BOZEMAN — High school football season is officially underway as Friday marked Day 1 of practices for Bozeman and Gallatin high schools.
Bozeman High head coach Levi Wesche said Day 1 for the Hawks was high tempo.
Watch the video here:
"It was fast, it was good," Wesche said. "We have a really experienced crew this year. I think they understand the expectations, so I don't think it was anything I didn't expect. I thought they did a really good job. There's always room for improvement for sure, but it's a good first day."
Senior quarterback Van Shockley said it was great to be back on the field.
"I think everyone's really excited for that, everyone's just been waiting for that moment," Shockley said. "We've all been counting down ever since that Glacier loss. That was a pretty bad loss, and we've got a little chip on our shoulder coming back from that."
Wesche is excited for the season to start.
"I think our guys have put in a really good offseason," Wesche said. "They worked really hard and as the beginning of every season, there's always potential for whatever you want to do, like sky's the limit."
Shockley said the goal for the Hawks this year is to win a state championship.
"I think we've got the guys to do that," Shockley said. "We just have to execute."
The excitement for the season is shared with both teams in town, which was evident by the smile on Gallatin senior middle linebacker Will O'Brien's face when asked.
"I think we have a really good group of guys that we have working with us this year," O'Brien said. "And I think everybody's just really ready to play. We've been working really hard all offseason and (we're) ready to go."
Gallatin coach Hunter Chandler said it was a really good first day for the Raptors as well.
"Plenty to clean up execution-wise and stuff like that, but I just thought the energy was really good," Chandler said. "Our kids are excited to be back out here. We're super excited for the season and our kids, you can tell, are chomping at the bit."
O'Brien agreed that the first practice of camp went well.
"I think the guys are working together really well as a team and everybody's just really excited to be out here," O'Brien said. "School's coming up, everybody's getting that fall itch and we're just ready to go."
Chandler says O'Brien and the rest of the senior class are very close.
"I just think these kids, and not like we've lacked it in the past, but I think these guys just really, really love football," Chandler said. "They love hanging out together. And so I think everything that we're doing is just fun and there's kind of an elevated sense to everything."
