Flathead's firepower

By DIXIE KNUTSON/ The Daily Inter Lake

The numbers are impressive.

Passing yards - 2,490. Total offense - 3,208 yards. All purpose yards - 1,450.

And when the Flathead Brave football season is over, Flathead quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Bryce Stacy will look back and savor those numbers.

"The stats, the milestones … it'll be something to look back on. Now is not the time for that. Our entire focus is winning this football game," Osweiler said.

"I'm just staying focused on the team goals," he said.

Osweiler, Stacy and the rest of the Braves (6-4) are at Wendy's Field at Daylis Stadium at 7:30 tonight to take on Class AA No. 2 seed Billings West (9-1) in the first round of the Class AA playoffs.

The Braves started the season 0-3, but recovered to win six straight games to secure a playoff spot.

The season "started out pretty rough. But once it started clicking, it was a lot of fun. Six wins in a row - can't complain about that," Stacy said.

"Give a lot of credit to our offensive line," he said.

"We come in (to tonight's game) as huge underdogs. But we plan on traveling well again this year. We've always been known as a playoff team. Nobody is going to doubt us and we're not going to have any regrets," Osweiler said.

"Get us in the playoffs, the sky is the limit and anything can happen," he said.

A chance to play for a state championship would be perfect, he said.

"Pay tribute to the coaches, players, community, parents, high school staff, friends and fans, there would be no better ending to my career. Put all the individual records aside, nothing would make me more proud than to bring back a state championship. It would be an absolute dream," Osweiler said.

Osweiler and Stacy are two of the reasons the Braves are in the playoffs.

"The thing they've done so well this year is their leadership," said second-year Flathead head coach Russell McCarvel.

"They both put in a lot of hard work in the off-season to get to where they are. They're great kids. They both come from great families and they both have great heads on their shoulders," he added.

"They're both unselfish. They're both fun to have at practice, too. We've done a lot of designing of different things for Bryce to get him open. That's been fun. We've found some different ways to get Bryce the ball out in space and that's been fun.

"We wouldn't we where we're at without them, no question," McCarvel said.

"When the season finally ends, I'll miss them a lot," the coach said.

Osweiler's numbers over his four-year Flathead career have become the stuff of legend - 2,935 passing yards, 3,251 total yards and 27 touchdown passes as a junior and 2,454 passing yards, 2,502 total yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore.

The Arizona State recruit threw his first touchdown pass as a Brave on Oct. 14, 2005 - a

48-yarder against the Butte Bulldogs.

"Brock's been great since he first started at Flathead," McCarvel said.

"Even when I was an assistant at Carroll, I heard about the big, tall quarterback at Flathead," McCarvel said.

"He's been a great leader since I've been here. We wouldn't be where we are at without him. He is a student of the game and each year he's made progression in certain areas," the coach said.

"The last two years, we've won quite a few close games. His leadership and his ability have been key factors in those wins. He has a great feel for the game. He never gets rattled."

Between his sophomore and junior seasons, McCarvel said Osweiler cut down on his interceptions, his completion percentage jumped and he became more adept at taking what the defense gave him.

Between his junior and senior years, the quarterback worked on his rushing.

"He's a much better runner and we've used him in that respect. Over 700 yards is tremendous," McCarvel said.

He was a slender 195-pounder as a freshman, but Osweiler weighed in this fall at a sculpted 235 pounds.

"I'm faster than I've ever been. It's a credit to the Flathead strength and conditioning program. It's definitely paid off," he said.

He said he enjoys the rushing and looks to make contact as early as possible in games.

"We script out our first 10-15 plays. I want to run as early as possible, get the first few hits out of the way," he said.

Stacy has also built quite a resume.

He's been a part of two Class AA state wrestling team championships and won an individual title at 145 pounds as a sophomore.

"This senior (wrestling) class doesn't know what it's like to lose a state championship. It'll be exciting to see what we can do," he said.

"I do know what a state championship feels like, but football has always been a dream. There's so much different emotion. You've got to use your head so much more.

"It's every kid's dream to win a state championship," he said.

"You've got to enjoy it," he said. "For most of us, this could be our last football game. We need to remember every little detail," he said.

As for his future, Stacy has yet to decide between wrestling and football.

He'll weigh all the offers as they roll in, he said.

"It'll be a fun future for me."

Osweiler, on the other hand, knows exactly what he'll be doing in the next few months.

He will forego a senior basketball season and leave for Arizona as early as January. He wants to get a jump on learning the Sun Devils offense.

Another Arizona State recruit, Matt Tucker of Denver, Colo., is also graduating early. They'll be roommates.

Not playing basketball was a "very hard" decision for the future business management major.

"Coach (Fred) Febach has always been very supportive of me. He's taught me so many things that I wouldn't have known. Coach Febach shaped me into the person I am.

"When I had to weigh the option, I met with coach … we talked about it. He made it very simple. He said 'Do what's best for you.'

"I feel very blessed, having the ability to play football. Every single day, everything that God has allowed me to do, I'm very thankful for. I take none of it for granted. Having the opportunity to do all that doesn't just go passing by me.

"I just really want to thank all my family and my friends. Without them, I'd be nothing. They've been everything for me," Osweiler said.