Wolfpack comes back more green than blue

A couple dozen seniors populate the Glacier Wolfpack football roster, including All-State running back Jake Rendina and honorable mention tight end Luke Bilau.

Around those two talented offensive players the Blue and Green has to retool for the 2021 season, and will be decidedly green up front.

“It’s a good class — I love our seniors,” Grady Bennett, now in his 16th season coaching Glacier, said. “But they just do not have a lot of linemen.”

Enter sophomores Henry Sellards and Rylan Heil and freshman Ben Winters, bracketing Nick Stoick at center and fellow senior Colton Schmidt at right guard. Bennett also has senior Kaleb Jensen vying to clear room for Rendina, who led Class AA in rushing yards (1,326) and touchdowns (29) in nine games last fall.

“Ben Winters is a freshman and he’s playing his way into being out there Friday night,” said Bennett, whose club plays Belgrade at 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium. “We’ve never done that with a freshman lineman, but when he’s gifted… there you go.”

Glacier, like crosstown rival Flathead, is working in a quarterback who saw limited action a year ago: Gage Sliter, now a junior.

“He’s a very smart kid, very cerebral,” Bennett said. “I love the poise he’s showing. He’s in control of our offense and he’s just unflappable — he just stays very even keel and I really like that.”

The best news is that the rest of the skill set is experienced: Bilau and Rendina are seniors, as are wideouts Connor Sullivan, Tate Kauffman and Jake Turner.

“Sullivan is a two-year starter at both wide receiver and corner,” Bennett noted. “He’s really made the leap. Last year he was a good player, but he’s really come a long way for us.”

Backing up Rendina are senior Wyatt Tomason, who had a handful of explosive plays last year, and sophomore Kash Goicoechea.

“If Jake wasn’t around, Wyatt would be a really good AA running back, getting 25 carries a game,” Bennett said. “We’ll get the ball in his hands.”

Tomason, who weighs 187 pounds, and the 235-pound Rendina are also slated to start at linebacker, though it figures the Tomason will see more snaps on that side of the ball.

“Wyatt won’t leave the field very much because he’s going to get some carries and plays on offense,” Bennett said. “With Jake we have to be smart: How the game’s going, how many carries he’s getting (affects) how much we play him at linebacker. Because he is a wrecking ball at linebacker. Just a beast.”

Rendina’s backup is senior Royce Conklin, whom Bennett was pleased to have back on the gridiron after a season away.

Up front Glacier has sophomores Isaack Keim and Aidan Krause, Bilau and another senior, Erik Junk.

“He’s going to be very effective,” Bennett said of the 200-pound Junk. “He’s had a great summer. He’s had a great summer. We struggle to block him when we do team stuff. Erick Junk is going to be terrific this year.”

Seniors Joe Limberis and Levi Frost, junior Jackson Hensley and Goicoechea are the leaders at safety, with Sullivan, Turner, senior Jackson Barney and junior Cameron Shaw at the corners.

Senior Patrick Rohrer, a recent commit to the Montana Grizzlies, was an all-conference punter last year and a standout place kicker.

Rendina, Tomason, Bilau and Sullivan are the team captains.

Glacier is picked No. 5 out of 16 teams (third among Western AA teams) in the preseason coaches’ poll. Belgrade, the first opponent, is picked 16th.

The Panthers, 0-5 a year ago, have 21 seniors for 15th-year head coach Eric Kinnemann. The list includes starting quarterback Austin Spangler, though Aiden Kulbeck and Diego Casas may take snaps.

Kulbeck could also be at running back, which is led for now by seniors Gage Ruddick and Wyatt Lambeth. Ruddick led the Panthers in rushing last year with 188 yards in five games; Kinnaman was 32-for-58 passing for 428 yards and five touchdowns in four games.

Belgrade has a standout up front in senior Ryan Simon.