Pirates football program looks for new signal-caller

Polson High School football coach Pat Danley is getting assistance from a familiar colleague as he starts the process of molding the Pirates’ football team into his own program.

Danley, who was a Pirates’ assistant for 17 seasons under former Polson coach Scott Wilson, said he has gotten a lot of help from now Principal Wilson on the responsibilities of his new job.

“Wilson has helped a ton and I am so fortunate to work basically 16 of the 17 years coaching since the Fall of 2001 and most of my coaching career,” Danley said. “I feel unworthy following him. He gave me an opportunity and really gracious that he is helping me out with logistical things.”

Danley admits after 17 years of calling plays from the booth, he didn’t realize all of the small details Wilson dealt with as a head coach.

“There were a lot of things that I sort of took for granted that Scott had done,” Danley said. “Scott did a lot of logistical things like fundraising. That was a great part of the job Wilson did that I took for granted.”

Polson QB race taking shape

Danley and his staff inherited the unenviable task of replacing Tanner Wilson, a quarterback signed to the NCAA Division-I University of Montana Grizzlies. He and his teammate Matthew Rensvold were the first U of M signees since 1987.

The Pirates will have two signal callers. They have narrowed their choices down to, according to Danley: Colby Soderquist and Bo Kelley.

“One of those two guys will be our starting quarterback,” Danley declared. “We sat them down a week ago and talked to them in the weight room. I told them ‘I expect you to be contributing significant minutes’and they have both done great things in the offseason. There is probably not a third kid that is in the mix in terms of starters. The one who doesn’t get the QB position I’ll probably place at receiver.”

Danley has also praised the play of his offensive and defensive line.

“Hopefully, we will be able to surprise some people and we will be good,” Danley said.

He also has credited Treylon Mitchell for having a good work ethic this summer.

“Treylon Mitchell has had a really good summer and has worked really hard in the weight room,” Danley said.

Pirates’ defense gets a facelift

LB Jonah Burke, who signed with NAIA Montana Tech for the 2017 year, is just one of the many key components that is no longer part of the of the Pirates defense. Polson’s defense will look remodeled this year.

“We have to replace a lot of kids,” Danley said. “Kyle Druyvestein will be important in terms of outside linebacker and Hayden Smith and Noah Humphrey will look to get big minutes.”

One reason Danley is putting such an emphasis on defense is because of the Pirates’ week one opponent: Dillon. Every season, Dillon is one of the top-contending teams to capture a state championship.

“This week, we will actually have a better idea on what we have to do on July 25 when we go up to Whitefish and have a four-team scrimmage,” Danley said. “We will also get a better idea (of what we have) as we get closer to August.”

Realignment renews old rivalry

With the realignment of the classes and conference, Polson will get to renew a rivalry with Ronan now that they are in the same conference.

It’s not the just the Chiefs that will present a challenge in the new conference. Danley recalls several games with Libby, now in Class-A, that were highly contested battles.

Danley also said he felt Hamilton will have a formidable team headed into the start of the season.

Right now though, Danley said he is starting to shift his focuse towards being thoroughly prepared for week one against Dillon.

“I think it’s pretty cliché but it’s true,” Danley said. “You see a huge improvement from the first game to the second game. Regardless, you just have to get better.”