LAUREL — The 2024 football season ended in heartbreak for Laurel, as the Locomotives watched rival Billings Central hoist the Class A state championship trophy. But that title-game loss served as plenty of offseason fuel.
"Revenge. Revenge is probably the biggest word I can think of," Laurel senior running back Curtis Fox told MTN Sports. "A lot of our guys were in the weight room. A lot more than last year. You could tell we all took it personal."
"The main focus was on us, but watching another team take the trophy as you walk off the field — that maybe gives us a little bit extra going into the offseason," Laurel head coach Travis Rauh said.
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Just months prior, Fox wasn't even sure he'd play football again after lacerating his kidney during a summer camp. He returned and ran for more than 1,300 yards, but there was a real fear his time on the gridiron was finished.
"It's just scary. You just love the game of football and that's all you've ever played your entire life. When you hear a doctor say you might not be able to make it back for the season, it's just scary," Fox said. "Once I got that first snap, I knew I was ready and I was still the same person. I'm very grateful to be on this field."
Fox is among a large group of returnees for the Locomotives, including several along the offensive and defensive lines, which will help anchor Laurel throughout the season.
"They pretty much run everything. Without them, nothing would have happened last year and nothing would happen this year, and it's mostly all because of them," senior quarterback Krew Hunter said. "They don't get as much credit as they should, but having everyone back is a big deal."
"That's the key. It all starts up front. The fact that they're as assignment sound and technically sound as they are at this point in the year, it's allowing us to add a few wrinkles in the run game and even some things in the pass game, as well," Rauh said. "I'm excited about what that group brings to the table and what they allow us to do both offensively and defensively."
Laurel fires up its season in Glendive on Aug. 29.
