TERRY COLUMN: Wolfpack's new hunt
The Glacier football team is in uncharted territory.
The Wolfpack has set nearly every benchmark imaginable for a program over the past four seasons. First playoff win. First 10-win season. First top seed in the playoffs. First trip to the championship game.
It all culminated in a record-setting season a year ago, when the Wolfpack went 13-0 on the way to a dominant 56-19 victory at home in the Class AA state championship game, the first state football title for a Kalispell team in 44 years.
However, as practice kicks off for the fall season on Friday, Glacier must now shift its focus. After spending its first eight seasons hunting for a state title, the Wolfpack is now the hunted team in the Treasure State.
“Everybody always says it’s tougher to be on the top because everybody’s shooting for you,” Glacier head coach Grady Bennett said.
“It’s one thing to work to get there — and it is hard to get there and to win it — once you’re on top it’s a whole new set of challenges.
“Defending the title is a great challenge. It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s one of those life challenges, how often do you get that? It’s a neat challenge that we hope the kids will embrace and try to step up to.”
The first day of practice, for all of the state’s teams, is when coaches and players begin to get a feel for how big of a challenge is ahead of them.
“That’s what’s so neat about that first day,” Bennett said.
“It’s always special. To get them out there and to get going … really we get the feel right away for what they’re going to look like as a group and you get that anticipation for how good you can be. That’s what’s fun about Day 1.
“Two years ago, there was a pretty small senior class. We only had 13 that year and a bunch of juniors. I think those seniors were coming out that year thinking, ‘Uh oh. This could be a rough year.’
“I’ll never forget, as we walked off the field after that first day, (then-senior running back) Noah James came to me and said, ‘Coach, we have a chance to be really good.’”
That was also dubbed a rebuilding year for the Wolfpack, which once again will have to replace a slew of starters and all-state talent. Glacier finished 2013 with an 11-2 record and a loss in the state title game.
The difference this season is this slate of Wolfpack hopefuls has seen what it takes to win it all.
“That’s where we want to be as coaches and the message we send to our kids,” Bennett said.
“Because our program is so established, they know what we do on offense and defense. They know what we expect program wide. Now, it’s their turn to step in.
“Last year a lot of them got a ton of experience because of how good that team was. They’ve been waiting in the wings for their turn. Now it’s time to reset and for new players to do their thing.”
The reset button has been pushed. Last season’s successes and failures are gone, and every team is back to the beginning.
“That’s one of the special things about high school compared to college and any other level: every year is a new challenge,” Bennett said.
“It’s a new group. I think what’s fun about it as a coach in high school is each year you have to take a group that you have and you have to do what is going to help them be successful. What worked for last year’s crew or the year before may not be necessarily what’s going to get the most out of this crew or accentuate their talents and help them be the most successful.”
Even with its new status and its new territory, Glacier is left with the same question this season it has had in each of its first eight in Kalispell.
“I really like to give (the challenge) to the players,” Bennett said.
“It’s time for these seniors to make their mark and make their legacy. Each group gets a chance to do that. Forget about the past and think about this year, what is this group going to do? What is their challenge this year and what legacy do they want to leave?”