Glacier faces tough test vs. CMR

It has been a season of firsts for the Glacier Wolfpack.

First win (on the road, no less).

First votes in the Class AA Power Poll.

First time over .500 in the standings.

Glacier's 27-20 win versus Hellgate last week in Missoula moved the Wolfpack to 2-1 on the season. Along the way, Glacier added a few more firsts for the second-year program.

Wiley Fusaro became the first running back in school history to have a 100-yard game, picking up 110 on 19 carries. And the Wolfpack offense recorded its first 400-yard game against the Knights, with 130 on the ground and 270 in the air.

But in a sense, the preseason is over for Glacier. Tonight the Wolfpack begins a four-game stretch which will determine if the young program is ready to compete with the AA elites. On tap is 2-1 Great Falls C.M. Russell, ranked No. 5 in this week's poll. Next week it's Great Falls High. Then defending state champion Helena Capital, followed by Helena High.

That's the Murderer's Row of the AA ranks. Before this weekend's action, those four teams were a combined 11-1 on the season.

In response, Glacier coach Grady Bennett has ramped up the message to his football team that it will have to cut out the mistakes and penalties that have plagued the squad this season.

"It will get serious now," Bennett said. "When you start to play the better programs, you have to beat these teams. They will not beat themselves. They will not self-destruct."

The Wolfpack beat Hellgate on a fourth quarter touchdown when Shay Smithwick-Hann hit George Werk for a 71-yard score. The play came with Glacier facing a third-and-15 situation. Fortunately Werk took the ball near the sidelines, made a number of defenders miss, and then sprinted to the end zone.

It was a big break that led to a big win, but Bennett said the Wolfpack can't count on those kind of breaks against the speedy defense of Russell.

"CMR is too good to be faced with second and 20s, or third and longs," Bennett said.

The good news for Glacier is that the Wolfpack will play three of the next four at home. The bad news is that Glacier is still winless at Legends Stadium. So the Wolfpack enter the meat of its schedule hoping to notch a few more firsts in its shoulder pads: first win at home, first win over a playoff contender, first time counted among the AA elite.

The next four weeks will tell the tale.

Injury report: Running back Taylor Hart was still hobbled by the gimpy ankle he sprained versus Bozeman and isn't expected to play. Bennett did say it will be a game-time decision, but Hart won't go unless he is 100 percent.