Wolves At The Gates Of Dawn During Flag Football Season

As the prep, college, and professional football world begins its crescendo, there is as much anticipation as ever before — especially in the Big Sky country. Thanks to Atlanta Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank and his foundation funding flag football nationwide, Montana high schools celebrated its fourth year last fall. For the first three seasons, the state tournament was an all-class affair, with Kalispell Glacier winning three in a row.

But on Oct. 1, 2025, a new sun crested on the Montana girls — and specifically on Hamilton High’s Bronc Stadium in the Bitterroot Valley. It was shining down on 21 girls’ flag football teams that had earned a chance to play for the state championship. By late afternoon on Thursday, three teams would celebrate titles on their extensive bus rides home: The Class AA Kalispell Glacier Wolf Pack, the Class A Hamilton Broncs, and finally, the Three Forks Wolves from Class B-C.

Montana girls flag football is unique — as it is not a member of the Montana High School Association. The game continues to grow in the Treasure State as more schools establish the sport. How About Those Wolves?

Three Forks’ 2025 B-C title — the first in state history — was not by accident. It was the Wolves’ second season offering girls flag football and head coach Maree Hanson and her two assistants, Terry Hauser and Lacy Gershmel, committed fully to winning it all.

First, they offered summer practices including entering the 2025 Big Sky State Games, where they defeated Class AA Billings West for the title.

Next, they juggled a busy fall schedule by playing second fiddle to three MHSA activities: volleyball, cross country and cheer. At Three Forks, girls may participate in more than one fall activity. So, the flag football team paid deference to the others and only practiced twice a week — if that.

As the season began and the Wolves entered their tournament jamborees, “we never had a complete team,” said Hanson. In fact, they would not have their full squad until the western B divisional in Boulder.

But the adversity paid off for Three Forks, as they went through a minefield of AA and A teams at the jamborees, including playing their archrivals, the Jefferson Panthers twice.

Sporting only a junior varsity team in their first encounter, they lost to Jefferson in East Helena by one touchdown. In their second game, they won on a last second Hail Mary pass.

A Magic State Run

As the regular season ended — and finally with a full team — Three Forks clashed with Jefferson for the western B divisional title in Boulder. The Panthers won in a defensive brawl, 6-0.

“We beat ourselves,” said Hanson. She called Jefferson, “Our white whale,” as Three Forks committed several penalties and interceptions.

But the Wolves had another chance for redemption as they moved on to state with the first-place Panthers.

Other B-C teams qualifying for Hamilton were Wolf Point (first) and Poplar (second) from the north, Huntley Project (first) and Shepherd (second) from the south, and representing the C division would be Hobson-Moore (first) and Hays-Lodgepole (second).

In their first game, Three Forks disposed of Huntly Project, 20-6. The Wolves were led by two freshmen — Brionna Strelnik and Makenna Ewan — both scoring the first touchdowns. Three Forks’ final tally was a shovel- pass touchdown from junior Arabella McCauley to fellow classmate Hailey Williams. Eva O’Brien, the top defensive rusher for the Wolves, played brilliantly and would repeat that effort throughout the tournament.

Next for Three Forks were the northern divisional champs, the speedy Wolf Point Wolves.

Wolf Point was headed by Cody Larson, who led the 2019 girls’ basketball team to the Class B title. Larson’s forte is organization and delegation — and he created an environment of togetherness. Larson handled tackling drills (flag snatching), motivation, and logistics. He also put out the typical brush fires of community, school, parental, and player concerns — leaving his assistants more room for coaching.

Brothers Bif and Jed Loucks were the defensive and offensive coordinators and had a combined 40-plus years of coaching history. Bus driver and coach Dave Allen, with over four decades of coaching in multiple sports, filled a variety of obligations including real time scouting and game-time adjustments.

“Cody handled all the behind- the-scenes stuff, equipment, uniforms and motivation,” said Bif Loucks. “He knows football. He would tell us, ‘you guys called a good game.’ He had our backs.”

Just like Three Forks, Wolf Point’s flag football team took a backseat to volleyball, cross country, and cheer. The Wolves trained two times a week - after the other activities practiced. Sometimes the cross country girls showed up after running eight miles. “They came in from cross country and volleyball tired and stressed,” recalled Loucks. “But we managed.”

Like other teams, Wolf Point began its season with several jamboree tournaments, including battling their longtime rival, the vaunted Poplar Indians. They played each other “I think seven times,” said Loucks.

Wolf Point escaped the north division by defeating Poplar 7-6, for the title.

In their first state tournament game, the Wolves outdistanced an injury plagued Hays-Lodgepole Thunderbirds, 39-12. Wolf Point’s offense, led by coordinator Jed Loucks, found six different Wolves in the end zone.

Scoring in the first half for Wolf Point were sophomores Cadence Boudin, Adalyn Smith, McKenzie Jackson and senior Teagan Williams. Two other Wolf stars scored in the second half — freshman Annaleigh Matejovsky and sophomore quarterback Maci Fourstar-Sibley.

The Thunderbirds were led by Kelcie Mount with two touchdowns.

