BILLINGS — It’s been a busy week for Great Falls High’s Levi Torgerson. He suited up for the Montana-Wyoming all-star basketball series this past weekend and helped lead Montana to a sweep, and now he’s putting on the football pads for the Montana East-West Shrine Game.
“I’m feeling it a little bit, but when you come out here and you’ve got a bunch of energized guys like this you can’t let them down. You’ve got to be full of energy," said Torgerson. "The last week has been really awesome playing basketball and switching over to football. I think it’s just super special getting to play with a bunch of guys that you know won’t let you down if you don’t let them down.”
It’s been non-stop action for Torgerson since arriving in Billings for basketball practices last Wednesday. However, the cardio on the hardwood has been beneficial for the future Montana Tech hooper.
“Oh, definitely, especially with this weather now. I’m not as tired as I would have been if I weren’t playing basketball," Torgerson said.
When the Great Falls football season ended in November, Torgerson wasn’t sure whether he’d be given a chance to represent his school on the gridiron again. But the opportunity to rep the Bison gear one last time is a special feeling.
“Our playoff game, I thought that was our last game. But when you get selected for this and you get to come out and play with a bunch of guys like this, a couple teammates out here, it’s fun to get to know these guys," said Torgerson. "It’s fun to have a Bison across your name on the practice field one last time. It’s a special feeling and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to feel this way ever again."
As for a prediction for this weekend? Well, Torgerson wasn’t going to get into specifics, but he knows the East will have a nasty unit defensively.
“I think when you look over there and you’ve got a bunch of (NCAA Division I) athletes on that D-line, you’ve got a bunch of kids going Frontier or DI in the secondary. I think we’re going to be a pretty tough defense to stop and I think our offense will get it together. We’re learning a new playbook and everything, so I think we’ll be fine," Torgerson said.
Torgerson will likely be playing a bit on both sides of the ball this weekend. Good thing he’s been able to work himself back into playing shape this last week.
The 74th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game will be televised on MTN stations with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. on Saturday.
