AA football: Glacier hoping to turn it around at Helena Capital

After two tough losses to start the season, there is no time to mope for the Glacier football team.

Losses to Helena High and Bozeman have ended a few significant marks, namely a 13-game winning streak and a 15-game home winning string, the latter stretching to 20 games in the regular season at Legends Stadium.

It’s a difficult way to start the season, but with another tough opponent on the horizon, the Wolfpack has turned its focus on stopping its current skid at two games.

“What I’ve seen is a couple guys realize they have to focus a bit more,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.

“We still have some mental errors, some mistakes, that I think some guys were taking some things for granted, like it might just happen and it won’t.”

Facing the Wolfpack (0-2) is its first road game of the season, at a place it hasn’t been historically successful. Glacier will travel to Vigilante Stadium, where it is 1-6 all-time, to face Helena Capital (2-0), a team playing as well as anybody in the state this season.

“They’re kind of back to the old Capital,” Bennett said.

Capital beat Billings West (0-2) 30-8 in its opener and Missoula Hellgate (0-2) 55-0 last weekend, rushing for 235 yards against the Knights.

The Bruins, with an offense coordinated by former Flathead High coach Russell McCarvel, used a variety of zone runs with running back Daniel O’Malley and some big throws from Carter Pappas to spread on the points the last few weeks.

It’s the Capital defense that is what is scaring opponents. The Bruins held West to fewer than 100 yards until the final minute of their opening contest in Helena. Hellgate compiled just 183 yards, largely against Capital’s second and third strings.

“They look like the last time they won (the state championship, in 2011). Defensively, they’re fast and athletic. They’re as good as they’ve looked since they had (University of Montana star and 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year) Caleb Kidder.”

It’s that tough defense that Glacier will have to navigate this week.

While it’s put up good numbers in the first two weeks, the Glacier offense has struggled to score in the red zone and has started slow each game, failing to score until the second quarter and falling behind in the process.

“We have played two really good defenses,” Bennett said.

“But, we’ve started slow. The kids know we’ve got to get going early. We can’t play from behind.

“That’s a new thing, too. We jumped out in front, most of the time big (last year). We’re so used to that and all of a sudden it’s different. That’s one of the challenges we have to rise up to.”

Coaches have spent much of the early season breaking in a slew of players that haven’t seen heavy varsity minutes. They’ve also been correcting mistakes that may have been covered up by the type of talent Glacier has possessed the last few seasons.

“Sometimes that happens when you have playmakers like (Montana State freshman) Logan Jones, who can take a bad play where there’s all sorts of mistakes, and he just goes 80 yards,” Bennett said.

“You have to realize that’s not normal and that’s not going to happen with most football teams. We’re going to have to really focus and execute really well every single time. I think the guys are starting to learn some of those things and adjust to that.

“We’re probably not going to be a one-play, big-time offense like that. But, we can put together eight-play drives with good execution and get the ball in the end zone.”

Penalties have been a big problem this season, with the Wolfpack amassing 23 flags in two games, killing most of its positive momentum.

“We’re just trying in practice to watch everything. Coaches watching and challenge the players to be accountable as well,” Bennett said.

“Everybody as a group has to come together to really limit those penalties because it’s killing our tempo. That’s what we’re all about. We haven’t had it at all in the first two games because of the penalties.”

A trip on the road, even to a place as notoriously stingy to the Wolfpack as Vigilante Stadium, might be what the team needs to turn things around. Glacier won its first game in Helena last season, beating the Bruins 55-14 in a rout. The Wolfpack had lost its six previous trips to the state capital by an average of more than 22 points.

“We’ve been pretty good on the road,” Bennett said. “Sometimes there’s almost a little more nerves at home. I think it’s kind of nice to get away.”

The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.