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GARDINER — Jake Ouellette rushed for a game-high 206 yards and Jordan Hersom scored four touchdowns Friday night to lead Leavitt past Gardiner 34-13 in a matchup of two of the top three teams in Western Class B at Hoch Field.

Leavitt (8-0) won its 20th consecutive game, the longest streak in the state, and secured the top seed in the playoffs.

Gardiner (6-2) will enter the postseason as the third seed.

“We know where we are now,” Gardiner Coach Jim Palmer said. “We know we can play with them.”

Alonzo Connor of Gardiner returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. He added a 63-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Tigers went into the half trailing just 14-13.

“I saw a seam and I took it,” Connor said of the opening kickoff. “That gave us a big boost.”

The Tigers used a basic wedge formation on the kickoff return. Terry Marks and Ted Worthley set up the score with key blocks.

“I’m thinking we told (kicker) Jesse (Pelletier) not to kick the ball to (Connor),” Leavitt Coach Mike Hathaway said. “That was not in our game plan.”

Added Hersom, who rushed for 126 yards on 17 carries, “Connor made a great cut and it was a great run. But we knew we had plenty of game left. We had the whole game in front of us.”

And it was one the Hornets, the defending Class B state champs, mostly controlled. They gained seven first downs in the first half and 19 in the game. Leavitt also gained 430 yards.

Gardiner had two first downs at the half and finished with six.

Connor gained 168 yards on 28 carries, but the rest of the team managed 23 yards of offense.

“They played a lot more physical,” Connor said. “We felt pretty good at the half but knew they would come out smoking.”

The Hornets outscored the Tigers 20-0 in the second half.

Hersom rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, from 6 and 1 yards.

“We knew Gardiner would be tough,” Hersom said. “Our goal was to match up with them physically.”