Luke Dalen has never seen a shortage of competition in his journey as quarterback for the Whitefish Bulldogs.

Dalen, one of seven children, was homeschooled until high school and spent plenty of time playing sports in the backyard with his five brothers and one sister. 

“The only time we really ever argued was which sport we were going to play during lunch,” Dalen said. 

Nothing has slowed down for the senior, who uses indoor track in the winter to improve his speed before turning to baseball in the spring. Last spring, Dalen helped the Bulldogs to a third-place finish at the State A baseball tournament. 

That has set up a fantastic fall: In the first five games this football season, he’s completed 50 of 76 passes in the air for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 436 yards and seven scores on the ground. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 197-60 during a 5-0 start.  

Even with the early momentum, Dalen isn’t spending much time reflecting on it. 

“There’s really nothing more I want right now than to win a state championship for Whitefish,” Dalen said. “Obviously we can’t have that as our goal right now. Our goal is game by game, but everyone on the team, that’s what we want more than anything.” 

Before those aspirations became realistic, the groundwork had to be laid in. 

Dalen didn’t begin playing football until seventh grade and spent his middle school years playing running back. In his freshman season he approached Whitefish coach Brett Bollweg with the idea of moving under center. 

“He came up to me and said, ‘Hey coach, I think I want to try playing quarterback,’ “ Bollweg said. “I told him, ‘Go for it. You want to try it? Now is a great time to start the learning process and let’s see what happens.’ “ 

Conversations with his parents helped Dalen understand the amount of work it would take. 

“There were a lot of things to learn, and there were a lot of hurdles I had to get through,” Dalen said. “But at the end of the day, it was something I really wanted to do.” 

Bollweg has watched that commitment pay off. 

“Luke has worked so hard to get from where he was to where he is and not just learning the game of football,” he said. “He has dedicated himself physically and mentally to get himself where he is now.” 

That growth was on display last season, as Whitefish advanced to the Class A semifinals before falling 23-20 to eventual champion Frenchtown. 

After earning second-team all-conference honors as a junior, Dalen entered his final offseason with something to prove. 

“The guy ahead of me is a stud,” Dalen said. “But that definitely put a chip on my shoulder all offseason that I’m not a second-team player.” 

Part of taking that next step meant becoming a more vocal leader while developing into what he called a more “elite pocket passer,” rather than a running back playing quarterback. 

“There’s so much you can learn from playing quarterback,” Dalen said. “It really is a chess game.” 

In the film room, Dalen has prioritized learning defensive patterns and understanding where defensive backs can make plays. He also keys on any openings that may develop before the ball is snapped.  

Playing both ways has also given him another perspective when leading the offense.  

Last week, Dalen returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown in Whitefish’s 45-6 win over Ronan. 

“I never want to come off the field,” Dalen said. “I enjoy it.” 

His football career isn’t expected to end when his time at Whitefish does. Multiple scholarship offers have already come in for Dalen to play quarterback at the next level, and he continues to weigh all those options.  

“I’ve always said, if you make enough noise, you will be heard,” Dalen said. “That’s kind of what I’m focused on right now, is making a lot of noise in Montana and hopefully getting some more looks.” 

Dalen and the Bulldogs return home Friday for a homecoming matchup against Polson at 7 p.m. 

Wherever football takes him next, Bollweg believes Dalen’s impact at Whitefish will extend beyond wins and numbers. 

“We talk a lot about what we put into the program, and there is no doubt that when Luke moves on from Whitefish football, he’s going to leave it in a better place than how he got it,” Bollweg said. “He’s done such a great job of pushing that standard and raising it in a positive way for others to see.” 

Reporter Luke Schmit can be reached at 406-758-4441 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.