MISSOULA — Summer 2021 has treated Cormac Benn well.
The Bigfork High School graduate and Carroll College football and track and field commit racked up four touchdowns in the Class B all-star football game in Billings last weekend. For his work on the field, Benn earned Offensive MVP honors for the North team as it won 28-21.
Now, Benn is in Butte practicing for his second all-star showcase in eight days, as he'll participate in the 74th Montana East-West Shrine Game this Saturday which will also be in Billings.
"I was a little sore at first but it’s slowly getting better and I’m pretty (much) at 100% now," Benn said.
Benn lined up at receiver last weekend but three of his four touchdowns were on the ground. He scored on touchdown runs of 2, 6 and 68 yards and also caught a 20-yard score for the North.
In the Shrine Game, he'll compete as a running back, which was his main position on offense in his lone season at Bigfork High School.
"Pretty good confidence (going in)," Benn said. "I know that these kids are a little bit bigger, stronger, faster so it’s a new game."
The all-star games conclude a winding road for Benn's high school journey and life growing up.
Benn has lived all over the state throughout his life. Most recently, he lived in Ronan in middle school, then spent his freshman and sophomore years in Malta where his dad Jim was the head football coach at the high school.
As a junior Benn played football at Missoula Loyola, but he moved to Bigfork before his senior year when his dad got the head coaching job for the Vikings. Prior to all of that, Benn grew up in Huntley Project.
In his lone year with the Vikings, Benn racked up 1,934 yards on the ground and scored 25 touchdowns.
"It was tough at times trying to make new friends and figure out new teachers and new schools but in the end I’ve made lots of friends and I know kids from all over the state," Benn said about his moves.
Now, it's all about wrapping up his high school career at the Shrine Game before moving on to Carroll.
"It’s awesome. I’ve been excited all week and I want to go win that football game with all of these guys, they’re all awesome," Benn said.
