A Brave through and through

He may not be the most vocal, but Flathead defensive back Cameron Wells leads by his play on the field.

“I try to do it on the field and off the field,” Wells said. “I’d say I'm more of a lead by example guy, I’m not really vocal in my leadership, but I definitely try to do my best and be a good example of what a player should be like.” 

“I think that guys see that he is never late, guys see that he is always in the weight room,” Braves coach Caleb Aland said. “He is always working on his game and that is something that they try to emulate. He doesn’t need to be the flashy rah-rah guy, that's not his personality.”  

Wells' journey into football started with looking up to his two older brothers. Brian played safety on the Braves 2018 state finalist team — finishing with an interception in the state championship game against Billings West — while Tommy played receiver for Flathead and graduated in 2021. 

“I looked up to both of them,” Wells said. “I got inspiration from them to play football, and I strive to be like them and play my best.” 

Never the loud type, Wells surprised coaches during his exit interview in 2022, stating that talking less was something he needed to work on. 

“It was kind of funny between the coaches, because he was a kid that never talked,” Aland said. “He still doesn’t talk a ton.” 

“I’m more of a friendly guy in my leadership, I try to get to know everyone,” Wells said. “Sometimes I’ll be chit-chatting on the side a little too much, and that's how I have been vocal, by talking on the side and getting to know people. I usually don't tell them what to do on the field, but I want to know their backstory and where they are coming from.” 

Aland notes that, while Wells may not be flashy, he is a quintessential player for the team. 

“He’s committed,” Aland said. “He’s hard working, he’s never late and he does all the right things and the things you ask him to do. He is just a consistent player week in and week out.” 

Aland noted that Wells is a player who is underestimated by opponents, but shows up each week and makes a difference in the Flathead secondary. 

Wells’ consistency earned him a starting spot for every game this season. 

The senior now heads into the final game of his high school career Friday at Legends Stadium against Missoula Hellgate.  

“I’m really excited,” Wells said. “Just walking through the tunnel, I’ve seen a lot of seniors that I looked up to do that. Tanner Heichel had a big influence on me and I looked up to him a lot, so it’s cool to be that guy now. I hope I can show out for our last game. I just want one last opportunity where I can show off my skills.” 

Wells showed off his skills last week, intercepting Capital quarterback Merek Mihelish — one of two players to do so in 2024. The other is Braves teammate Brett Pesola. 

“I’m not really an offensive guy, so it was fun to try some of my moves,” Wells said of his 40-yard return after the interception. “I just remember running as fast as I could and trying to get out of bounds before I got hit, because I knew if I got hit, I’d probably fumble the ball. 

After the play it was just electric, everyone was hyped, I was getting smacked around by my whole team.” 

As for after high school, Wells has no plans to continue playing football, but does plan to be involved as a fan. Right now, his top two choices are Montana Tech and Montana State with plans to major in civil engineering.