George Ferguson Column: Havre High on a real stampede right now

In football, at any level, it’s hard to win five games in one season. The sports is just that difficult — unless you’re the New England Patriots anyway.

And winning five games in a row — well that’s even harder.

But that’s exactly what the Havre High football team has done. Heading into the final regular season game on the schedule, a non-conference bout at Polson Friday night, the Blue Ponies haven’t tasted defeat in over a month. The last Havre loss came in Miles City all the way back on Sept. 11, and that left HHS with a 1-2 record.

There was no panic in the Ponies however. Instead, a veteran head coach, Mark Samson, a guy who has been around the football block a time or two, knew that it would take time to get the Pony machine ramped up. He knew that the season was going to be a marathon and not a sprint, and as cliché as that might sound, it was certainly true.

No, early season losses at the hands of Whitefish and Miles City weren’t going to mean much as long as Havre took care of business in the Central A. And that’s exactly what the Ponies did. Havre had by far the most experienced and talented team in the conference this season, and a perfect 4-0 record in league play was the end result.

And with a conference championship now in tow, those losses to the Bulldogs and Cowboys — two teams with just one loss between them now — were just part of the building process for a season that has turned out to be a great one for the Blue Ponies.

Following the loss to Miles City, Havre regrouped, and the Ponies did so in a hurry, knocking off Sidney the very next week.

The Pony defense has come on strong, and the biggest test Havre faced between the Miles City game, and whoever the Ponies will play in the playoffs, came two weeks ago in Belgrade. That game was the measuring stick for the HHS defense, and after a rough start, the Pony defense passed that test with flying colors. The Belgrade victory, on the road, in a place Havre hasn’t won much, ever, turned out to be the signature win for the Ponies during a win streak that has now stretched well over 40 days.

But what also matters to Havre isn’t just the wins and locking up a conference title for the first time in four years last Friday night against Lewistown, it’s also that the Ponies have improved. They are trending up, and while some may have written them off after a stretch that saw the Ponies lose at home to Whitefish, barely survive against struggling Hardin and then lose to Miles City, Havre had the patience, the desire and the work ethic to get better.

And better the Blue Ponies are now. On Friday, the Ponies will try and cap the regular season with a sixth straight win. But win or lose in Polson, Havre is now headed to the Class A playoffs, where the Ponies are a top seed, and will get to play at home, in the friendly confines of Blue Pony Stadium on Nov. 7. That’s an exciting proposition for a team that is hot right now. It’s an exciting proposition for a team that was being overlooked a month ago. And, it’s a scary proposition for any team that has to come to Havre on that day.

No, HHS has certainly made the most of this season. It took patience, perseverance, learning and a lot of hard work. But now, all of that is paying off, and the Ponies are stampeding their way through an impressive streak of wins. And with where Havre has been, and how far the Ponies have come, who knows just how far this team can go, and how many more times they can taste victory this season.

One thing is certain though — it’s almost playoff time, and it’s going to be a lot of fun watching Havre try to keep this stampede going.