BILLINGS — The Billings Skyview football team has improved each of the last three seasons and they’re looking to make some noise in the Eastern AA this fall.
“I feel like now, especially after what happened last year in the playoffs, we’re just more hungry than we’ve ever been to win football games and come out here and show everyone that Skyview football is different than it’s been the last three years. We’re ready to bring everything we have to the table and we’re going to show people the new Skyview football team," quarterback Dylan Goodell said. "Knowing and just seeing the difference in the last two years of people coming and wanting to play for Skyview and the hunger of wanting to come and win a football game for Skyview, it’s changed drastically.”
“The season plays how it is," said head coach Nathan Wahl. "We take it one day at a time trying to always be focused on today’s practice, how we can make today the best we can be, because that’s how we get to the game and play successfully.”
One of those guys who has been anxious to get back on the field is Goodell. A high ankle sprain against Bozeman Gallatin last season kept Goodell out for the tail end of the season, but he’s put in the work rehabbing and he’s ready to strap it up on Friday night.
“I’ve been icing, ice bathing, contrast between heat and ice and doing stuff with bands constantly for the past year," Goodell said. "It’s been a long journey, especially because sometimes I still feel a little bit in my ankle. It’s not always going to be 100 percent, but I feel a lot better than I always have or I ever have before. I think that rehab, honestly, did me wonders.”
Wahl said there’s been a noticeable uptick in the intensity of practice as Friday night’s game against Kalispell Flathead looms, which he credits as a testament to his kids, as they’ve put in some long days this week.
“We have school starting as well, so we kind of have this mixture between the intensity of game week and the drag of school going on. By that I mean it’s just a long day for our kids when they haven’t been used to going to school," Wahl said. "A lot of them are excited to be back, be around their friends, they get up early for workouts and do all that stuff then all of the sudden they’re like, ‘Oh man, we’ve got a practice.’”
Wahl and the Falcons are expecting a raucous environment at Daylis Stadium this weekend, something that they’ve had to wait nearly two years for.
“Since the day I got here we’ve had one of the best student sections I’ve ever seen. Even when we were going through the hard times, they were here all the time," Wahl said. "We’re still working out of everything, but I know they’re going to come in as big and exciting as they’ve ever been. I’m excited for our kids to experience that. I think they’ve worked hard to earn that experience on the varsity playing field. And I’m excited for our families who have worked very hard to do what they can to mitigate everything they can, but they just want to watch their kids play and enjoy those things they’ve enjoyed since they were nine years old.”
Skyview and Flathead will kick off their seasons at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Daylis Stadium.
