Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Caleb Allestad, Havre High Football

The high school football season has been a long time coming for the Havre Blue Ponies, who are eager to hit the field again following a winless season in 2017.

And Friday, Havre will finally hit the field for its season-opener, and one player who will be as excited as any at Blue Pony Stadium that night is senior Caleb Allestad, who will be making this first career start against the Hardin Bulldogs.

Allestad is no stranger to Blue Pony Stadium. He has been a varsity player the past couple of seasons for HHS and spent all of 2017 earning his way on the field through the kicking game. Allestad wasn't a starter on offense or defense, but he was on each special teams unit and that's an honor he will hold again this season.

In addition to that, though, Allestad is going to see the field as a starting outside linebacker and after working his way up the depth chart, he's ready for his moment in the spotlight.

"It's going to feel different," Allestad said of being a starter. "But it will be exciting."

Havre, which is getting set for its second season in the Eastern A conference, will open a difficult nine-game schedule Friday with Hardin, a team the Ponies nearly beat a season ago. The Bulldogs did get the best of Havre down in Hardin 15-7, but it was close throughout, and the Ponies had some missed opportunities that cost them in the fourth quarter.

Hardin was able to win in large part because of its vaunted running game something the Bulldogs will try to establish again, however, Allestad and the Havre defense will have something to say about what could be the key battle between the two teams. Stopping the run will be crucial but so will establishing the run. Allestad doesn't play much on the offensive side of the ball, but occasionally he will see his number called as a running back/fullback.

Like his teammates, Allestad, who also plays Legion baseball for the Havre Northstars, doesn't care about his role or his individual stats, he's concerned about winning. And that's the only goal for Friday night against Hardin - win.

But before Allestad and the Ponies play under the Lights Friday, the Havre Daily News caught up with him for five questions.

HDN: How excited are you for your senior season?

Allestad: "I am excited. It's going to be better than last year. I think that everyone has a better mentality."

HDN: How much are you looking forward to starting this season?

Allestad: "It will be different and exciting but it's just another year of football."

HDN: So what do you like about linebacker?

Allestad: "I like to hit people. It's a good release for me."

HDN: How motivated are you guys to get a win?

Allestad: "That's the main goal Friday night. We want to get the win. It's something we have all been working really hard to try to get."

HDN: What is your favorite part of playing at Blue Pony Stadium?

Allestad: "Just the atmosphere and the excitement. You have the band and everyone's all happy and pumped. It just makes it a lot of fun."