Glacier football hopes the third time will be the charm.

After back-to-back championship game losses — 2023 to Bozeman, and last season to Helena Capital — the Wolfpack are primed to reach the top of the mountain again in 2025. 

“We have a lot of experience; we have a lot of kids who played in that state championship last year,” Wolfpack coach Grady Bennett said. “What’s good is that, some played, but they were all on the sidelines two years ago. This is a team that has watched us come up short the past two seasons, so it’s not hard at all to motivate this group.” 

Of course, leading the way for the Wolfpack offense is senior quarterback and Sacramento State commit Jackson Presley. He earned first-team All-State honors and threw for 2,669 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and added 12 more scores on the ground. 

“Jackson has always been that continued presence, but what I love about Jackson is how he keeps looking for little ways to always get better and get the job done,” Bennett said. 

In front of Presley the Wolfpack returns multiple starters on the offensive line, including a pair of second-team All-Staters in senior Maverick Diede and junior Jesse Baines. 

The rest of the offense features a plethora of unknowns for Glacier as star running back Kobe Dorcheus graduated along with receiver Bridger Smith among others. 

“That is what is so much fun about sports though, and football in general,” Bennett said. “I think its fun for fans and coaches, who is going to step up on Friday night.” 

Bennett talked highly about two-way lineman Will Astle, who steps into a leadership role as one of the team captains for 2025. 

“He’s always been such a good kid, but now he is the leader,” Bennett said. “Everyone is looking to him because he has all the qualities and the kids know it and respect him. He is such a hard worker and plays with such a motor.” 

Running back Asher Knopik also steps into a bigger role with Glacier this season after transferring from Bigfork a season ago. 

“He was new, so he kind of held back a bit, he admitted that but now realizes that he needs to step up as a leader,” Bennett said. 

The Pack’s 19th-year head coach said he expects his team to make an impact in all aspects of the game. 

“Our defense is always going to give us a chance and then we coach our special teams real hard, because we want it to be a factor in every game,” Bennett said. “We want the special teams third of the game to be the determining factor if we can.” 

Billings West looms Friday 

Glacier faces tests throughout the opening month of the season and gets it all started Friday at Billings West at 7 p.m. 

The Golden Bears feature Michigan commit Matt Ludwig at tight end and Montana State commit Elias Bonner out wide. 

Ludwig had 53 catches in his junior season and four touchdowns. He was recently named the 10th best tight end in the nation according to MaxPreps.com. 

Bonner hauled in 52 catches last season along with six scores. 

Slinging it out of the backfield is Colt Johnson, who tossed 25 touchdowns in 2024 and came up just short of the 3,000-yard mark. 

“It sounds cliche, but we have to make this about us,” Bennett said. “They have a lot of great players back, but they have a lot of new pieces. They are going to be figuring it out.” 

The Wolfpack then have a Week 2 home opener against Bozeman, then head to Butte before hosting defending champions Helena Capital in Week 4.  

“We are going to find out what kind of team we have right away with our schedule,” Bennett said. “(2025) might be the toughest schedule that we have faced as a program.”