Glacier prepares for run-happy Broncs in first round
Glacier head coach Grady Bennett celebrates with Connor Sullivan (2) after Sullivan's 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter against Missoula Hellgate at Legends Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
One encouraging thing about Glacier’s Friday battle with Billings Senior — the team that knocked the Wolfpack out of the 2020 AA football playoffs — is there’s no Junior Bergen to worry about.
Bergen is playing running back for the Montana Grizzlies these days, yet the Broncs still bring plenty of firepower to Legends Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
They have a couple capable quarterbacks in sophomore Payton Oakley and senior Christian Emineth, though Wolfpack coach Grady Bennett feels Oakley is the established starter.
And of course there is running back Jacob Miller.
“Jacob Miller is very good,” Bennett said of the 155-pound senior. “He pushed Jake Rendina last year for All-State.
“That’s one thing we do know, is we’re going to see a lot of him. They’re going to want to run it, and be running a lot of two-tight end and three-tight (formations). A lot of touches for him.”
Miller’s statistics aren’t far off Rendina’s: 865 yards on 171 carries with 16 touchdowns, while Rendina has 1,017 yards and 20 TDs on 177 attempts.
But while Glacier junior Gage Sliter has put up excellent passing statistics, Senior complements Miller with 215-pound running back Peyton Mortan, who has another 466 yards on the ground.
The Broncs have receivers — Zeke Ramirez has 33 catches — but they’re a different animal from last week’s opponent, Missoula Hellgate.
The Pack (6-3) had their second straight 50-point outing against the Knights, and a year after Leo Filardi diced up Glacier for 341 receiving yards, he made no catches last Friday.
“They have athletes and have speed,” Bennett said of the Broncs. “And we can’t fall asleep on our keys because they have the speed to get behind you and get downfield.”
Rendina had his best game of the season last Friday, piling up 218 rushing yards and four touchdowns. His troublesome ankle seemed to loosen up after a first-quarter scare.
“Maybe he’s finally close to being back to full strength,” Bennett said. The 235-pounder makes it easier for Sliter to find receivers Connor Sullivan, Jake Turner and Tate Kauffman, as well as tight end Luke Bilau.
Senior has a trio of pass rushers in Tyler Simenson, Merrick Fair and Alex Allred; Glacier’s defense is led by linebackers Wyatt Thomason and Royce Conklin, safety Levi Frost and linemen Erik Junk and Aiden Krause. Krause has a team-high five sacks.
Billings Senior (4-5) played host to Glacier in the 2020 AA quarterfinals and eked out a 20-17 win. The Broncs won back-to-back AA titles in 2016-17; Glacier won the 2014 championship.
The winner of this game will head on the road for a quarterfinal game; the opponent will depend on seedings and the results of all four play-in games Friday.