Win or lose, the Beeters are special

Regardless of what happens this Saturday in Wibaux in the Class C 8-man state championship game, this season is unquestionably one of the greatest in the history of Chinook Sugbarbeeter football, and I for one have enjoyed going along for the ride.

Few expected the Beeters to play for the 8-man state championship this season. I will be the first to admit that I did not see it coming. Chinook was 4-5 last season and missed the playoffs but also lost their best player and their longtime head coach Matt Moylneaux to retirement. It’s one thing to lose players, that is simply part of high school football, but replacing a legendary coach like Molyneaux was another matter entirely.

It seemed like, with all of those challenges, the Beeters would be hard pressed to contend for a state title. They certainly looked like a playoff team, even from the first time I saw them in training camp. But this run they have put together was largely unexpected and maybe that’s why it’s even more special. I remember the season-opening game against Great Falls Central and watching the Beeters get dominated in the first quarter to the tune of 22-0 and thought maybe this team is not as good as I had anticipated.

How wrong I was.

Staring a 22-point deficit in the face a lesser team would have thrown in the towel but not the, Beeters. Instead, they rallied and eventually gained the lead. They ended up losing to their Northern C Division rival but the heart, determination and talent they showed in coming back to nearly steal the victory showed their potential and the it-factor that so many great teams have.

I don’t know what it is, I just know it when I see it and I promise you, the Beeters have an abundance of it. Yet high school football is not about moral victories, it’s about winning football games. And as the season wore on that is something Chinook started to do a lot of — since that opening loss to Great Falls Central, the Beeters have won 10 of their last 11 games, with their only loss coming to Belt, which lost out in the 8-man quarterfinals.

But it’s not just the winning streak that has been impressive, it’s how every time I see the Beeters in person, they are better. Last Sunday, when I was watching the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football, one of the commentators, Chris Collinsworth mentioned how great teams like the Patriots, with a great coach like Bill Belichick always seem to get better as the season goes on.

It may seem silly to compare the Beeters to the Patriots but the way they have continued to get better and better, even in the postseason, shows how great they truly are and what a tremendous job Chinook’s first-year head coach Scott Friede has done.

If there is a high school coach in the state of Montana that has done a better job than Friede this season, please tell me, because in all honestly, I believe you would be hard pressed to find one. He has gotten his players to buy into his program and their belief shows every time they step on the field.

In large part because he has earned his players’ trust, Friede has helped his team reach its full potential, which is all you can ask of a high school coach. Coaches in Montana don’t get the luxury of recruiting and often times have to deal with shrinking enrollments, which leads to fewer players and more challenges. But despite all the obstacles and in his first season back at the helm, Friede has gotten all of his players to buy in and when he told them in their season-opening meeting to “dream big, state championship big,” they did and, through hard work and determination, they are making that dream become a reality.

That story is great and a great story is a sports writer’s dream, but that’s not why I have fallen in love with this Beeters team. It has more to do with their character, passion, effort, camaraderie and love. Love for the game and, I daresay, their love for each other.

These moments, playing in a state championship game create memories that will last a lifetime. It creates lifelong bonds that will never truly be broken. That bond is already there and you don’t have to watch this team long to see it shine through. I am a firm believer that chemistry matters in sports and when you get a group of young men that genuinely like each other and are willing to give it everything they have for each other like this Chinook team — that is when great things happen.

Win or lose, this Chinook team has reminded me why I love high school football. Why I love watching and why the four years I spent playing it, were some of the best years of my life. Win or lose, this team has already created a special place for itself in Chinook sports history. They have given their school, their community and most importantly themselves, something they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

I’m probably not supposed to say this, but to be honest I don’t care; I hope Chinook wins the 8-man state championship Saturday, but if they don’t, it won’t be a tragedy and it won’t take away from anything they achieved this season.

Whether the Beeters win the state championship or not, they are champions in my book and represent everything high school athletics should be about: winning but winning with class, respect and teamwork.

So, even if you are not from Chinook and aren’t a Sugarbeeter at heart, you can feel good about cheering for the Beeters Saturday. I will in secret, in my own heart, because as you might know, there is no cheering in the press box.