The last time Glacier and Butte met on the football field this season, the teams combined for 99 points in one of the most exciting games of the season. The Wolfpack won that game, battered and bruised, with three defensive touchdowns and a record-setting performance on offense.

This time, Glacier hopes its defense, finally healthy after a year of significant injuries, can make the game less interesting.

The Class AA quarterfinal game kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight at Legends Stadium.

“I think were a better defense than we were when we played them,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.

“A lot of our guys have improved. We had a lot of young players that were still learning the ropes. I feel like we’re so much better since then.”

The defense will need to be strong, facing a Butte offense that leads the state averaging more than 537 yards a game. Quarterback Dallas Cook, a player of the year candidate, leads the state in every passing category and leads all players in total offense by 165 yards a game. He’s already tied his own state record for passing touchdowns in a season (39) and has a chance to break the state records he set last season for passing yards and completions.

“He’s a big time player,” Bennett said.

“One of the best football players in our state. You know you’re not going to completely stop him or shut him down. You just have to contain him as best you can.”

Glacier’s defense, missing a handful of starters to injury, intercepted Cook five times in the first meeting, returning three for touchdowns. In total, the Wolfpack defense forced six turnovers and did its part to topple the defending state champs on the road.

While that type of performance can’t be counted on this time, Bennett said he hopes Glacier can make adjustments to limit the effectiveness of Butte’s potent offense.

“Those kinds of games are once in a lifetime,” Bennett said.

“That’s wow. The chances of that happening again are very, very rare. So we’re not expecting that. But, we like the adjustments we’ve made and we’re healthy. We feel like we can play a better defensive game. Maybe we don’t end up getting the defensive points, but we’re more consistent and we get more stops and keep them out of the end zone more.

“The key for us is to be able to get off the field on third down. They chip here and there and they seem to convert those thirds. A lot of times one after another, just barely, and then they’ll hit a big one.”

The Wolfpack offense has been impressive in its own right and has held its own in shootouts. Senior running back Noah James ran for a school record 201 yards in the first game with Butte this season. Quarterback Brady McChesney threw for 400 yards in a 59-41 road win over Missoula Sentinel, a contest that saw the teams combine for 100 points in the third-highest scoring game in Class AA this season.

In each of those games, Glacier’s offense was able to give its defense a cushion and put pressure on its opponent to score fast.

“I was really happy with our offense in both of those games,” Bennett said. “They just stayed with it. They never took the gas pedal off and let them get back in.

“Our offense has to play well, stay on the field, be able to put good drives together and make (Cook) watch. The more we can make him stand on the sidelines and watch our offense, that’s the best way to beat him.”

Glacier is 2-1 in the playoffs at Legends Stadium, its only loss coming to Bozeman to end the 2012 season. Glacier leads the all-time series against Butte 2-1. But, Butte is a hard out, as it showed on the road to a state championship last season.

“This is a pretty good football team, it’s something I hope the community wants to come out and support,” Bennett said. “It’s going to be a great football game. Two wide-open fun teams. It should be outstanding Friday night.”

State Football Playoffs

Class AA

First Round

Friday

No. 8 Missoula Sentinel (6-4) at No. 1 Bozeman (10-0), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Billings Skyview (6-4) at No. 3 Helena (9-1), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Butte (6-4) at Glacier (9-1), 7 p.m.

Saturday

No. 5 Great Falls CMR (6-4) at No. 4 Helena Capital (7-3), 1 p.m.