Football: Big Horns trounce Lame Deer in opener, to face tougher test in Ennis 

Will Helms scores six touchdowns in his first game as quarterback 

By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Lame Deer High School visited Lone Peak High School for the first home game of the fall sports season, and the Big Horns looked comfortable enough—a 70-point shutout doesn’t happen every week.  

As the artificial turf magnified the August heat, Big Horn junior Will Helms returned the opening kickoff to about half field. On the first play from scrimmage, junior Eli Gale took a handoff from Helms the rest of the way. Within seconds, the Big Horns led 6-0.  

Gale hurdled a fallen defender for another touchdown in the first quarter, giving his team a 20-0 lead. By halftime, the Big Horns led the Morning Stars, 50-0. 

“Felt great,” Gale said after the game. “Great way to start off the season… This year we have a great group of kids, really disciplined, willing to fight for the win.” 

Many players are stepping into new roles, including Helms, who was named the starting quarterback before Saturday’s game. Helms spent 2023 at IMG Academy, an athletics-focused school in Florida, where he improved his footwork and field awareness as a cornerback. This fall, he returned to Big Sky to a team needing a quarterback.  

It was Helms’ first-ever game under center, but he wasn’t shy in pursuing the goal line. He ran for four touchdowns, threw to junior Ebe Grabow for two more, and converted multiple two-point attempts with his arm and legs.  

“I think Will Helms looked comfortable enough at the quarterback position that we know where we can build from there,” head coach Dustin Shipman said after the win.  

Helms said his six-touchdown game was a lot of fun. He added that he’s trying to beat Lone Peak records set by his older brother, George, who began his Division I college football career on Friday, as a running back and utility player for Elon University.  

Will Helms was proud to see his team work together to finish out a perfect game—the Big Horns won, 70-0. 

“There’s definitely stuff to work on, but we’ll go into practice, and that’s what practice is for,” Helms said.

“I think I see opportunities to improve everywhere,” coach Shipman said. “First game of the year, first live contact, first time we’re playing anybody other than ourselves.”  

Shipman expected the team’s physical and mental errors, and saw a good baseline to return to practice and improve upon. Overall, he was pleased to see players follow their assignments.  

He commended some rising stars, including freshman Kenan Masonic.  

“He started on defense, and as the game progressed, he played almost every snap on both sides of the ball. I couldn’t be more proud of the kid coming in as a freshman,” Shipman said.  

Sophomores Thomas Trulen and Boone Jorgenson, and junior Aeneas Espinosa “really stepped in and played well down the stretch,” he added.  

Trulen rushed for a touchdown after halftime, and Gale gave a special shoutout to Jorgenson for “ballin’ out.”  

Shipman said the best thing about games like this is that the kids had fun, which keeps them coming back and working hard. 

Lone Peak will need to work hard on a short week, as they prepare to welcome Ennis High School on Thursday, Sept. 5. 

Last year, Ennis beat Lone Peak, 50-22. This year, Helms said they’re looking forward to the rivalry matchup.  

“Short week of preparation, but I think we feel good,” Shipman said. “… We’ll just get back to work Monday morning and see where we end up on Thursday. But I expect us to be very competitive come Thursday night in Big Sky.”