Wolfpack welcomes Spartans; Flathead on road to play Hellgate
The Missoula Sentinel Spartans haven’t gone anywhere: The 2020-21 State AA champions still have a battle-hardened quarterback, a pair of Division I receivers and talent besides.
“Riley Allen is a three-year starter. He’s just the perfect quarterback for that system,” Grady Bennett said of the 5-3 Spartans. “He has two incredible targets, guys that are going to play at the next level for the Griz (wideout Grady Walker and tight end Danny Sirmon).
“Once again our defense will be challenged. We will have to play very well.”
Bennett did note that Allen’s status might be questionable, since he did not play in the Spartans’ 42-7 win over Missoula Hellgate last week. But the Wolfpack prepared as if he was going to play all the same.
Glacier has been an offensive force the past month, and sophomore quarterback Jackson Presley threw for 386 passing yards last week — 192 of that to Cohen Kastelitz, the fourth-best receiving night in Glacier history.
“And you have to keep giving credit to the offensive line, both in the run game and pass blocking,” Bennett said.
“It comes down to we’ve lost Sentinel six straight times,” added the veteran coach, whose club has clinched a first-round bye into the AA playoffs. “Which I think is the longest such streak we’ve had here.
It’s Senior night, though we don’t have to worry about saying goodbye, yet. It’s a great group and that’s another goal for them — stopping that streak, for sure.”
Flathead at Hellgate
Caleb Aland, second-year coach of Flathead, is suddenly guarding against his Braves getting overconfident.
“That sounds weird coming from a coach that’s 1-7,” Aland said. “But it’s getting the guys to prepare the same way they would for another game.”
Hellgate is 0-8. Some Knights have put up pretty good numbers — receiver Parker Link, running back Corbin Weltzien and quarterback Rylen Davis — but they haven’t come within four touchdowns of an opponent.
“They’re just as hungry as we are for a win,” Aland said. “They’re trying to do the same thing as we are, send their seniors out with a bang. We need to play four quarters of good football.
“I think it is a good opportunity to end the season on a high note and kind of springboard us into next year.”
The Braves have played teams close, and while their defense has been stout, their problems in the red zone have been near-constant.
“Butte (a 21-7 loss) was a difference of four plays,” Aland said. “It’s exciting to see the progress, but at the end of the day. … progress has to show up in the record.”
Braden and Easton Capser heard their names called a lot on defense last week and Braden has added a dimension to Flathead’s option attack. Meanwhile senior lineman Austin Schaible has been a stalwart.
“He’s different,” Aland said. “He’s a center and plays every snap on offense and damned near every snap on defense. And to be the competitor he is at the end, it’s awesome to see.”