Chiefs football ready for transition from Class B to A

RONAN —Ronan High School football coach Matt Detwiler is ready for the challenge his team will face as they prepare to make the transition from Class B to Class A.

One reason Detwiler, a Ronan graduate himself, is excited about the transition from Class B to Class A is because of the fierce and intense rivalry he recalls between Ronan and Polson during his years of high school.

Ronan will renew the long-standing rivalry when they host the Pirates Sept. 22 on the Chiefs’ homecoming night.

“Everyone on our team knows all of the Polson kids,” Detwiler said. “We play them on homecoming and that is going to be a fun night.”

The other reason for Detwiler’s optimism is he is returning several players from a team that qualified for the Class B quarterfinals and finished its season with a loss to Whitehall, a team who lost to the eventual Class B champion Eureka team that defeated Loyola in the championship last year to win it all.

“I think we are coming into this season pretty well off,” Detwiler said. “We have a lot of returning talent and experience. That is going to be huge, especially when we move up to Class A.”

One major change the Chiefs will have will be at signal-caller. Last season, the Chiefs had QB Kasey Mock, who initially signed with Montana Western to play middle LB, now looks to convert to the tight end as a new member of the Bulldogs.

“He is transitioning from LB to TE (in college) and that move surprised everyone,” Detwiler said. “He has surprised everyone in college with his hands and coordination. That was kind of cool to hear.”

This season, the Chiefs will be led by new quarterback Brendon Blood, who looks to lead the Chiefs into a season with a loaded schedule that include Dillon, Polson and Butte Central to name a few contestants.

“Blood was an all-conference athlete and he is like a letterman,” Detwiler said. “He is just a multi-purpose tool and we will solidify him in the quarterback role because of his pure athleticism.”

Detwiler will also retain his entire coaching staff he had from last season.

“We will have a good offensive line this year,” Detwiler said. “I can’t even describe Blood. He is making good decisions, running when he needs to and getting rid of the ball when he needs to. He is the real deal at quarterback.”

Because of the retention of the staff, Detwiler said offensively and defensively, the Chiefs will retain a similar look.

“We will be looking pretty similar if not exactly the same as last year,” Detwiler said. “We have a lot of our receivers and a lot of our offensive line returning. We don’t need to fix something if it isn’t broken. We are adding another year of experience as far as preparation and calling the game.”

The Chiefs have added one new volunteer assistant to its staff. Dylan Kramer, who will be the new high school wrestling coach and teach US history, will help aid the now experienced Chiefs’ coaching staff.

With success has come heightened expectations and Detwiler has stated he is OK with that. He also stated he wants to build on the success his team had last season and not get complacent.

“I’ve had a lot of people around town talk about football and say they are ‘excited’ about the season because there hasn’t been any football on television (yet) or anything,” Detwiler said. “I’ve had a lot of the community say great things about the kids and the program. That is a comforting feeling because it makes me like I am doing something right. It is awesome because this community has your back no matter what. Most people around town are just excited to see more Chiefs’ football.”

This season, the Chiefs revamped its uniforms. The move was symbolic to moving up from Class B to Class A. Detwiler said the Chiefs’ philosophical approach to football won’t change.

“Even though we are moving up, we aren’t rebranding or change our style,” Detwiler said. “At the same time, I want to show Class A and everyone that we are flashy and fast.”