Football practices just began for Kalispell’s two Class AA schools but things are looking up – if for no other reason than the athletes are outside, getting some long-awaited reps.

“I think the main thing is just, kids are so excited to finally be doing something,” Glacier coach Grady Bennett said Wednesday, during the Wolfpack’s second practice of fall camp. “When you’re a football player and you lose your normal spring and lose your normal summer… just to be back out here and feeling we’re finally going to play again, they’re grateful.”

The Flathead Braves completed their fourth practice of camp by about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Second-year head coach Matt Upham noted that the temperature on the turf at Legends Stadium was 55 at the outset of practice; by the end it was 85.

The Braves held up so well, Upham gave them Thursday off.

“I’m really happy with where we’re at the first week,” he said. “We’ve had some good things happen.”

The Braves are coming off a 2-8 year marred by injuries, but have some solid defenders like Nolan White and Alec Thomas at linebacker and Kayden Berkey on the llne.

Leading the way up front on offense is all-conference lineman Logan Lang.

“Charlie Hinchey’s probably going to be our quarterback,” Upham said. “He’s a senior, has done a lot of good things this summer and will bring the offense along. He’s a great leader and starting to get command of the offense.”

There has been talk of out-of-state transfers since Washington and Oregon are not having fall football, and Upham said “two or three” had landed at Flathead, though he didn’t divulge names. Thomas, though, suited up for Glacier last season.

“We have had a few transfers come in,” Upham said. “We’ll see where they end up, but I think they’ll come in and be playmakers for us right away. I won’t mention any names right now.”

Bennett said no transfers had come to his squad, which went 5-6 in 2019.

“We have had zero,” he said, amid a sea of personal water jugs. “I received some calls right away and I actually thought, considering Oregon and Washington, that we would get some. But they all dccided to go elsewhere or their teams had decided to play in the spring and they stayed home. Nothing materialized for us.”

The Wolfpack have some good skill kids back, led by quarterback JT Allen.

“JT started every game last year and actually set our school record for completion percentage (.616, completing 172 of 279 passes for 2,267 yards and 24 touchdowns),” Bennett said. “So we expect big things from him this year.

“More knowledge of the system, I think he understands better what we want to do with our offense. I’m excited about the year he’s going to have.”

Helping will be All-State Luke Bilau and all-conference running back Jake Rendina.

“Bilau is just a beast of an athlete,” Bennett said. “He and Jake were both sophomores last year and had great seasons. They’re going to be big factors in our offense.”

The defense, on the other hand, is a blank page.

“We don’t really have a guy that was the leader or a big part of the defense last year, that’s back,” Bennett said. “That’s what we need to develop.”

Both teams open their season Sept. 11 – Flathead travels to play Missoula Sentinel at 7 p.m., and Glacier at home against Helena Capital at 7 p.m. Flathead plans an intrasquad scrimmage on Sept. 4, while Glacier has one set for Sept. 3.