Glacier prepares for Sentinel as AA football playoffs begin

The last time Glacier football played Missoula Sentinel, it had an extra week to prepare and eked out the highest-scoring game in school history.

After its recent rennaissance, winning the last three games of the season by an average of five touchdowns, the Wolfpack (9-1) is hoping its learned enough to contain the always talented visiting Spartans (6-4) tonight.

Glacier has plugged some of the glaring holes in its defense since the Week 6 shootout against the Spartans at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, which saw the two teams combine for more than 1,100 yards. Most of those came from overplaying assignments, and getting new starters to focus on the task at hand.

In the last three weeks, Glacier has allowed just 35 points, including only seven in the last two games.

“Sometimes it’s a defensive battle, other nights everybody gets rolling, everybody’s scoring. That’s the way that game was. Both offenses got on a roll,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.

“When we watched the film, we really were very happy with about 85 percent of the downs. Unfortunately, there was about 15 percent of the downs where we didn’t line up right, didn’t assign right and then they’re good enough to hurt you with some big-time plays. We gave up some big plays. A lot of trick plays. That ended up putting a lot of points on the board.

“Some of the mistakes we made we are not making anymore, we haven’t made in the last few weeks. That’s why we’ve had such good defensive performances. Kids are really figuring it out now.”

The defense will need to contain Sentinel quarterback Mitch Roberts, a University of Montana commit who has gained more than 2,000 yards of total offense this season. In the last meeting he had 286 yards passing, 169 yards rushing and four total touchdowns.

“You just have to align and assign,” Bennett said. “When you look at their big plays, it was either an alignment error or an assignment error. Somebody just trying to make a play that’s not his to make. Then, boom, you’re in trouble. Big time breakdowns. If we do what we’re supposed to do, we feel like the way we’re playing now we’ll be OK.”

The Glacier offense will look to build on that recent run of success by continuing to grow into the steamrolling powerhouse the Wolfpack has built over the last few seasons. While it still put up the second most points in the state this season, Glacier hit a lull in the middle of the year as the team accumulated injuries. Starting offensive tackle/defensive end Jaxen Hashley, who has a team-high 4 1/2 sacks this season, sat a few games with a torn meniscus and starting tailback Drew Turner, who has more than 1,100 yards rushing, was banged up with various injuries as well.

Finally fully healthy, it feels it can keep improving in the playoffs.

“There was a stretch in the middle of that season where we felt like we felt like each week we were (using) duct-tape and chicken wire, trying to piece together (a team),” Bennett said.

“The guys really stepped up and made an adjustment and really started playing to our full capability. I think that’s what you’ve seen the last three games is this team starting to achieve its potential.

“One of the great things about having the experience of being in the playoffs seven straight times, these kids have been around it now. Learning how to ascend like that and peak at the right time. We’re going in hot, playing great. When we first started the journey, talking about where we wanted to be, we’re right there.”

Glacier enters the postseason as the most experienced team in the state, having made at least the state semifinals each of the last five years. It will look to lean on that experience as it tries to stretch that streak to six years.

“The week of practice was awesome,” Bennett said. “Football’s a grind. This was by far our most energetic, enthusiastic week of practice. That’s a good sign. That means they know what it’s all about, they’ve been there before, they know what it takes and they’re excited to do it again.”

The game is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium and will be broadcast locally on 103.9 FM.