GREAT FALLS — After losing the first four games of the season, the Great Falls High Bison rattled off five straight wins to earn a first round playoff game this Friday against Missoula Big Sky.
One of the reasons for their new winning ways was the reemergence of the offense. After putting up only 28 points combined in the first four losses of the season, the offense has turned things around with junior quarterback Reed Harris settling in with the running and receiving weapons around him.
“I don’t care how good of an athlete you are, sometimes you put much too much pressure on yourself as a quarterback but now I’ve noticed in the last 3-4 weeks he just seems to be enjoying the game even more,” Bison head coach Mark Samson said.
Weapons like senior receiver Garrett Stone, who returned from injury just in time for the win streak, and senior running back Ryan Krahe attribute the change in confidence to why the team is on a roll.
“Our confidence went straight to the next level winning five games in a row, all W’s, can’t ask for much better than that going into the postseason,” Stone explained.
The offense has scored 158 points in the last five weeks showing that it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. Both Krahe and Stone have combined for 10 touchdowns during that span with Harris also showing why he was so highly regarded coming into this season.
“I feel like the team at the beginning of the season wasn’t doing that well confidence wise and we weren’t clicking but I feel after the West game we changed and really had a confidence booster and really wanted to change the season,” Krahe said.
“Ever since I came back, I’ve been putting in the work, we’ve been really clicking on offense, defense both ways and from there getting W’s,” Stone added.
With both Great Falls High and Great Falls CMR hosting playoff games this Friday, Samson isn’t surprised and believes it should be commonplace.
“Going to the playoffs I think does a lot for a community and that’s the way it should be in Great Falls all the time. Both schools should be in the playoffs every year.”
Kickoff for the Bison is at 7 p.m. this Friday at Memorial Stadium while the Great Falls CMR Rustlers will play earlier at 3 p.m. against Helena Capital.