Three Forks coach Hanson credits her team having “jet speed.” But Wolf Point was deep with “insanely speed,” according to Bif Loucks. The Wolves were also blessed with a cocktail of other assets, such as athleticism, motivation, a deep bench, and playoff experience.

Concerning the semi-final between “jet speed” Three Forks and “insanely speed,” Wolf Point, the game was memorable. Wolf Point led 7-0 going into the fourth quarter, but Three Forks’ Arabella McCauley threw a touchdown pass to Hailey Williams to send it into overtime.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the extra period, which would lead to a 13-13 tie and a second overtime. Arabella McCauley notched Three Forks’ touchdown, and Maci Fourstar-Sibley scored for Wolf Point.

In the final overtime, Arabella McCauley intercepted a Wolf Point pass and later iced the win with a sneak up the middle and a 19-13 victory. Two Three Forks players noted for their defensive play were freshman Alita O’ Brien and junior Maya Noble.

And now it would be Three Forks versus their white whale for the championship – the Jefferson Panthers.

Wolves Draw First Blood

The game was a typical Jefferson and Three Forks scuffle – intense and suspenseful.

The Wolves drew first blood, as Three Forks’ Hailey Williams blazed to a rushing TD in the first quarter. That was countered by Jefferson taking to the sky, as Jillian Senechal connected with Addison Rieder to tie the game at the end of the first quarter, 6-6.

Track star Maya Noble then scored on a long pick six to put the Wolves up 12-6. But late in the game, Jefferson’s Senechal linked with Kendall Smith on a touchdown pass, to give the Panthers a 13-12 lead with less than three minutes to go.

Enter Coach Maree Hanson’s late game philosophy: “We want those last two minutes. We’re confident in our girls. They’re fast, they’re jet rockets.”

Indeed, they were. The Wolves came through when Arabella McCauley called an audible and passed to the fleet Noble for the go-ahead touchdown. With little time left, Three Forks stopped the Panthers’ last offensive gasps to secure the title, 18-13.

“It’s just a good feeling to be able to come out here and prove ourselves,” said Noble after the game.

The Jefferson girls are not happy about their second- place finish, and “are now more motivated,” said Bowman. Although disappointed with their runner-up status, Layng and Bowman identifi ed one key success of the new program: If it weren’t for flag football at Jefferson, “some girls would never go out for another activity.”

In the meantime, the Three Forks girls celebrated in Bronc Stadium — and the party continued on the long ride home — trophy in hand.

And Sports Fans Did You Know?

• Because of the dramatic growth in Montana girls’ flag football, the players are tuned into the fury of college and professional football. “They love watching football now,” said Wolf Point’s defensive coordinator Bif Loucks. “They study the game.”

• The Montana High School Association does not sanction girls flag football. But, thanks to the Arthur Blank Foundation and many adventurous schools, Montana girls flag football is in a meteoric rise.

• For the first three years all schools — Class AA, A, B, and C — competed against each other. Some, with only a dozen girls, were classifi ed with institutions that enrolled well over a thousand. The classifications will change next year to AA, A/B, and C. Class C is expanding with several new schools entering the league — such as Centerville and Park City.

• Class AA Missoula Hellgate, under the tutelage of Tyler Gillman, traveled all the way to Class C Hobson in the summer of 2025 to practice and compete against the Titans. The Hellgate Knights won by eight over Hobson- Moore.

• Unlike tackle football, smaller players star in girls flag football. “We unleash the hounds on our defense,” says Wolf Point’s Bif Loucks. “The girls see the offensive formation and come up with their own blitzes.” The Wolves’ rush was led by Teagan Williams, a speedy 4-10 senior, and a top tackler for Wolf Point.

• And speaking of diminutive, many of Three Forks best players are “petite in stature,” said their coach Maree Hanson. “We are not very big girls across the board.” • Coach Hanson credits Kalispell Glacier coach Mark Kessler for sharing his knowledge at an Atlanta Falcons free flag football clinic in Bozeman last summer. Hanson noted several pointers by Kessler “and made them actionable items” for her victorious Wolves. She also “watches a lot of film” on her opponents over the course of the season.

• One Three Forks Wolf that was overlooked by the press was sophomore Ava Burgos-Gruby, a sophomore center and punter. According to Hanson, “Ava had phenomenal punts in the championship game,” as well as outstanding center play all season — especially concerning snap counts.

• As an eighth grader in 2025, Wolf Point’s speedster Annaleigh Matejovsky was a state wrestling champion at 120 pounds. As a freshman in 2026, she was the state’s pole vault victor edging Three Forks’ flag football star, Maya Noble 10’9” to 10’6”.

• Two of Wolf Point’s standouts for 2025 — sisters Navy and Harper Weeks — are the granddaughters of Tom Weeks, captain of the 1972 Class A football runners up. Tom’s brothers were Willie and Big John who led Wolf Point to the 1968 Big 32 basketball championship in Bozeman’s Fieldhouse.

• The Hobson-Moore Titans won the 2026 Big Sky State Games girls flag football crown. They defeated Billings West, Shepherd, Jefferson, and 2025 Class A runner-up East Helena in the championship game.