FOOTBALL: Glacier has speed to burn

On the outside, Glacier football looks a lot different in 2016.

Nearly every skill position player will be replaced from a year ago. On offense, the Wolfpack has a new quarterback, running back and is replacing three of its top four receivers. On defense, they replace five of their top seven tacklers.

While that could be cause for concern at many programs, the talent returning this season is a reason to think the Wolfpack can continue its run of top four finishes in Class AA, and possibly even more.

Glacier returns six players who were named at least honorable mention all-state last season, the second-most in the state behind only 2015 runner up Billings Senior, which returns eight.

Among those players are a pair of NCAA Division I commits in seniors Tadan Gilman and Jaxen Hashley, with each heading to Montana State next season.

Hashley, listed at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, is a disruptive defensive lineman who finished eighth on the team in total defense last season despite a season-ending knee injury early in the year. He’s back fully healthy this fall, and will again be playing on both sides of the ball, shifting on offense from tight end to offensive tackle.

“It’s been fun, I like it a lot,” Hashley said of moving over to tackle. “I’m picking it up. It’s been awesome.”

Gilman also will be shifting positions, though his change is much more drastic. The all-state linebacker will be leaving the defensive side of the football all together, transitioning to a role as the starting quarterback. Listed at 6-0, 205-pounds, he’s still built like a linebacker, but understands the importance of his new position.

“I knew that my role was going to be important on the offense this year,” Gilman said. “Obviously, I want to be on the defensive side, of course, but offensively I know my role. If I don’t (play defense), that’s all right.”

Gilman joins junior running back Drew Turner in the all-new backfield, who along with two other members (junior receiver Ethan Larson and senior receiver Scout Willcut) of the state champion 4x100-meter relay team should add a new level of speed to the Wolfpack offense. Turner, who stands at 6-0, 200, also brings size with the speed that finished in the top four in both the 100 and 200 at the state track meet this spring, which should help him fill the sizeable hole left by departed all-state running back Thomas Trefney.

“We have a lot of speed,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said. “I like what we can do, potentially. But, (they’re not) game tested. We’ll see how they react under the lights.

“It’s going to make it fun. Most of our quarterbacks have been pretty much pocket passers. We didn’t use them in the run game very much.

“Now, with Taden, we’re going to use him in the run game quite a bit. We’re going to be able to be very diverse in the run game. I feel like our run game was already pretty tough and pretty diverse. Now you add the quarterback element to it.

“We lost a great running back in Thomas Trefney. I think Drew Turner is really going to shock the state with how good he can be and will be. I just think of the possibilites with Taden in the backfield and it’s fun.”

Gilman made sure to point out he’ll still be a threat throwing the ball. Like his father, Mark, who was an all-state receiver at Flathead before switching to quarterback his senior year and back to receiver in college, Taden hopes to set a few records in his year under center. At least, pass his dad’s one-time Kalispell record of 1,595 yards from 1990.

“This is Grady Bennett’s system,” Taden said. “He’s amazing at coaching quarterbacks. I think people will be surprised at how I can throw the ball down the field, not just using my legs.

“We have such good receivers, such a good (offensive) line it makes it really easy to transition. Our coaches are the best in the state.

“I think it’s going to be a dual threat situation. I can run, Drew (Turner) can run. It’s going to be different from what we’ve had in the past but it’s going to be good. I’m excited for it.”

The defense returns leading tacklers Sam Barber and Patrick O’Connell and adds some of that speed from the new additions. The Wolfpack will also start as many as six players both ways at the beginning of the season as more depth builds from the younger troops.

“I’m excited to see our defense play with speed,” Bennett said.

“We’ve always been an aggressive defense, a defense that flies around and gets to the ball. I think with the speed element that we have this year we’re going to do so even more. It’s going to be exciting to watch. For years now we’ve been at the top of the state defensively. To think about the speed that we have and the way we can get to the football, make plays and create havoc for the offense, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Like last season, the Wolfpack will find out what it is working with early on, with the schedule dealing no favors. Glacier starts its first two games on the road at Helena High and defending champion Bozeman. The Wolfpack began that same stretch 0-2 last season before rallying at the end of the year, and has learned its lesson from last season’s slow start.

“I think it’s going to be a good motivation for us,” Gilman said. “Getting that first win is very important.

“The biggest thing is trusting your teammates. At the beginning of last year a lot of people tried doing too many things. We just have to stick with our roles.”

Glacier picked up its first win against Helena High in last season’s playoffs, winning 23-13 on the road at Vigilante Stadium. The Wolfpack was 0-7 previously against the Bengals.

“We believe we can go there and win,” Bennett said. “We’re just coming off of a big win there. We know we can do it now. Just like last year, we can’t freak out. We have to go and play and see how this team is going to be this year. That’s what’s fun about that first game, you find out a lot about your team.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. in Helena and will be broadcast locally on 103.9 FM.