It’s safe to say that GHS’s football season is off to an amazing start. So far, our team has been only defeated once:by our crosstown rivals, Bozeman High School. From the school’s opening season it appears our Raptors are on an upward track. In the 2020 season, GHS finished 7th out of 8 teams in the Eastern Montana conference, being overall unsuccessful in their opening season. Of course that is to be expected with a new school. But ever since then our team has been on an upward trajectory. The real question is how they’re doing it.

Looking at the scores so far this team is killing it! Out of the eight games played this year the football players have defeated three teams by over 40 points. They have only had one close game this season, that being their one defeat against BHS. However when asked how head football Coach Hunter Chandler feels about meeting up with the Hawks in playoffs he states, “Good, I look forward to it.” Chandler goes on to explain that the environment of that packed home stadium really makes a positive difference in the teams performance. The Crosstown match has been known to bring packed stands despite harsh weather conditions.

It’s another known fact that our student section has shown up and out this season, whether or not our team is playing their notorious rivals. With our students dressed up to the themes cheering loud and proud for all to hear. The student section brings a winning energy which has helped us take each victory with their cheers and chants urging our players to take the “W” 

Not only has our school pulled a community together, but our football team has established their own community. Our Raptors hold team dinners to establish their team bonds. Football is notorious for being one of the teams with an extremely large number of players; the average team according to Football Advantage is around 40-50 players. That’s not including our JV and Froshmore team. Chandler also says the team has a tradition of “Morning lifts”. He feels that the morning lifts help bond the team and bring them together with sacrifice of sleep and time.  

Beyond their tight-knit bonds, this is also a team of veterans. Captains Josh Woodbury, Quinn Clark, Kyle Mounts, Jace Thompson and Kyler Wolfgang have been highlighted by Chandler to be front runners in the program. They lead a tight ship making the team the absolute unit it is today. Chandler also mentions Sy Hilliard as someone who has grown a lot throughout the season. In general the team has pulled together with new strategies for both the defense line up and offense line up and brought out the best in the team.

Overall our team is off to a great start with their success on the field, phenomenal coaches, and strong bonds. Our team truly works well together on and off the field which solidifies Chandler's good feelings of making a “Deep run” in the playoffs. Chandler states this is very possible as long as the team “Keeps getting better and stays healthy.” It’s expected to see Gallatin continue to do well as they go into the playoffs and keep up their success this season.