Pony Extra: Murphy, Ponies stick together

It seems cliche to say that sports aren’t just about winning and losing.

But it’s true, especially at the high school level. Wins and losses do matter, it would be a lie to say they don’t. But it’s also true that you don’t necessarily have to win, to be admirable.

The Havre Blue Ponies have not won a game this season and with Miles City looming Friday for the season finale, it’s unlikely they will, barring a major upset.

That’s what made the 22-14 loss Friday night to Livingston at Blue Pony Stadium so significant. It was the last, best chance for Havre to avoid its first winless season since 1963.

But beyond the wins, in other ways, this has been a good season for Havre football. The Ponies may have lost to Livingston, but they never gave up. Down 14-0 in the first quarter, it would have been easy to throw in the towel. It would have been even easier down 22-14 with 37 seconds left, but even then, quarterback Trey Murphy and the Ponies pushed the ball to the Livingston 10 before finally being turned back. That fight says something about those players. Something that will serve them well beyond the gridiron.

“We lost. We are 0-8, but that’s the tightest group of guys I have ever been around,” Murphy said. “We just always love each other and are always having fun, even if at times it doesn’t seem like it. There’s no other guys I would rather go play with every Friday. I love every single one of these guys. I know they always have my back.”

There is no question the rest of the team had Murphy’s back, probably because Murphy always had theirs. It’s been a tough season for Murphy, who was a Second-Team All-Conference selection as a junior. But part of that had to do with an offensive line that sustained injury after injury. By the end of the game Friday, the offensive line was down multiple starters. Yet Murphy kept battling. Despite being sacked nine times and knocked down many others, the senior kept getting up, kept fighting.

“These guys would never quit on me or anyone,” Murphy said. “I have great teammates. But these guys fight to the end. We had 37 seconds and we drove down the field and had a shot at the end.”

But it’s really not surprising, it’s what Murphy has done all season long.

Whether the result was good or bad, he always went on to the next play, doing his best to make Havre football better, not just now, but for the future, too.

“I just always try to lead for those guys (underclassmen), lead by example,” Murphy said. “Cause they watch you and if you are messing around or doing something that you aren’t supposed to be doing, that’s not going to set a good example, and I want them to get better. I want Blue Pony football to be good for a long time.

"I've coached Trey for three years, and known him a lot longer than that," Blue Pony tennis coach George Ferguson said. "He's shown a tremendous amount of leadership as he's gone through our tennis program. I've seen him coaching and helping the younger kids, all on his own. He takes being a good teammate very seriously. I know he's done the same for coach Gatch and his football teammates. It's just the kind of kid he is."

Murphy's numbers don't always rival prototypical quarterbacks, but's he’s great in an area that is critical to being successful in sports — leadership. There’s no question that Murphy was the captain of the Havre football team and not just because of a vote before the season.

No, Murphy earned the respect of his teammates in the trenches and when Friday’s night game was over, you could see how deep that respect ran. After Murphy completed his final walk of the field with the rest of the seniors, he got an embrace from what looked to be every single Blue Pony football player.

That tells you more about Murphy as a quarterback, than any statistic ever will.