Hellgate's option a test for FHS

Young. Inexperienced. A lot like the Flathead Braves of 2004.

That's how Flathead head football coach Grady Bennett describes the Missoula Hellgate Knights.

The Braves (0-1, 0-0) travel to Missoula for a 7 p.m. game.

"They're a little bit younger this year," Bennett said of the Knights.

Hellgate's record last year wasn't good (2-8).

"But they had some pretty good athletes. They were pretty talented," Bennett said.

But many of those guys have moved on and the Knights are left with a roster loaded with youngsters.

One returning starter has moved from free safety to quarterback. In fact, senior Luke Bahnmeier plays both ways for Hellgate.

"He's really a good, little athlete," Bennett said of Bahnmeier. "He's very, very quick."

The option is Hellgate's best weapon, Bennett said.

"They run it so well. It seems like each week they get better and better at it. We've got to make sure we don't let them get off on a roll," he added.

The key will be to get Hellgate into a lot of three-and-outs, he said.

"If they get off on a roll, it becomes a long game."

Hellgate had a tough time moving the ball in last weekend's 38-7 loss to visiting Billings Senior.

The Broncs ran up 500 yards of offense while the Knights finished with 137 yards. Hellgate had just 14 total yards through three quarters of play.

The one shining moment for Hellgate was Bahnmeier's 56-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth.

Bennett hopes the Flathead defense can treat the Knights the same way.

"We can be one of the best defenses in the state. We have everything," the coach said.

After watching the tape of Flathead's 21-14 loss last weekend to Coeur d'Alene High, Bennett felt even better about the Brave defense.

Coeur d'Alene running back Kevin Ah-Hi wound up with 113 yards - over 80 yards in the first half.

"But if you take away the last drive of the first half - he ripped off three or four big runs - you take that drive away, we held him to about 50 yards," Bennett said.

"We played hard. Guys rallied to the ball and pursued," he said.

"They're just going to get better and better."