Page 61 - Flathead Beacon // 8.24.16

PERENNIAL CONTENDERS, GLACIER AIMS TO KEEP STREAK ALIVE
WOLFPACK LOOKS TO RELOAD A SEASON AFTER ADVANCING TO SEMIFINALS FOR FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW
S everal questions surrounded last year’s Glacier Wolfpack. Primarily, how would a team of mostly new faces follow up a
championship season?
The answers were resounding: by winning nine of 12 games, advancing to the state semi- nals for the fth year in a row, picking up the program’s rst road playo victory, and
defeating Helena for the rst time.
The proud tradition only grew stronger, and that’s what this year’s Pack is focused on
continuing.
“The expectations of where we’ve been and
where we expect to be are so ingrained now,” head coach Grady Bennett said. “The kids go about everything with that high standard and belief and con dence.”
Glacier opens the new season with back- to-back road games, starting at Helena on Aug. 26 followed by a road trip to Bozeman to play the defending state champs on Sept. 2. The home opener is Sept. 9 against Helena Capital.
Senior Tadan Gilman, a quick, versatile athlete, will take over quarterbacking duties for Glacier, replacing Leif Ericksen, who grad- uated. Gilman, at 6-foot, 205 pounds, recently verbally committed to play for Montana State University next year along with Jaxen Hash- ley, a standout defensive lineman entering his senior season for Glacier. Hashley is return- ing to the eld after missing the second half of last season due to a knee injury. Gilman earned rst team all-state honors at line- backer a year ago.
“Tadan is doing a great job,” Bennett said. “I’m really happy with his progress and happy with what he’s doing.”
Glacier has built a strong foundation with multi-sport athletes, and this year’s team fol- lows that pattern. Three members of the state champion short-relay team — Scout Willcut, Ethan Larson and Drew Turner — are lead- ing the Pack’s speed revival. Willcut and Lar- son will both line up as top receiving targets, while Turner will take most of the carries
at running back, replacing Thomas Trefney, who had a monster senior season a year ago and accrued 29 touchdowns.
Turner looks poised to keep up Glacier’s tradition of strong backs, alongside a deep group of other quick options.
“We’re excited to let him go,” Bennett said of Turner.
“We have a lot of guys we can hand it to, and we’ll be more diverse in the run game.”
Glacier also welcomes back Kellen Bemis, an honorable mention Class AA all-state center, Sam Barber, a second team all-state safety, and Cameron Anderson, a second team all-state kicker.
Compared to recent years, Glacier is all around younger with a relatively small senior class, but Bennett is looking at that as an opportunity for the team to come together and build strong chemistry.
“The last time we had a small class we started out worried a little bit, but that team went to (the school’s) rst state champion- ship,” Bennett said. “So this is a good chal- lenge for these guys – to really step up and lead and help those juniors along.”
“These guys know they need those juniors and sophomores to contribute,” he added, “and that helps build your team and builds a strong bond.” ■
HEAD COACH
Grady Bennett (10th season, 66-38)
2015 SEASON
9-3 overall (fourth place in Class AA regular season, lost 22-16 to Bozeman in semi nal round of the playo s)
RETURNING STANDOUTS
Tadan Gilman, Sr., QB/LB; Jaxen Hashley, Sr., DL; Sam Barber, Sr., S; Patrick O’Connell, Sr., LB/TE; Scout Willcut, Sr., WR
2016 SCHEDULE
Glacier’s Jaxen Hashley puts pressure on Big Sky’s Luke Entzel. BEACON FILE PHOTO
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