Class AA Football Preview - Glacier vs. CMR

The Daily Inter Lake

TODAY: Great Falls CMR (1-0) at Glacier (1-0)

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium

LAST WEEK FOR CMR: The Rustlers started the season with a 21-3 home win against Helena High. Junior quarterback Jake Bleskin completed 20-of-29 passes for 219 yards against a Bengals team that is considered one of the best in the state. CMR senior Jordan Harper had 100 yards receiving.

LAST WEEK FOR GLACIER: The Wolfpack won the first homefield victory in school history by beating Billings Senior 41-21 in the season-opener. Senior running back Taylor Hart (6-2, 205) notched 82 yards rushing. Hart scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. On the defensive side, senior lineman Garrett Conners (6-1, 212) had seven tackles and three sacks in the game.

LAST YEAR'S MEETING: The Wolfpack (2-8) held its own the first half and went into halftime tied 7-apiece, but in the second half, the Rustlers (9-3) ran away with a 30-13 win. All told, CMR had 254 yards rushing and 264 receiving for 518 total.

NOVEMBER TEAMS: "The programs that you want to emulate and model after are (Helena)

Capital, Billings West and (Great Falls' CMR," Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. "They're all model programs."

Before the season started, Bennett said the Wolfpack made a list of team goals, starting with winning that first home game. Next up is finishing a season at .500, and then make the playoffs. Thanks to a talented and experienced team, Glacier could very well scratch all three off the list this year, but that depends on its showing against teams like CMR. The Rustlers have been a consistent powerhouse in AA football this decade, having won two titles (2001, 2004) under head coach Jack Johnson, entering his 36th season.

GOTTA EARN IT: "Jack (Johnson) has run many different offenses over the years. But whatever they do, they'll do it well," Bennett said. "We've told the kids all week that CMR is a team that you have to beat, they aren't going to beat themselves. They won't make mistakes and hand you a game. You have to go out and beat them. That's what we're shooting for and I know these guys can."

HISTORY MAKING: Against Billings Senior, the Wolfpack did something else it had never done before - hold an opponent to under 100 yards rushing. The Broncs totaled 98 rushing yards on 38 carries. At the same time, Glacier averaged 5.1 yards per carry rushing, another landmark.

for the program.