Every now and again you need a little extra push.

That was the case for Glacier senior Cooper Pelc heading into his junior season in 2025. 

Now a captain in his senior season, Pelc was a fringe starter for the eventual state champion Wolfpack and found his effort dropping a bit from what he was capable of. 

“I hadn’t solidified my spot as a starter, so my effort had dipped a little bit and Coach B (Grady Bennett) and the other coaches picked me up and called me higher,” Pelc said. “From that point on it was just one percent better every day and nose to the grindstone.” 

Pelc springboarded that mentality into a key role on the squad that downed Billings West 16-3 at Legends Stadium last November to bring home Glacier’s second state title. 

“He is never satisfied,” Bennett said. “He is already really gifted and a lot of kids that have a lot of natural talent, they rest on that and don’t really work hard. ... He always responds really well, so anytime I have really challenged him with, ‘Hey you aren’t living up to the standards that you have set for yourself,’ he just responds and goes after it. 

Pelc continues to push not just himself forward, but also his teammates as a lead-by-example captain in 2026. The Wolfpack sit at 3-1 on the season after dropping a defensive showdown in their opener — a 6-3 overtime loss to the Golden Bears. They have outscored opponents 110-0 since. Friday, they will look to add a fourth win as they meet Hellgate at Legends Stadium for Homecoming at 7 p.m. 

He has found the end zone twice in 2026, once through the air and another on his only carry of the season. But it isn’t all about stats for Pelc, it’s about helping this team advance back to the state championship. 

This Glacier senior class is looking to make it four title games in four seasons and Pelc credits it all to the culture that Bennett has created. 

“It’s the brotherhood,” Pelc said. “You can come out here and it doesn’t matter who you talk to, you know what they are about. You know that they are going to bring that good energy. They will bring you up when you are down and keep you up when you are up.” 

“Cooper and his best friends, this senior class, they have stepped into the roles and they are the leaders that are going to take us where they want to go this year,” Bennett said. 

As for how Pelc found his way to the gridiron? 

Having a father — Brian Pelc — who played center for the 2001 national champion Montana Grizzlies helps. Pair that with his mother Kelli running track for the Grizzlies and Cooper was destined to be an athlete. 

“I played basically whatever the weather let me do,” Pelc said. “Baseball in the summer, track in the spring, but nothing really compares to the feeling of putting the helmet on and running out of the tunnel. I get chills just thinking about it, no other sport gives that to me.” 

Football may be where the heart lies, but there is no denying his athletic ability elsewhere. 

Last spring Pelc set the all-class 110-meter hurdles state record in Missoula, running a 14.03-second race and just edging out Helena Capital’s Oliver Mow, who also went under the old state record with a 14.08. 

“I wasn’t really going for the record, I was just going for the win,” Pelc said. “I felt really good in prelims. I pulled up and still had close to one of my best times, so I felt really good going in. 

“Coach B always instills a level of confidence in me that lets me know I can do whatever I put my mind to and that all the work I put in throughout the season will show when it matters most.” 

“The way he competed in that race and what it demanded. It was one of the best and fastest fields of all-time,” Bennett said. “Things like that are where Cooper Pelc really shines and really stands out.” 

Pelc plans to follow in his parent’s footsteps at the University of Montana. He is already committed to play football for Bobby Kennedy’s Grizzlies and there is no other place that Pelc would rather be his freshman year. 

“I already feel a brotherhood there (in Missoula),” Pelc said. “Talking to some of the guys on the team and some of the guys who came through here, it has been fun seeing them. I am honestly really excited to take my next step.”  

But before Pelc suits up in Maroon and Silver, he has one final season in Blue and Green to close out with Glacier, hopefully with another trophy coming home to Kalispell. 

Reporter Jon Allen can be reached at 406-758-4426 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.