Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children for the event, which may be short and sweet. On Friday sixth-year head coach Bobby Hauck estimated the scrimmage would last 50-60 plays.
That's not the only event on what looks to be a nice day along Flathead Lake, with the temperature reaching 60 degrees. A tailgate precedes the scrimmage, starting at 10 a.m. at Boettcher Park. There is a postscrimmage barbecue at Boettcher Park as well.
Quarterback Cole Bergquist is back in the fold after missing the first part of drills with a sore knee. The offensive line is seasoned, though players have moved around, like all-Big Sky J.D. Quinn, who has been getting reps at center.
They'll be protecting Bergquist and three other quarterbacks as well as opening lanes for a group of runners looking to step in for record-setting Lex Hilliard: Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, Brandon Utterback, Chase Reynolds and Andrew Schmidt, among others.
Area athletes abound - not so many from the Flathead Valley, but plenty from the lower Clark Fork, like Noxon tight end Dan Beaudin and Thompson Falls receiver Tony Kazmierczak. From farther north is George Mercer, a Libby product who's seeing plenty of action at defensive end.
“It's fun for us to break up the monotony of just practice, day in and day out in spring ball,” Hauck said Thursday. “We like going on the road. Certainly when we are at the high school we will have a great view of the lake from the football field, and we need to keep our eye on the ball rather than the lake.
“If we do that we should be all right.”
The Grizzlies are in the process of filling the spots left by 24 seniors off last season's 11-1 squad. Montana opens its 2008 season on Sept. 6 on the road at talented Cal Poly, which ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision in total offense.
“We're pretty green on defense,” Hauck said. “In general, and on defense in particular, it looks different out here this spring than it has the past two, when we were a pretty veteran group. We need to have a lot of improvement and continue to make strides.”
The Grizzlies have made the FCS playoffs 15 straight seasons and have won or shared the last 10 Big Sky championships. Hauck is cautiously optimistic about the 2008 Griz, noting often they have a long way to go. The journey continues with a 60-mile jaunt up Highway 93.
“Polson is a great place, and I hope that people from the Mission and Flathead Valleys come out and support our football team and that they like what they see,” Hauck said.
QUICK KICKS: The Griz players will attend the postscrimmage barbecue, which costs $10 per adult and $5 for kids 10 and under. Tents will be provided in case of inclement weather. Š The band “Out of the Blue Grass” will play at the barbecue. Š A bagpipe band, native drummers and UM mascot Monte will be at the tailgate.
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