Mac Roche likes what he has in his Flathead Braves football squad for 2026.

The second-year coach doted on his offensive and defensive lineman as the Braves look to improve upon a 2-6 record from 2025. 

“Things look really good,” Roche said. “We have a good group of leaders coming back with experience and we had really good offseason that started with weights in January.” 

Roche singled out linemen Hudson Capser, Kohen Rilley and Jakob Berry as three key components, all playing in the trenches. 

That trio will look to open holes for junior running back Leum Saisbury, who established himself as the Braves’ leading rusher as a sophomore. 

Ollie Rosenburg returns out wide as well and the Braves core looks solid. The only question is who would lead them at the quarterback position, and Roche is relying on Whitefish transfer Bear Barker. He had nothing but good notes on him in the preseason. 

“He is a really polished QB,” Roche said. “He got to know our system well.” 

On the defensive side of the ball, Saisbury and Kellen Mouat will hold down the fort as linebackers. 

Roche again called out Capser as a leader and said he believes he will be one of the best players on the field week in and week out. 

On the corners are Dillon Wink and a new face in Ben Reichner, who will take his first snaps with the Braves as a senior. 

Putting it all together is new defensive coordinator Matt Truelove. 

“That defense is going to be flying around,” Roche said. 

The Braves get it all started Friday with a trip to the Electric City to battle Great Falls. The teams’ matchup in Kalispell last season ended abruptly with a no-contest when storms hit the area. 

Roche pointed out a couple of names that the Braves will need to limit if they want to bring back a week one win. First is Steele Harris, a Wisconsin commit that 247 sports lists as the top recruit in Montana. Harris was third in AA last year with 781 receiving yards on 42 catches. He had seven touchdowns. 

Second is Mason Cannon, who received Great Falls’ legacy No. 40 jersey this season. The running back went for nearly 600 yards as a junior and found the end zone five times. 

“They are a good football team and well-coached,” Roche said. “There is a reason they have been in the top 5 of a lot of the rankings. 

“We have to have good execution and do our jobs, last year we came out both sides of the ball tentative and flat, if we come out and take care of our assignments, I feel good about what we can do.” 

Kickoff for the Braves and Bison is set for 7 p.m.