Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Ian McIntosh, Chinook Football

It has been a dream season for the Chinook football team, and quarterback Ian McIntosh has been at the forefront of one of most impressive regular seasons in the history of Sugarbeeter football.

After a season-opening loss to Great Falls Central, in which Chinook lost in heartbreaking fashion 52-50, the Beeters have been on a roll. They won seven of their final eight games, finishing the season 7-2 overall and 6-2 in Northern C conference play.

Thanks to a dominant 60-22 victory over Chester/J-I last Saturday, the Beeters won the conference championship and earned one of the top four seeds in the Class C 8-man playoffs.

Behind the direction of McIntosh, and the outstanding play of running back Gavin Gunderson, Chinook is averaging over 50 points a game on offense. Yet, the junior quarterback does much more than hand the ball to Gunderson, and he has become a key cog in the offense.

In the win over C/J-I, he showed just how deadly he can be with his arm, tossing three touchdowns, including a 39-yarder to Lane Seymour and a 69-yard bomb to Gunderson.

This Saturday, McIntosh and the Beeters will begin their run at the 8-man state championship with a home playoff game against Victor. The game will kick off at 1 p.m.

But, before McIntosh leads Chinook into the postseason, the Havre Daily News caught up with him for five questions.

HDN: How excited are you and your teammates about hosting a home playoff game?

McIntosh: "We are incredibly excited. It’s amazing that we got here, with having new coaches and a new system, but we were able to get things going right away."

HDN: What has been the key to your success this season?

McIntosh: "Just getting better every week. Coach has put in new stuff every week and that has really helped us."

HDN: Have you always played quarterback and what is your favorite thing about the position?

McIntosh: "I’ve played quarterback since fifth grade. You get to direct everybody and just get to have a lot of fun out there."

HDN: Who is a college or professional athlete that you look up to or enjoy watching?

McIntosh: "Well, I am a Seattle Seahawks fan, so I would have to say Russell Wilson. He’s a little shorter like me, so I just kind of pay attention to how he is able to get the ball out on time."

HDN: What do you think is the key to you guys getting a win this weekend against Victor?

McIntosh: "Just play hard and play good football. That’s all we have to do to get the win is play football, play hard and get it done. "