Pony football team hungry for success

After going winless last season, the Havre High football team has been itching to get back on the field, and with the 2018 season just days away, the Blue Ponies are about to get what they've been waiting for.

"I think to use the word excitement is an understatement," HHS head coach Ryan Gatch said. "We are ready to get after it and compete. The guys have been working really hard. Some of the guys have been working really hard since the end of last season so we are looking forward to getting back out there."

The Ponies will get that first opportunity Friday night against Hardin inside Blue Pony Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7. The game against the Bulldogs will be the first of five home games for the Ponies this season. The other home games will be against Belgrade (Sept. 14), Glendive (Sept. 21), Billings Central (Oct. 5) and Miles City (Oct. 19). HHS will also play four games on the road in the always-difficult Eastern A and those games will be against Lewistown (Aug. 31), Laurel (Sept. 7), Sidney (Sept. 29) and Livingston (Oct. 12).

The 10-team Eastern Division will have six playoff berths available just like last season but getting enough victories to contend for one of those spots will be easier said than done, especially with traditional powers like Billings Central, Laurel, Miles City and Sidney all looking tough, along with Lewistown, which returns some key veterans from a playoff team a season ago.

"I think Billings Central is going to be the team to beat," Gatch said. "They have a lot of guys returning. I was surprised they lost to Hamilton in the semifinals, so I think they will be hungry. Miles City and Sidney, I know they feel good about what they have and Laurel has a lot of guys back, so they are going to be tough.

"The East is the East," He added. "And it's going to be tough and we as a program need to take that next step. Now our goal every year is to be 1-0 each week. And if that happens you put yourself in a position to win a conference championship and to be able to compete in the playoffs. That's what we want, that's one of our goals, but our guys are going to also play for each other and for our program and our community and that's the main thing at the end of the day."

With each high school football season comes changes and the Ponies are no different. Some key players graduated off last year's team including quarterback Trey Murphy and All-State standout Ivar Aageson, who played both wide receiver and defensive back. However, the Ponies still have some veterans back in the lineup, highlighted by Ethan Roberts and Mason Dionne.

Both players are two-way starters for the Ponies but each will be a big part of the offensive attack. Dionne was the leading rusher a season ago and will be the top ball carrier again. Roberts was the second-leading receiver for Havre in 2017 and he will join a group of pass catchers that also features Brock Nystrom, Brandon Shaw and Max Olson.

Of course, one of the most important positions on any football team is the quarterback and replacing Murphy as the starter for HHS will be junior Reese Bulkley. Bulkley will be protected up front by an offensive line that features Logan Twombly at center, Kasee Henderson at right tackle, Quinn Springer at left tackle and freshman Carter Nystrom at right guard. The left guard will be either Tony Antley, Ethan Carlson or Dexter Beck.

"Reese is going to be our quarterback," Gatch said. "He's a great kid and he's got some great qualities. One of the most important things is the kind of leader he is. The kids voted him a team captain and I think that speaks volumes. But he's a good football player and we think he can do a lot of good things for us."

Another key part of the offense for the Ponies will be the running game. Dionne will be the centerpiece but sophomore fullback Kellen Detrick will also have a role, as will sophomore Bradyn Winchell, who will serve as Dionne's backup.

"We feel really good about our offensive line," Gatch said. "We knew that we were going to be young last season but since some of those guys were forced to play, we have some good experience coming back. Since I got here, we have tried to establish that culture of being a physical football team and we feel like this is going to be a physical group up front."

On the defensive side of the ball, Dionne will be the starting middle linebacker and he will be joined by Winchell, Antley and Caleb Allestad, who will each see time at outside linebacker. Roberts will help lead the way in the secondary. The senior will hold down one of the safety spots. Brock Nystrom will be the other starter at safety. The starting corners will be Bulkley and Olson.

Along the defensive line, Detrick will start at one defensive end position and on the opposite side, on the edge, will be Springer. Defensive tackle will see a combination of Twombly and Beck starting. Henderson, Carlson and Carter Nystrom will also see snaps along the defensive line.

"We feel like we have a good, cohesive unit," Gatch said. "The team chemistry is really good. The guys are working hard and having a lot of fun out there. They are enjoying playing the game of football with each other. Last year, our young guys got a lot of reps and I think that made them hungry and eager for this season."

It goes without saying that every team is hoping to make the playoffs. Yet, for the Ponies, who have lost 12 straight games dating back to 2016, getting back into the win column would be a good place to start.

"To be honest, I don't really think of it as a losing streak," Gatch said. "I think about it, whether we are winning or losing, as us trying to go 1-0 each week. So that is all we are trying to do. If we do the right things and do what we are supposed to do, the rest will take care of itself."

Havre will open its season Friday night against the Hardin Bulldogs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., inside Blue Pony Stadium.