The last week of the high school football regular season is upon us and the Flathead Braves are hoping to send their seniors out on a high note.

Friday is a tough task for the Braves, who welcome in Missoula Sentinel for a 7 p.m. kick, but Flathead coach Mac Roche says his squad is ready to take the Legends Stadium field one last time in 2026. 

"The guys are excited for the fact that they are home for their final game," Roche said. "To play with the guys they have played with for years in front of the home crowd and are embracing the moment." 

On the other side sits a Dane Oliver-coached Sentinel team that has rattled off four wins in their last five games and may have a shot at a first-round bye in the playoffs, depending on the result of Thursday's Glacier-Big Sky showdown. 

"Dane likes to add a bunch of wrinkles each week," Roche said. "There will be times where we see things we never saw on film." 

Pair new wrinkles in with a backfield tandem of quarterback Tucker Laslovich and running back Kaden Thennis and the run-heavy Spartans have a potent offense. 

Thennis averages 114.9 yards per game on the ground — sixth in Class AA — with Laslovich right behind at 109.3 yards, eighth in AA. The two have combined for 23 rushing touchdowns. 

Flathead's Leum Saisbury counters with 121.2 yards a game on the ground, third in AA. 

The Braves are unsure if quarterback Bear Barker will be ready to go on Friday as the senior is recovering from an injury to his throwing shoulder. Barker's 1,583 yards are top of Class AA and second in the state despite missing last week's game against Glacier. 

"We have more than one day to install something different on offense," Roche said. "The guys have been receptive to being in different spots." 

Roche adds that this week features an earlier Brave Walk than normal at 5:30 p.m., with senior night festivities starting at 6:30 p.m. 

Wolfpack, Eagles spar for first place 

The Wolfpack have another early week and this time there is everything to play for. 

Glacier heads to Missoula for a Thursday battle with the winner claiming the No. 1 seed in Western AA. 

"The guys know what an opportunity they have," Wolfpack coach Grady Bennett said. "They have created that. They have gotten better each week and that is the goal, that you want to be playing your best football at the end of the season." 

The 7-1 Wolfpack (6-0 in conference) already clinched a first-round bye after last Thursday's 51-7 win over the Braves, while Missoula Big Sky (7-1, 5-1) could still fall to the No. 3 seed in the conference with a loss and Sentinel win. The Spartans won their head-to-head matchup 38-21. 

Guiding the Wolfpack offense is running back Trey Ramey, who has found his footing. Ramey has 464 rushing yards over the past two weeks and 977 yards over the course of the season, good enough for second in AA behind Gallatin's Tyson Scheel at 1,000. 

"I think he was frustrated a little bit early, but I am happy to see him get it going," Bennett said. "As (the O-line) has gelled, Trey has started to really understand the scheme and know where his offensive line is blocking." 

On offense for Big Sky is University of Montana commit Eli Kasberg, who Bennett knows will be a problem to slow down. 

" He is so big and physical," Bennett said. "He has a cannon of an arm and can run you over. ... If you allow Big Sky to get going then it can be a long night." 

Kasberg is second in AA with 1,566 passing yards. He is completing nearly 66 percent of his passes and has 16 touchdowns through the air with 13 more on the ground. 

 The Wolfpack and Eagles are slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff at MCPS Stadium in Missoula.