HELENA — The FCS national champion Montana State Bobcats football team continued its victory lap Tuesday with a visit to the State Capitol.
Gov. Greg Gianforte proclaimed Tuesday “Bobcat Day” in Montana while surrounded by MSU players and coaches. Following remarks by Gianforte and Bobcats coach Brent Vigen, the team had lunch with the governor and posed for photos.
Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime in the FCS title game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tenn.
See and hear the sight and sounds from Tuesday's visit:
“Sports is so important to teach young men and women about hard work (and) determination,” Gianforte told MTN Sports. “I know I learned as much playing football in high school as I did in the classroom.
“This idea of pulling together, overcoming obstacles and achieving — not everyone gets to achieve to the level that these Bobcats have. But sports can teach every young boy or girl a lot about themselves and about how to be successful in life.”
Montana State’s championship roster featured 44 Montanans, including four Helena natives. And for those Bobcats from Montana’s capital city, bringing the national championship trophy home to Helena was a full-circle experience.
Hear from Montana State's Helena natives:
“It’s a big mark in my journey, I guess, because I grew up here,” said Montana State defensive back and Helena High graduate Colter Petre. “I went to high school, little league and all that stuff and grew up here. It’s super cool to come back to my hometown and share this trophy and share this championship with my hometown.”
Petre’s teammate and fellow Helena native Talon Marsh noted the added excitement he’s noticed while talking to people in his hometown since the Bobcats’ victory.
“It’s really crazy because you grow up being a Bobcat fan since you were a little kid,” said Marsh, a defensive lineman and Capital High graduate. “And then you go to Bozeman and every time you come back it’s ‘Oh, hey. How are you?’ But when you come back a national champion, a lot more people like to come up to you and talk about them. And you just love to see the Helena community come up to you and give you such a great response.”
