Episode Details

Two days before kickoff, Daily Inter Lake sports reporter Luke Schmit sat down with Columbia Falls Wildcats head coach Kelly Houle, quarterback Banyan Johnston, and running back/linebacker Tripp Ross ahead of Thursday's season opener against Fergus at Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.

Coach Houle breaks down why this team is "weeks ahead" of where they were a year ago, the brotherhood culture that drives the program, and what he wants to see change after a playoff run last season - starting faster instead of building momentum late. Johnston talks about sharpening the details in his game and stepping into a senior leadership role for the Wildcats' freshmen, while Ross previews his downhill running style, a veteran offensive line, and a defense built to play fast with Jackson Cadwell and Daniel Contreras up front.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:29 - Coach Houle on Season Expectations
01:02 - Thursday's Opener vs Fergus at Grizzly Stadium
01:08 - Banyan Johnston on Off-Season Growth
01:27 - Tripp Ross on Trusting His Quarterback
01:37 - Ross's Running Style and a Veteran O-Line
02:05 - Building Chemistry With a Newer-Look Team
02:45 - Family Culture and Letting the Kids Play
03:02 - Johnston Steps Into a Senior Leadership Role
03:16 - What Fueled Last Year's Playoff Run
04:10 - Playing Fast: Read, React, Fire
04:23 - The Johnston-to-Jordan Hill Connection
05:20 - Defense Preview With Ross and Jackson Cadwell
05:34 - Coach Houle on Culture, Trust, and "Love Each Other"
06:15 - The Whitefish Game Audible That Shifted Momentum
06:52 - This Year's Goal: Fix the Slow Starts
07:09 - Player Shoutouts
07:47 - Final Thoughts

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