By Danny Waldo
First-year head coach Levi Wesche may have himself the makings of a well-rounded football team.
After new starting quarterback Callahan O’Reilly splashed onto the scene with seven touchdown passes in a season-opening loss to Kalispell-Glacier, the Hawk defense has decided to get in on the party.
Bozeman followed up their loss to Glacier, a game in which they gave up 49 points, by holding Butte High to just eight in a 37-8 victory. As if to prove that was no fluke, the Hawks held always-tough Helena Capital in check, running away with a 31-21 victory in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. And in their most recent contest, Bozeman blanketed Kalispell-Flathead, surrendering a lone touchdown before putting the finishing touches on a 24-7 road win.
The Flathead victory was an important one for the Hawks. The offense was not clicking, and O’Reilly suffered his worst statistical game of the season, yet Bozeman was able to lean on its defense to hold the Braves at bay.
That ability to rely on the defense to bail the offense out may come in handy soon when Bozeman travels to take on everyone’s favorite to win the state title, Billings Senior. The Hawks head to the Magic City on October 7th.
Bozeman’s defense does not possess the size up front that they’ve enjoyed in recent seasons, so they’ve had to focus more on technique and playmaking by committee. It’s a strategy that seems to be working. The Hawks have also put an emphasis on blitzing the quarterback more frequently. In one drive versus Capital, Bozeman blitzed the quarterback on six consecutive plays. But it’s that kind of thinking, putting the pressure on the opposing quarterback, that is going to enable Bozeman to stay in games the rest of the way.
The Hawks will certainly learn a lot about themselves and where they stand after the game against Senior, and where they’ll most likely find themselves will be in another state championship game come November thanks to an aggressive, attacking defense. •
