Glacier’s football game tonight against Helena Capital could be its most important of the season.

With a win against the No. 3 Bruins (6-1), No. 2 Glacier (6-1) would put itself in prime position to claim one of the top two spots in the playoffs. A loss wouldn’t doom the Wolfpack, but would hurt its chances of hosting a playoff game beyond the first round.

“Both teams realize that,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said.

“We’re both sitting 6-1 and the winner of this game is really going to be in driver’s seat. Both teams, winner and loser, are still going to be in good shape for those top few seeds, but it’s a big game. The winner really has the upper hand.”

Glacier earned its first wins in program history over Capital last season, beating the Bruins 33-7 in the regular season and 21-13 in the playoffs. It was a milestone for the Wolfpack, who had struggled against the perennial powerhouse to that point.

“One of the neat things (about building a program), is trying to beat each of those teams for the first time,” Bennett said. “I remember the first time we beat CMR. The first time you beat them, the kids get the belief they’re just another team and maybe we can beat them.

“Last year, when we finally beat Capital, it gave the kids the feeling we can beat them. That’s the neat thing to see.”

The Bruins have the state’s top running offense, averaging nearly 319 yards a game. Despite losing 2012 offensive player of the year Gunnar Brekke to Montana State, the Bruins haven’t missed a beat, led this season by Bliss Collins and Tristan Shea, each among the state’s top backs despite splitting carries.

“Gunnar Brekke was special, but these two guys can run it as well,” Bennett said. “That’s really what they want to do, is mix it up, even give some carries to their receivers.”

Glacier’s defense has been tops against the run this season, giving up only 79 yards on average.

“We definitely want to stop the run first and really key in on that,” Bennett said. “The key is for our defense is to really read their keys (on run/pass), that’s what Capital does so well.”

The Wolfpack offense will also see a different beast than it has most of the season. The Capital defense has been among the best in the state, allowing barely 18 points a game, while Glacier has scored at least 38 in all but two games this season. With its offense working on all cylinders following a season-high 59-point performance against Sentinel last week, the Wolfpack will be looking to keep Capital off guard.

“We want to continue to do what we do,” Bennett said.

“Go into each game with a basic gameplan then take what the defense is giving us.”

The game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Legends Stadium.