For the Gallatin High School Boys’ Soccer team, this fall has been a great success marked by hardware, but built through hardship. Their mid-season loss to their cross-town rival, although devastating, has marked a turning point, leading to their state victory.

Following the loss, the whole team was feeling disappointed, according to junior Raptors midfielder Max Graham. Their earlier-season wins over Billings West and Belgrade gave the team confidence as they faced their crosstown rival. “We were pumped, we thought we could take them, but they were ready too,” Graham noted.

As a result of the loss, the team took a critical look at their strategy, according to senior and goalkeeper Alex Giankas. “We all gotta realize our mistakes. My coach, Mike, told me that you have to take accountability before you can move forward. We are a great team, but we can’t let [the loss] stop us.”

Nevertheless, Giankas appreciated the whole team’s attitude that day. “About halfway, we knew we were down, but we still kept the push. That’s the good thing about being a Raptor. You always gotta have that push, that even if you go down, don’t put your head down.”

That very attitude may have been the reason why they continued their regular season with the strongest record in their division: 12:2. Gallatin, following their game with Bozeman, only lost to one other team in the regular season: Billings Senior. Although they beat Bozeman, Senior’s ability to beat Gallatin later was anything but sure, as in Gallatin’s second game against Bozeman, they didn’t just win, but scored 4:0 against them. Alex Gainkas sent one of the Hawks’ players to the ER. Nearing the end of the second half, Bozeman went in for a goal, and Alex did not make any similar mistakes as he did in the team’s previous game. He blocked the ball and sent the player flying.

“He hit my shoulder and flipped... I made him flip all the way out of bounds. It was my buddy, though, so I felt pretty bad about it. I know he’s doing well, though.” The Raptors found their performance that day to be stronger. Walter Rivera, a Senior and Wing for Gallatin, doesn’t solely attribute their win to any mediocre play on Bozeman’s side, though. “We played very well. They played very well. But somebody has to win.”

“The difference on the field is that we showed up to play, not saying we didn’t fight hard or anything like that in the first game. But it was a different kind of fight; it was like we were fighting together. A more coordinated team, in all,” said Giankas when he commented about his team’s performance during their second game against the Hawks.

Gallatin won their semifinal game against Glacier High School. They were thrilled over their victory and informed that they would not face either a cross-town rival or another competitor in their division. Instead, they would face the number one in the Western Division: the Missoula Hellgate Knights.

The Raptors had their shot at Gallatin’s first state win for boys’ soccer. The Gallatin Boys were successful, scoring 3:2. Two assists from Max Graham and a hat trick from senior Zeke Leighton.

The team’s performance was incredible throughout the season. The coordination the Raptor Boys brought to the final game was unmatched by that of they’re previous games. Hellgate brought exceptional speed and skill to the pitch. Still, Gallatin’s heart, determination, handling, and organization sent them home with Gold hardware and a legacy of Gallatin soccer triumph: Gallatin High School’s first Boys’ Soccer State Championship.