny.

And now, All Things Alec Haughian ...

Simply put, the senior quarterback/wide receiver/running back had one of the greatest games in CCDHS history on Friday. Haughian threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-20 passing, rushed for 56 yards and three scores on six carries and caught three passes for 66 yards and another touchdown. All told, he had a Cowboy-record SEVEN touchdowns.

- Haughian's 363 yards of total offense ranks as the third-best effort in team history. Only Ben Herzog (2011-2013) ever accounted for more yards in a single game (384 against Belgrade in 2013 and 365 against Glendive in 2012).

- Haughian joined Herzog as the only Cowboys to score via the pass, run, and catch in the same game. Herzog had one passing touchdown, three rushing TDs and one TD catch against Hardin in 2013.

- Haughian's passing yardage was a career high and tied him for the fifth-best single-game effort in team history.

- For the season, Haughian has passed for 413 yards on 24-of-38 passing for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has rushed for 631 yards and 12 TDs on 106 carries and has caught 26 passes for 489 yards and six scores. His 1510 total yards through eight games rank 11th in CCDHS annals and his 26 touchdowns put him in a tie for the third-best single season in team history. He needs only two more scores to join Shane Cooley (2010) and Herzog (2013) atop the record book with 28 touchdowns for which he's responsible.

- Over his career, Haughian now has 1,399 rushing yards, which ranks him 17th in CCDHS history (and fifth among QBs). Along with 795 passing yards and a team-record 1781 receiving yards, he has accounted for 3899 total yards, which ranks third all-time in team history. Herzog (5,018) and Cooley (4,151) are the only Cowboys ahead of him. His 52 total touchdowns rank behind only Herzog's 62.

- Haughian needs only 205 more passing yards to become the first Class A player with more than 1000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving in a career since Butte Central's Jonathan Richards (2007-10).

[This message has been edited by Brian A. Reed (10/20/2014)]

Brian; First off, I wish you condolences on the loss of your uncle. Sorry for your loss...and yes, I know some things are more important than football. May he rest in peace.

Secondly, thank you, as always for your stats and facts postings. I had been wondering about the playoff picture and wasn't sure who's in and who's out pending the results of this weekend's games. It's strange to see Laurel "on the bubble" as such, and that Sidney, due to their win over Central, is either the Eastern A champ or out altogether...funny how some of that works sometimes.

Hope they do well vs. Sidney!

It's been a bad stretch for my family, to be sure. My uncle - who was always more of a big brother to me than an uncle - died at age 60 of a heart attack on Oct. 9. Less than two days later, I had to leave the Cowboys game against Central early because my stepmother succumbed to cancer that evening.

How Dad is holding things together is beyond me. We're all doing alright, but it's been rough. Thank you for your kind words.

Working on high school football stuff has been a welcome reprieve.

On a quasi-related note, get well soon, John Tooke!

It should also be noted that Tyler Burk became just the third Cowboys running back to gain over 100 yards receiving. He joins Brennan Haughian (3-100-1 vs. Belgrade in 2007) and Robert Nalewaja (5-100-0 vs. Belgrade in 2011) as the only CCDHS players to gain 100 yards through the air after having started the game in the backfield.