First-rate secondary

He was excited.

That's all Flathead assistant football coach Dallas Stuker can say about the 'incident.'

It was two weeks ago during Flathead's Saturday visit to Helena High.

Things were tense.

It was early fourth quarter, game tied at 0-0 and Helena was driving.

The Bengals were all the way to the Flathead 12-yard line when Brave senior cornerback Beau Watkins made the play of the game - possibly of his career.

He intercepted Helena quarterback Matt Komac and returned the ball all the way to the Helena 5-yard line - with Stuker alongside, stride-for-stride, almost a lead blocker.

"I wasn't doing much thinking," Stuker admits.

"I thought (Watkins) was going to score. I was just hoping he was going to get in the end zone. I got a little excited. I was yelling at him to get in there."

But Komac had enough of an angle to turn Watkins to the inside. That allowed another Bengal to catch him at the five.

Moments later, as things were being sorted out, the referee noticed Stuker was no longer in the sideline box marked for coaches and players.

The resulting penalty put the Braves back at the Helena 20.

Luckily for Stuker, Flathead quarterback Reed Watkins connected with Nick Haegele about a minute later - and the Braves won, 7-0.

"I would have felt pretty bad (if the Braves hadn't scored)," Stuker said.

But that win - and another last week as the Braves rolled over Missoula Big Sky improved Flathead's record to 4-3 overall, 4-2 in Class AA.

The Braves have a good chance to host a playoff game and that's due in part to the efforts of the four guys in the Flathead secondary - seniors Corey Campbell, Chris Hooley, Beau Watkins and Garrett Smith.

"I'd say they're probably - if not the best, one of the best secondaries in the state," Stuker said of the foursome.

"I'm just proud to be associated with those guys. They make me look real good. I might have a hint for them here or there, but it's those guys," Stuker said.

"I sleep pretty good at night, knowing they're back there defending the pass.

"They understand the game, they know what they're doing and they play well every Friday night," Stuker said.

Between them, they've intercepted five passes, broken up 24 passes, and have three fumble recoveries.

"Our goal is 7-2 in conference and host a playoff game," Watkins said.

"Our front seven are so good. We feel like we can stop the run. To feel like you can force people to throw and know they've got to throw into those guys, what a luxury," said Flathead head coach Grady Bennett.

"You know they're going to line up right, you know they'll be where they're supposed to be," Bennett added.

"They don't miss anything."

Experience is a big reason.

Campbell has been at corner for three years and Hooley has been strong safety for two. Watkins has bounced around - but always in the secondary.

Smith is the only newbie in the group. He's been at quarterback and wide receiver in the past.

"These guys have helped me out a lot because this is my first year. I didn't know what I was doing," he said.

"He picked it up really fast, though," Campbell said.

A good night's work amounts to walking off the field knowing there wasn't anything more they could have done.

"A feeling of complete 'drained-ness,'" Hooley said. "It's hard to walk."

"All four of them are just the epitome of dedication and hard work," Bennett said.

"They're all that good because of their hard work. Not one of those guys just showed up."

The athletes agree: hard work got them to this point.

They worked out at least three times a week all summer.

"It was like football season went the whole year. I think that's what made us closer, too. We put in so much," he said.

Campbell didn't tell this on himself, but both coaches mentioned it.

He attended every receiver workout.

"Just to catch balls, just to get better," Bennett said.

"That kid - I don't think I've ever seen anybody work that hard," Stuker said.

So, experience, hard work and good chemistry have been the ingredients for success.

"We're all really good friends. We love hanging out together," Hooley said.

"When you're out there, you can look in everybody's eyes and trust they know what they should do," Hooley said.

And they all love football.

"You really desire them to want to be there," Bennett said.

"If they want to be there and they enjoy it, then you have something. That's what we have with this group. These guys, they soak it up."

"It's the ultimate game. It tests you on every level, emotional, physical and mental," Hooley added.

"It's fun to hit people, be around the kids. It's fun to see people get lit up, even if you're not the one doing it," Smith said.

"It's a mixture of athletic ability, being more physical than the other team and you don't get in trouble for hitting other people," Campbell said.

"If (the ball) is coming to my guy, I'll just see how hard I can hit him," Hooley said. "Run right through him. Split him in half."

"Big collision," Campbell agreed.

But as good as they are on the field, it's who they are as people that makes Bennett most proud.

"Games are lost off the field - by bad decisions.There's nothing negative about any of them."

"There's such a level of trust. I trust the kind of people they are," Bennett said.

"It's not going to happen with them."