The Braves are Back

Remember the Braves? The audacious, dominating football program that was a perennial playoff contender in the late 1990s and 2000s? The powerhouse and its legion of fans blazing through season after season in bright burnt orange, a defining force in fall?

It is only four weeks into the 2015 campaign and the playoffs are still two months away, but there is an unavoidable rumble stirring in Legends Stadium. It is the sound hundreds of fans make stomping their feet and cheering on a Friday night. It is the sound of the Flathead victory chant echoing into an exhilarated student section. It is the sound of a proud tradition revived.

At long last, the Flathead Braves are reclaiming their identity.

With a 52-13 win over Missoula Big Sky last week, Flathead improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2006. It matched the most wins the team had all of the last two seasons, and it was the most points scored by the Braves in nine years.

“Words can’t describe how good it feels when you’re a part of something like this,” senior running back Josh McCracken said afterward.

The offense, led by a pair of battering rams in the backfield and a flourishing first-year starting quarterback, is top ranked in Montana, averaging 40 points per game and 418 yards. The defense, which has already snatched eight interceptions, has allowed only five touchdowns, including one to Great Falls C.M. Russell (3-1) in a triumphant 28-7 victory in the opening week, Flathead’s first win over the Rustlers — last year’s state runner-ups — since 2003.

And perhaps just as telling, the fan base is revived. The last two home games filled the stands with new and old Flathead supporters.

“It has snowballed from last year and now, from a fan’s perspective, I think it has piqued their interest to see their alma mater coming back to the top,” said Lex Hilliard, a 2003 Flathead graduate and former standout running back for the Braves who played in the NFL for six years before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach last season. “People are excited again.”

The season and its final standings are far from settled — Flathead travels to Bozeman this Friday to play one of the top teams in Montana, the 3-1 Hawks — but the excitement surrounding the Braves is indeed justified.

Flathead Seasons Since 2005

2014 — 3-7

2013 — 3-7

2012 — 1-9

2011 — 4-7 (lost in the AA quarterfinals to Billings West, 39-7)

2010 — 1-9

2009 — 2-8

2008 — 6-5 (lost in the AA quarterfinals to Billings West, 50-21)

2007 — 6-5 (lost in AA quarterfinals to Billings Senior, 27-20)

2006 — 7-4 (lost in the AA semifinals to Billings West, 28-7)

2005 — 8-4 (lost in the AA semifinals to Helena Capital, 33-12)

Since last decade, after a string of back-to-back semifinal appearances in 2005 and 2006 and the split with Glacier in 2007, Flathead has tumbled in the Class AA ranks. Brock Osweiler, Flathead’s vaunted former quarterback who is now a backup for the Denver Broncos, was able to lead the Braves to the playoffs in 2007 and 2008 with 6-5 records both years. But since then Flathead is a combined 17-53. The playoff drought has largely persisted except for one year — 2011 — when Flathead snuck into the eight-team postseason bracket with a 4-6 record.

Flathead’s struggles also correlated with Glacier’s rise to state championship glory, creating a stark divide between the two teams.

But the past is history and the present is what matters most, hype aside.

The architect of this rebuilding project — second-year head coach Kyle Samson — does anything but dwell on the team’s recent woes. When it comes to motivating and inspiring his squad, he inflicts positive discipline. It’s not uncommon for him to lose his voice during practice, leading chants — “Champions!” — and a regimented style of training built on every little detail.

“We are going to get to the top,” he told the team during practice last week.

“Our biggest opponent is ourselves. We have to stay focused. We can’t do it with 10 or 11 guys. We need all of you. We need great effort from everyone.”

The players’ unified response after every message is telling — “Yes sir.”

Samson comes from a football family, and more specifically, a coaching family. His father, Mark, led Helena Capital to state championships in the late 1990s and early 2000s before taking over at MSU-Northern. He now coaches at Havre. Samson’s grandfather was also a successful coach. Samson is a former Montana Gatorade Player of the Year and state champion quarterback who starred for one of the state’s dynastic programs, Helena Capital.

On the surface, Samson’s first year at Flathead was more of the same; the Braves finished 3-7 after starting 2-1.

But now after one full season and a strong offseason of training and camps, the Braves appear to be learning the intricacies of Samson’s offense and his program’s ideals.

“The kids have done a great job of bringing a lot of enthusiasm and energy to practice and everything we do. That’s a big reason why we’ve been successful,” Samson said. “Being a year into the system, the kids understand what we want and what to expect. They’ve really bought into our motto — ‘Outwork Everybody.’”

The best evidence is in the Braves’ backfield. The two main backs — McCracken and Payton Boyce — weigh a combined 400 pounds after bulking up in the offseason. McCracken, a senior, has tallied 583 yards in only four games, garnering comparisons to another former standout Braves bruiser.

“He’s his own self. He’s good. I’m proud of him,” Hilliard said. “He goes out there and gives everything he’s got.”

The quarterback — first-year starter Bridger Johnson — is developing into a poised passer with athleticism and accuracy. The junior signal caller completed 11-of-16 passes last game for 230 yards and one touchdown, but had two picks. He also rushed for another score.

The combination of talent and work ethic has sparked the resurgence, but will it last?

“I hope so. We don’t talk about that as much. Our goal is to get that Flathead tradition and pride back. Flathead was always one of the top teams in the state, and that’s definitely my goal — to bring it back,” Samson said. “At the same time, we want to establish our own tradition. But we’re not quite there yet. We’ve got to keep getting better every day. We can’t be satisfied with where we’re at right now.”

Remember these Braves.