Glacier's strength is on the line

The highlight of Luke Halliburton's football career is still fresh in his mind.

A huge smile lights up the face of the Glacier defensive lineman/fullback as he recounts the moment three weeks ago when the Wolfpack came from behind to defeat CMR for the second straight year.

Halliburton was the lead blocker when Aaron Mitchell scored the go-ahead touchdown with five seconds left.

Halliburton was so busy racing around hugging people afterward "that I didn't even help (Mitchell) up," he laughed.

"It was a tough game, but we were able to stick it out and we truly earned it. It was sweet! It was awesome!" he said of the win.

The first thing out of head coach Grady Bennett's mouth - before the first kickoff of the season - when asked about Glacier Wolfpack strengths?

"Our defensive line is really the strength of our team. It's a real hard working group and they will be key for us," Bennett said then.

One month into the season, the Wolfpack is 2-1 - due in part to the efforts of that group. Principal members are Caleb Harris, Halliburton, Ben Ogden and Devin Jeffries.

The Wolfpack defensive line works together smoothly, gets along famously and loves football.

"Just as a group, they all really have great motors," Bennett said. "When you get a kid who has a motor, he just doesn't quit ... he flies. When you get a group of them, it really makes the unit special," he said.

"We're a pretty tightknit group. We think alike. We're pretty much like brothers on the defensive line," Ogden said.

"We've always helped each other out. I'll do anything for those guys," Harris agreed.

But it hasn't all come easily.

Each young man comes with his own story.

Halliburton had to change schools in order to play the game and Harris and Ogden struggled through injury and illness-marred junior seasons. Jeffries, the youngest of the group, is working on growing into his talent.

"Devin possesses a lot of talent. He's still figuring out how good he can be. When he figures it out, it's going to be scary," the coach said.

Harris suffered more than one concussion last year and Ogden struggled with achalasia (a disorder in which the top of the stomach doesn't open).

Ogden played through his illness (he missed just one week of football), but lost nearly 45 pounds from his 215-pound frame and wound up having surgery.

They're healthy now - Ogden is back up to roughly 200 pounds and Harris lived in the weightroom in the offseason - and they are wreaking havoc on opposing offenses.

"(The week he missed) was the worst week of my life. I don't want to miss a game ... a practice," Ogden said.

"It's a fun sport, physical sport. It teaches you good character, good daily values and goals," Halliburton agreed.

Ogden and Harris both come from big families of football players - older brothers John and Dan Ogden and Tiger and Josh (and dad Greg) Harris starred at Flathead.

"All of us brothers love football," Ogden said. "I don't know what we'd do without football. It definitely runs in the family. Watching (Dan's) highlight film ... that's what got me involved in d-line," he said.

"I love the hitting.When I get angry, I can take it out legally on someone I don't even know," he said.

Halliburton has been about hard work since he arrived at Glacier.

For starters, he'd never spent much time in a weight room, Bennett said.

"He paid so much attention. He just wanted to do it exactly as I was teaching," the coach said.

"Now, he's one of the best lifters, technique-wise. I'm not sure if I've seen a better technician. He is a self-made football player," Bennett said.

"I love the physicality of the game," Halliburton said.

"I love how you have to work hard to be good at this sport and if you go one play without giving everything, you can get jacked up."

"You're always hitting somebody. You're in trenches all the time," he said.

Halliburton has 10 solo tackles, six assists, four tackles for a loss, 2.5 sackes, a fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries. Ogden is right behind with eight solo tackles, eight assists, a fumble recovery and two quarterback hurries. Jeffries has three solo tackles, two assists and a sack. He's also caused two fumbles.

Harris' story is a little different.

In three games, Harris has 11 solo tackles, 15 assists, six tackles for loss and two sacks. He's recovered a fumble and hurried opposing quarterbacks twice.

"He is so gifted naturally. But he kind of had a rough last two years. We weren't even sure if he was going to be around," Bennett said.

"To see the change that kid has made, to watch the progress he's made in the classroom and as a young man ... he's one of the marquee guys in the state," Bennett said.

"I've been raised with football all my life, every since flag football in grade school," Harris said.

"I used to be a little selfish about it," he said.

"I played for the big hits, celebrated by myself. But these last couple of years I've really come into the whole team thing. It's all about the team. You lose with the team, you win with the team. Now when I make a play, I celebrate with my team," he said.