Congratulations to the Wolfpack

Congratulations to Grady Bennett, his staff and the Glacier High Wolfpack football team for their Class AA Football Championship season. As a member of the 1970 team, it is with pride after 44 years this group brought a football championship back to Kalispell.

I know that the guys who were the heart and soul of that 1970 team, guys like Bill Carr, Joe Sullivan, Rod Moore, Howard Savage, Dick LaMarr, Randy Augusta, Jerry Claridge, Brian Grosswiler and Randy Heuscher are jumping for joy as are coaches Kevin Calnan and Rick Smith. I know members of that team who have passed, Dave Eastlund, Larry Olson and coach Curt Thompson are looking down saying, "Atta boys!"

It was a bittersweet victory having watched the C.M. Russell Rustlers football team mercilessly thump the inaugural Glacier football team made up of freshman, sophomores and a few junior kids in 2007, and not pulling their starters until late in the fourth quarter.

It was an honor for me to serve on the Kalispell Public School Board during the time we decided to break up the mega high school in Kalispell so that the high school students of our community would get a double chance to participate in extracurricular activities and learn in a smaller school setting.

Since that time, both Flathead High School and Glacier High School participants have excelled in all aspects of the arts, sciences and athletics. I was extremely proud a few years ago when our boys basketball teams played against each other in the AA state semifinals. Rooting for both, I was sad that someone had to lose.

I have always been so appreciative of the taxpayers of our school district who, in 2004, voted to approve the addition of Glacier High School, the remodel of Flathead High School and the addition to Kalispell Middle School, and for giving so much to our youth.

This came with criticism from many, and I can remember individuals saying this would ruin Kalispell’s chances for a football championship in Kalispell ever again. Well, the 2014 Wolfpack proved those folks wrong. Well done boys, well done! —Brad Walterskirchen, Kalispell