GREAT FALLS — This past Saturday, Jan. 11 in San Antonio, Texas, Great Falls High's Broden Molen made history for Montana, becoming the state's first-ever high school football player to take the field in the annual All-American Bowl.
The game includes the top 100 high school players in the country, and Molen earned his spot over the summer as a long snapper by winning a competitive camp.
"It means the world," Molen said Wednesday. "It's just an absolutely phenomenal experience to know that I can kind of represent my whole state rather than just my local community."
He said he felt like a "trailblazer" being the first player from Montana.
"Kind of leading the way, grinding out a new path for people in the future to be able to follow and strive for that goal," Molen said. "Seeing that there is a way to get there."
Throughout this last fall season — which saw Molen's Bison go 6-4 with a Class AA playoff loss — he knew he'd be playing in the game. But when he actually took the field Saturday, he said the moment hit him all at once.
"It's happening, this is like a real thing," Molen said on his initial reaction. "I get to experience this, because up until then it was kind of like yeah, I'm in this, I'll be doing it. But then ... once I stepped foot on the field for the game it was like it all like hit me at once. Like I'm actually in this game. I'm doing this right now."
Molen was able to get a feel for the best competition the country has to offer, which he said was helpful in preparing for college football.
"These kids are the top of the top in their position group," Molen said. "To see people who are in the same caliber as me in their own positions is just like this crazy thing to see that they've also been working their hardest all throughout their career to able to get to that point."
He said that Montana football is right up there competition-wise with the best there is.
"(The competition at the All-American Bowl) is very similar to like Montana football," Molen said. "But ... you got those guys, they're a little bit faster, might be a little bit stronger. They come from deeper backgrounds. Like people say Montana football isn't anything crazy, but when I went (to Texas) I realized Montana football is still in the top of the top.
"People say Texas is great, Montana's just as good."
He was accompanied by lots of family at the game, which he said made him feel amazing.
"Being able to go in, snap, run downfield, and then come off the sidelines and look at the stands, be able to see my parents', siblings', grandparents' faces all just like smiling, looking at me, just knowing that they're there cheering me on and that they're there to support me," Molen said.
It was an unforgettable experience for Molen, and he said he's lucky he got the opportunity to be a part of it.
"I hope that someone in the future will be able to have that," Molen said. "That same experience I had going down, playing in that game and just enjoying like what it is to be like an All-American football player."
