By After four weeks, the Carroll College football team has started fast with an undefeated win streak, starting the season 4-0 for the first time since 2013. The football team has also been making noise nationally, climbing the NAIA Coaches Poll and sitting at a No. 9 ranking.
Week Four vs. Arizona Christian University
In week four, the Fighting Saints found themselves back at home to battle Arizona Christian University for Homecoming Weekend on Sept. 23.
The Arizona Christian Firestorm were an unfamiliar conference opponent for the Saints. Arizona Christian is a new addition to the Frontier Conference for football, coming from Glendale, Arizona, after winning a 2022 conference championship in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
The Saint’s first touchdown of the game came from senior running back Duncan Craft, who darted through the Firestorm defense for a 24-yard touchdown.
After the 7-3 start, the game turned into a slugfest, with both teams trading scores.
Max Lehman, a junior running back studying health sciences from Meridian, Idaho, punched in his first career touchdown on a short run from the goal line, giving the Saints a commanding 28-21 lead.
The ensuing drive led to Ben Melhoff, a senior linebacker studying engineering from Eugene, Oregon, picking the opposing team’s ball off and striding untouched for a Saints touchdown. Melhoff’s pick-six sealed an earned victory for the Fighting Saints and helped the team to a No. 9 ranking national among the NAIA.
Week Three vs Rocky Mountain College
The Saints marched into Billings in week three to open conference play at Rocky Mountain College on Sept. 16.
After a disappointing first quarter, Rocky answered first with a touchdown, making the score 7-0.
Heading into the half, neither team could pull it together offensively.
In the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, Rocky scored 13 points to put their lead at 20-0.
The clock was ticking, and with a 20-point differential, the Saints needed to score and score fast.
A comeback was no small feat, but Prka led the charge, connecting with Carson Ochoa, a junior tight end studying health sciences from Yorba Linda, California, for two major touchdowns.
One of those touchdowns was the gaming-tying score with the game on the line.
With Prka and Ochoa’s heroics, the Saints secured a 21-20 victory over the Battlin’ Bears in Rocky to improve to a 3-0 start on the season.
Star quarterback Prka finished with 407 passing yards at the end of the game-breaking a Carroll football record and landing himself as the NAIA Offensive Player of the Week.
Week Two vs. Saint Thomas University
In week two, the Saints faced St. Thomas University of Florida, a top-15 nationally ranked team that came to Helena.
The game was held at Nelson Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m.
The game started as a defensive battle, with the Fighting Saints holding Saint Thomas to just 7 points in the first half.
Spencer Burger, a sophomore from Billings, made four field goals in the game, hitting two of them in the first half. The field goals helped get the Saints ahead early and eventually gave them enough points to win the game.
In the second half, Saint Thomas fought back, scoring two touchdowns.
But the Saints were not finished.
The Saint’s passing attack was led in the second half by Jake Prka and Chris Akulschin, a sophomore studying civil engineering from Gig Harbor, Washington.
Chris had nine receptions for 167 yards and the final touchdown to put the Saints ahead for a big win over a nationally ranked-team.
Another notable performance came from Cameron Rothie, a senior who studies political science from Hamilton Mont., who scored a 15-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.
“It was a great team win both offense and defense came out ready for a four-quarter battle,” said Jaden Harrison, a senior receiver who studies business out of St. George, Utah. “I am just glad we came out on the right side of things.”
Week One vs. Montana Tech University
On Aug. 31, the Carroll College Fighting Saints football team beat their rival Montana Tech in a hard-fought battle in Butte to open up the season.
In the first quarter, the Carroll football team got off to a great start, going up 14-0. Baxter Tuggle, a senior running back studying health science from Laramie, Wyoming, punched in the first touchdown of the season for the Saints. The following score was a short run from Duncan Kraft, a senior running back from Billings studying elementary education.
“It was a hard-fought battle and a great team win,” said Jack Prka, junior quarterback studying elementary education from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “Our guys stuck together, and our defense made a great stop at the end while our offense finished the job.”
During the second half, the Saint’s defense came up big with multiple stops at the goal line.
Jack Prka showed off his athleticism with an 8-yard run to cap off an 80-yard offensive drive for the Saints to go up 21-13. He made multiple big plays in the game to help the Saints get off to a great start.
The Orediggers would then score again to make the score 21-19. However, the Orediggers failed at an attempted two-point conversion from a big tackle by Thomas McGree, a senior safety studying health science from Butte.
Carroll ended the game by holding the ball on offense, securing a 21-19 win against their heated rival Montana Tech.
“It was a great win top to bottom – it feels good to beat those guys on their home turf,” said Lucas Jensen, a senior wide receiver studying health sciences from Anaconda, Montana. “It was definitely a game to remember.”
