Friday nights in the Magic City hit differently. If you’ve ever stood on the sidelines at Daylis Stadium, you know that specific smell of damp grass, concession stand popcorn, and the crisp, biting air rolling off the Rims. It’s a vibe. Billings Senior High football isn't just a seasonal extracurricular; it’s a century-long institution that has survived demographic shifts, the opening of new schools, and the brutal evolution of Class AA competition.
People talk about history like it’s a dusty book. At Senior, history is a physical weight. You feel it in the locker rooms. You see it in the "S" on the helmets that hasn't changed because, honestly, why mess with what works? The Broncs have a way of staying relevant even when they aren't the favorites.
Why the Broncs Stay at the Top of Class AA
Winning in Montana’s highest classification is a grind. It’s basically a war of attrition. For Billings Senior High football, the secret sauce has always been a weirdly consistent pipeline of athletes who seem to thrive on being slightly overlooked compared to the big schools in Missoula or Kalispell.
Take the 2010s. That decade was legendary. Under coaches like Chris Murdock, the Broncs didn't just win; they dominated with a specific brand of "Bronc Ball." It was physical. It was fast. It was, frankly, exhausting to watch if you were on the opposing bleachers. They secured back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017, a feat that is monumentally hard to pull off when you’re facing schools with massive depth charts like Bozeman or Glacier.
- The 2016 Run: Gabe Sulser. If you know, you know. He was a human highlight reel who eventually took his talents to the University of Montana. That year, the Broncs went undefeated, finishing 13-0 and capping it off with a 33-21 win over Glacier.
- The 2017 Encore: They did it again. Same energy. Same result. A 13-0 season and a 21-12 victory over Helena High.
But it’s not always about the trophies. It’s about the fact that even in "down" years, nobody wants to play Senior in late October. They play a style of football that is fundamentally Billings—gritty, a little bit loud, and incredibly stubborn.
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The Daylis Stadium Factor
You can’t talk about this program without talking about Daylis. It’s the cathedral of Montana high school sports. While other schools are building shiny new complexes on the edge of town with artificial turf that looks like a video game, Daylis feels real. It’s shared with Billings West and Billings Skyview, but Senior always feels like the primary tenant because of that downtown proximity.
There’s a psychological edge to playing there. The wind can do some funky things off the Rims, and if you aren’t used to the way the sound bounces off the concrete stands, it can get in your head. Visiting teams from out west usually struggle with the atmosphere. It’s intimate. It’s loud. It’s basically a pressure cooker.
The Rivalry That Actually Matters
Forget what people say about cross-state grudges. The real heat is the Billings City Championship.
The Senior vs. West game is the one everyone circles on the calendar the moment the MHSA schedules drop in the summer. It’s more than just a game; it’s about bragging rights at the Rimrock Mall and whose jersey gets worn with more pride in the off-season. West has the numbers. Senior has the "Old School" soul.
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When these two teams meet, the stats usually go out the window. I’ve seen 4-5 Senior teams play out of their minds to upset an undefeated West team. It’s about pride. It’s about the fact that many of these kids grew up playing together in the Little Guy Football leagues, only to be split up once they hit 9th grade.
Recent Struggles and the Rebuilding Reality
Let’s be real for a second: the last couple of seasons haven't been as kind to the Broncs as that mid-2010s stretch. The landscape of Montana football is shifting. Bozeman and Kalispell have exploded in population, and that depth is starting to show on the field.
Senior has had to navigate coaching transitions and the natural ebb and flow of talent cycles. In 2023 and 2024, we saw a younger squad taking its lumps. But that’s the thing about a program with this much "institutional memory." They don't stay down. You see the sophomores getting playing time now, and you know they’re going to be monsters by the time they’re seniors.
The school's ability to produce college-level talent hasn't slowed down, though. Whether it's the Big Sky Conference or the Frontier Conference, you’ll find Bronc alumni all over the rosters of the Griz, the Cats, and Carroll College.
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Beyond the X’s and O’s
High school football in a place like Billings acts as a social glue. On a Friday night, the student section—the "Bronc Nation"—is a chaotic sea of orange and black. It doesn't matter if the team is 8-0 or 2-6. The band is loud, the cheerleaders are freezing, and the community is there.
There's a specific kind of toughness required to play here. You might start the season in 80-degree heat and end it shoveling snow off the yard lines just to see the turf. That builds a certain character. It’s why you see former players coming back ten years later just to stand on the track and watch.
What to Expect Next Season
If you're looking to follow Billings Senior High football, keep an eye on the trenches. The Broncs are traditionally built from the inside out. They might not always have the flashiest quarterback in the state, but they almost always have a line that will try to run the ball down your throat for four quarters.
- Check the Schedule Early: The non-conference games against Missoula schools are the best litmus test for how the season will go.
- Watch the Defense: Senior usually hangs its hat on a high-pressure defensive scheme. Look for their linebacker play; it's usually where their most aggressive leaders reside.
- Attend a Home Game: If you're a fan of the sport, you owe it to yourself to sit in the stands at Daylis at least once.
The Broncs are currently in a phase of re-establishing their identity in a very crowded Class AA field. It won't be easy. Nothing in Billings ever is. But betting against a program with this much history is usually a bad move. They’ll be back in the chip conversation sooner than the rest of the state thinks.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Parents
To stay truly connected with the program, don't just rely on local news snippets. Follow the official Billings Senior High athletics social media pages for real-time score updates and roster changes. If you’re a parent of a middle schooler looking to join the ranks, get them involved in the local camps held at the school during the summer; that’s where the culture starts. For the die-hards, join the booster club. High school sports budgets are always tight, and the "Bronc Backers" are the reason the team has the equipment and travel funds they need to compete at a state level. Support the program by showing up early, wearing the orange and black, and staying until the final whistle, regardless of the score.