BOZEMAN — The Bozeman Hawks football team has a motto across their wristband: "Be Uncommon."
It's a mindset the team strives by, not just for football, but for life. The team is planning to bring that saying into what they hope is another very successful season on the gridiron.
“It’s easy to be average," Bozeman head coach Levi Wesche said. "It’s easy to lose. It’s really tough and takes discipline to be a good person, to treat people the right way, to go about practicing the right way, so, you know, it’s easy to be average. Try to be above average.”
The Hawks have a pedigree of winning, just last season they made it all the way to the championship game, losing to Helena Capital, 35-14.
Bozeman realizes this level of success is achieved by not looking through the rear-view mirror, or even too far ahead into the future.
“It’s really not that hard," Wesche explained. "We don’t talk about championships. That’s a byproduct of us doing everything right day to day. Winning is a byproduct of doing the little things right, so we focus on the little things. We focus on that snap that’s right in front of us, or that practice that’s right in front of us, or the game that’s right in front of us. If you really want to break it down, every game is a championship game. You can treat them, or look past anyone, especially in (Class AA).”
The recipe to staying dialed in isn’t that complicated for them, either.
“You just got to think about one thing you have to get better on throughout the day," Hawks senior Torrin Jeske said. "It’s the best way to do it, it’s one step at a time, teaches you just to keep working, love the ride.”
Fellow senior, Jack O'Brien, echoed his teammate's thoughts.
“We got to take it one step at a time, work on the little things, work on the fundamentals," he said. "A lot of guys taking leadership, a lot of people returning, so it will be good to see a lot of leaders come out here again and compete.”
A lot of Bozeman's seniors have had to step up to the plate since their sophomore year, which puts them in a key position to lead now, filling the shoes of the key players that have graduated from last season.
“We had a lot of great seniors last year," Jeske said. "We just have to fulfill what they left for us, which they did a great job last year leading us and teaching us the ropes of the game.”
Wesche is grateful for the seniors level of skill and how most have had to step up to the plate since their sophomore year. But their humility, and how they put the team above themselves, is what means the most to him and his coaching staff.
“We have, you know, a pretty good chuck of three-year starters this year, or two-year starters, and they’ve been instrumental in helping our program stay relevant through the last couple years, and they treat everybody well, our underclassmen," Wesche said. "They embrace everybody like family, and they’re very humble in the work that they do.”
Bozeman kicks off their season at home on Aug. 25 against Helena.
