Football Preview: Bison vs. Wolfpack

TODAY: Great Falls High (3-4) at No. 4 Glacier (7-1).

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium.

GLACIER LAST WEEK: Defeated Missoula Sentinel 27-24 in overtime.

WOLFPACK STARS LAST WEEK: Aaron Mitchell had a big game. Mitchell had 110 yards rushing against Sentinel. He also had two big runs that were called back. If not for those two, he would easily have had the school record, according to Glacier coach Grady Bennett.

"He's been such a good kid, a good worker," he added.

Bennett also complimented the offensive line for the 238 rushing yards the Wolfpack had as a team.

"Credit those guys," he said.

GREAT FALLS LAST WEEK: Defeated Missoula Hellgate 33-27. The week before the Bison had Helena on the ropes.

"They've played some of the top teams really close. They are playing good football. Our kids are aware of that. I think they've learned to watch film and understand that we've got to play well," Bennett said.

"We will respect them, know they are going to play well and play hard."

GREAT FALLS STARS: The Bison "have really good backs. They run hard and they run fast," Bennett said.

Fullback Robert Hubka had 170 yards in last week's win. He has 580 yards and eight TDs on the year.

But the athlete that has Glacier most worried is wideout/kick returner/punt returner Shyke Smalls.

"When he gets his hands on the ball ... he's fast, he's shifty and he's a dynamic kid to watch. They do a lot of things with him."

He's ranked third in Class AA in kick returns with 18 for 553 yards and one TD. He's returned 10 punts for 135 yards, fourth on that list.

GREAT FALLS ON OFFENSE: They're a run-first team," Bennett said.

The Bison had 220 yards rushing in the win over Hellgate.

Since Matt Krahe took over as coach, the Bison have been a run team.

"That's still what they want to do. They have spread (their offense) out a lot more the last few games, however."

If they get that going "they can eat up a lot of clock and it becomes a very long night. That's our primary concern - is stopping the run," Bennett said.

Defensively, the Wolfpack gave up a couple of big plays last week, including a 57-yard fake punt.

But take away a couple of those and Sentinel ran 34 times for eight yards.

"We completely took the run game away. Our d-line was fantastic. Our guys did a good job of getting after Riley King. Hopefully we can have that same effort."

IMPROVING BISON: Watching film from week to week, some teams coaches can tell without seeing the score how a team is doing, whether it is winning or losing games. That's not the case with the Bison, Bennett said.

"There are teams who clearly get better every week. That's what stands out to me about Great Falls High. They've just improved so much. You just watch their kids getting better," he said.

"That's one of our goals. We want teams to watch us on film and say ‘this is a team that is getting better,'" Bennett said.

"On Monday, we watched them as a coaching staff." A play here or there and Great Falls might have a couple more wins, he said.

FINDING A WAY: That may be one big difference between these two teams - the Wolfpack has been in several tight games (a 24-14 win over Bozeman, 31-28 over CMR and 27-24 over Sentinel in OT).

"We've found ways to win games. That's a special trait. There are a lot of teams who lose close games, but whatever the situation (the Wolfpack) has found a way to win. Hopefully, that turns into a good playoff run," he said.

INJURIES: Have caught up with Glacier just a bit. At this point of the season, there are always some nagging things. But the Wolfpack went from "really healthy to uh-oh," Bennett said.

Matt Iavicoli is a little banged up and Shelton Todd didn't play last weekend (hip flexor).

A couple key injuries "and all of a sudden you're scrambling. It becomes real crazy," he said.

KICKING GAME: Glacier kicker Kyle Griffith is 30-for-31 in PATs on the year and 6-for-8 in field goals.