News you can use

Excitement high as Griz football spring tour hits Havre

One year ago to the day, Bobby Hauck stood inside the show room at Tilleman Motors as the new head coach of the Montana Grizzlies. And he talked mainly about his vision for what he wanted the program to be in his second stint at the helm of the biggest college sports team in the Treasure State.

Fast forward one year, and Hauck was back in Havre on the 2019 Grizzly Spring Tour, and, in his own words, things were decidedly different.

Following a 6-5 2018 campaign, and a gut-wrenching last-second loss to the hated Montana State Bobcats in the 2018 Brawl of the Wild, Hauck talked to Havre Griz fans about where the Grizzlies sit today, and where they are headed.

"Our football team is healthy from a big-picture standpoint," the veteran skipper said. "The key thing for us right now is to continue to make progress and not be static or regress. And I think we're doing that."

And the Grizzlies certainly are progressing. Hauck spoke at length about the tremendous offseason his team has had, and the improvements they're making.

"I'm excited about the offseason we had," Hauck said. "Our guys were great. Winter conditioning was excellent and the spring went really well. I think we improved a lot as a football team."

A year ago, Hauck was in Havre less than a month after the Grizzlies wrapped up their first spring under their new/old leader, and while he was optimistic and positive then, he was even more so on Tuesday afternoon.

"I love our team, we have a bunch of workers," Hauck said. "I love what's going on with our team. It's exciting for me personally to see the growth of our football team."

And there's plenty to like about the Grizzlies going forward. Whether it's Dante Olson, who is perhaps the best linebacker in the FCS, or the exciting play of quarterback Dalton Sneed, or the heart of the Griz at defensive tackle, #37 Jesse Sims, or the electric Sammy Akem at wide receiver, the Griz are loaded with returning talent.

"The attitude is on a daily basis, terrific," Hauck said. "These guys are exemplary with their attitude and how they work. I love that about this football team."

Hauck and the members of the UM athletic department also spoke at length about the football team's outstanding 3.7 GPA over the course of the last three semesters, something everyone in the program is extremely proud of.

"These guys do things the right way," Hauck said. "On and off the football field. They're just a great bunch to be around and work with."

Indeed. The excitement level in Havre Tuesday, and beyond is, as it always is with Griz Nation, very high. And as Hauck continued to speak and joke with the throngs of Havre and Hi-Line Griz fans, before the group headed off to their next stop in Glasgow, one thing was clear, Hauck and Co. can't wait for August to get here, when fall camp starts, and the Griz open their season at South Dakota on Aug. 31.

"I'm fired up," Hauck said. "Being here with all of you fires me up. I can't wait for August to get here. I can't wait to see all of you in the stadium this fall. The beauty of our game is, you have a schedule, you play the games and you try to win as many of them as you can. So that's what we're going to try and do. We've got a great foundation laid, I really like our football team, and we're going to just try and keep getting better, and go and try to have a great fall."

 

Reader Comments(0)