Glacier prepares for big test against Capital
With the playoffs in sight, the No. 5 Glacier football team will face a tough test in its final home game of the regular season. The Wolfpack host defending state champs Helena Capital (5-3) tonight, a game that will test just how ready it is for the postseason.
“This is why you do the work, to be in these type of games, these big games at the end of the season that have a lot riding on them and have playoff implications,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.
Playing on senior night, the Wolfpack will try to find a way to stop Bruins running back Gunnar Brekke, a Griz recruit that has sliced open defenses this season for nearly 10 yards a carry.
“He’s such a good football player,” Bennett said. “Capital is so good on offense, they execute so well, and Brekke’s so talented, so fast. One mistake and they can hit the crease on you and get a big one.”
Glacier enters the game with the second best run defense in the state, and the top scoring defense. To hold Brekke, Bennett said, they’ll have to stay disciplined.
“If Capital can come in and get the run game going, that’s what they’re going to do,” Bennett said.
“That’s our key. If we can stop the run and force them to throw a bit, that’s gonna play to our advantage. Capital is one of those teams, if they get their run game going, it can be a long night.”
One way to stop the Bruins’ run game is to keep the ball out of its hands. The Wolfpack running game has picked up over the last few weeks, rushing for 303 yards against Sentinel and 222 against Flathead.
“We have to start fast,” Bennett said. “We have to be the ones that get out front first. We have to control the ball on offense, keep the ball out of their hands, make them play catch up, which obviously they don’t want to do and they’re not used to doing.
“We have been running the ball better and controlling the clock better. That was one of the things we emphasized after those early games where we were putting our defense in such bad situations. We’ve really done a nice job running a lot of plays, taking a lot of time off the clock. Allowing our defense to rest on the sidelines.”
More than just running, the Wolfpack will have to find a way to get the ball to its playmakers outside if it wants to get its first win over a Helena program. Both teams have had no issue scoring the ball this season, with Glacier touting the second-ranked scoring offense and Capital bringing in the fourth.
“Our offense is all about being balanced,” Bennett said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that can make plays. We have to try to keep the defense off balance and spread it around. Try to play a fast tempo. We’re pretty good when we’re playing fast.”
The game begins at 7 p.m. tonight at Legends Stadium.