Imagine never having played or watched football, then learning, training, playing and excelling in it -- all in a matter of four short years.

Whitefish High School senior Anderson Barrile did just that. He began his freshman year as a 6-foot tall, 160-pound rookie and finished his senior year two inches taller, 65 pounds beefier and as an accomplished offensive lineman. 

“I didn't play football in middle school, so I came to high school and I joined the team to make friends,” said Barrile, team captain. “Football was like my big connecting point, and that's where I made all my friends, and I think that was my main thing through all of high school.” 

He’s still best buds with his friend since middle school, Creed Scott, and said Scott helped him meet the bigger circle of friends he has today. 

Barrile said being captain this year gave him a great opportunity to give back, contribute and help guide the underclassmen. 

"If I had to focus on one thing that was my favorite part of what I’ve done here, it would be my football journey -- from never playing and never watching, to a captain,” he said. 

Despite warnings from his middle school teachers about the high difficulty level of AP classes, Barrile faced that challenge head on, too, and took almost every AP class offered. 

“I took my first two APs as a sophomore and realized that they're just normal classes. You just got to put extra work in,” he said. "Once I realized that they really weren't the scariest classes ever, I decided to take more. You don't get anything out of doing nothing with your time.” 

Somehow, in addition to being dedicated to football and focused on academics, Barrile managed to participate in the Science Olympiad Club and the Math Team. He was also a National Honor Society and a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program. 

He is heading to Stanford University and plans to study engineering. He admitted to being a bit disconcerted with the college application process and the period of being up in the air, with uncertainties about the future. 

“I was always told by my parents, when you get to the end of high school, you'll be ready to move on, and I'm feeling that now,” he said. “It's kind of exciting, to be honest, but it's also really nice to know what's going on.” 

Barrile expresses his appreciation for the Bulldog football coaching staff for supporting players on and off the field. He said players feel comfortable going to the coaches with any issues or concerns. 

"They really emphasize growing as men as well as growing as a football player,” he said. “We have weekly lessons about things you can do to improve yourself as a person. 

“A lot of it is honesty, responsibility, you know, doing things that aren't the easy things to do,” he said, and added that sometimes, the lessons were less complicated, like how to knot a tie. 

“I think the Whitefish program does a particularly good job of growing people as people,” he said. 

Barrile does his part to contribute to the program. This year, he and Cole Moses raised funds for extra helmet protection equipment called Guardian Caps. 

“That's something that will stay in the program for many years and be helpful,” he said. “Little impacts you can leave, either on a person or on the program as a whole, has been great.” 

The track and field thrower is also a captain on the track team. He likes seeing the younger athletes excel. 

He also liked being in the same school with his kid sister, sophomore Annabelle, who  played volleyball and tennis this year. She made the move to public schools along with her brother. 

“It's a lot of fun,” he said. “It's just cool to see her around at school.” 

All conversations seem to lead back to football with Barrile, where he saw seniors being helpful to freshman and a continuous loop of good leaders helping younger players learn how to become good leaders. 

“I was at dinner with my family last night, and we were talking about some old football seniors, and I was like, ‘I remember that kid. He was a captain for two years, and he was the nicest senior that I remember,’” he recalled. “I hope the people after me have those same memories of me and my classmates. 

“I still really love football, and I want to coach when I'm older, high school level,” he said. “That was probably my favorite thing I've done at Whitefish.” 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.