Chris Peterson Column: Blue Ponies were fun to watch

There is something special about high school football in Montana. The atmosphere and environment is second to none. The level of play may not be what it is in Texas, California, Florida or Pennsylvania, but it’s incredibly unique all the same.

In Montana there are no professional football teams. Yes, we have the Cats and the Griz, as well as the Frontier Conference, but beyond that all we really have in terms of football is Friday nights. The night set aside for high school football, and in Havre, it’s reserved for the Blue Ponies.

And after living in different parts of Montana for seven years, I can tell you first hand, there isn’t anything like Pony football.

That might make me sound like a homer and you know what, maybe I am. I grew up in Havre, I played for the Ponies, so truthfully I am a little biased. But, that doesn’t change the fact that there is nothing like watching Havre play on a Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium.

I have seen countless games in that stadium and regardless of its fifth-place finish in the Billings Gazette’s ranking of high school stadiums in Montana, there is no doubt in my mind, it’s No.1.

If there is a rival for a Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium, I have yet to find one. And it’s not just the drive-in parking or the echoes of car horns blaring, it’s the fans that make it what it is, and I can tell you with a clear conscience, no one supports their team quite like Havre does.

I lived in Dillon, home to arguably the best Class A program in Montana, and I can tell you a Friday night there is nothing like one in Havre. Dillon loves the Beavers but not in the way Havre loves the Ponies.

The community support is incredible and the passion for Pony football is unmatched. It’s all part of a tradition-laden program that has a history few others in Montana can rival.

It’s not just about state championships and playoff appearances, it’s about the seniors’ final walk after their last home game, the wall of All-State players at the entrance of the HHS gymnasium and the generations of fathers and sons that played for the Ponies, making it something that truly does run in the family.

Along those lines, covering and writing about the Ponies is a privilege and an honor. Not just because of how much Pony football has meant to my life but because of how much it means to this community.

Regardless of whether they win or lose, the people of Havre bleed blue and that is a big reason why covering Pony football has always given me so much satisfaction.

There is a lot that’s changed about high school football in Montana. Teams move up or down in classification or change conferences. In fact, many of Havre’s old rivals including Dillon, Butte Central and Anaconda are gone. No longer a part of the schedule or the Central A.

But, for all that’s changed, there’s so much that remains the same. The pageantry, the tradition and the importance of Pony football to Havre is the same as it always was.

Havre may not be the football power it was in the 1990s or early 2000s, but the 2014 season was still memorable. I know I’ll never forget watching Levi Huston and Gunner Aageson score touchdowns on senior night, seeing the seniors walk hand-in-hand across their beloved home field one last time or the love affair this town has with its high school football team.

Even though the Ponies didn’t do as well as expected this season, finishing 4-6 and exiting in the first-round of the playoffs, the passion or support of this community never wavered. It was a season of growing pains, the kind great teams often go through before reaching the promise land. But mark my words Havre, the future of Pony football is bright.

With All-State quarterback Dane Warp and leading receiver Parker Filius back, along with the return of receivers Nate Rismon, Jacob LaBrie, Issac Warp and Nate Korb, as well as running backs Jase Stokes and Kody Pribyl, the 2015 season could be something spectacular.

But before looking ahead too far, I’d like to say thanks to the 2014 Ponies. Not just because they were a great team, but because they played the game in a way that made Havre proud and reminded me of the many reasons why I love high school football.

I had forgotten the feel of a big game on Friday night and realized how much I missed the sights and sounds of parents cheering, the pep band playing, cheerleaders doing pushups, the camaraderie, the passion, the hitting, the touchdowns, the agony of defeat and the glory of victory, all of it. I loved it all and could never get enough. So, even though next season is more than nine months away, I am already counting down the days until kickoff.