Great article on Brock Osweiler

He has received more hype at an earlier age than did Larry Krystkowiak, Jack Gillespie, Ed Kalafat and Ray Kuka, all former Treasure State hoop legends who played professional basketball.

He has earned more honors sooner in his prep career than did Ryan Leaf, Dave Dickenson and John Leister, former Montana quarterbacks who played pro football.

Kalispell super sophomore Brock Osweiler, perhaps the most ballyhooed combination of football-basketball talent in the history of Big Sky Country prep athletics, is no stranger to scrutiny.

"You read a lot of things and you hear a lot of people talking," he said. "But you just have to stick close to your roots and listen to your family and the people you trust. Plus you have to have a plan of where you're going, I guess."

Osweiler is almost certainly headed for the big-time. The 6-foot-8, 225-pounder announced last June that he will accept a basketball scholarship from Gonzaga University when he graduates from high school. That's still a couple of years away.

"It's 100 percent firm. That's where I'm going," Osweiler said a few weeks ago before his Flathead High Braves defeated the host C.M. Russell High Rustlers in a basketball game in Great Falls.

No Montana athlete had ever before made a verbal commitment to a basketball or football scholarship offer at such a young age. Osweiler's pledge, no doubt in part because of the novelty of a 15-year-old making such an announcement, became a news story that was reported by various national media outlets, including ESPN Radio.

"There are a lot of expectations," Osweiler said, "but that's a good thing. You have to set goals and it all makes you work that much harder."

When Osweiler entered the CMR Fieldhouse, his thoughts turned to his father, John.

John Osweiler graduated from CMR about 25 years ago. The 6-foot-4 athlete played football for the Rustlers.

"Pretty good player," said Jack Osweiler, a retired Great Falls police officer who is Brock's grandfather. "He had the size for basketball, but just played football."

Jack still resides in the Electric City, along with other family member. He is an alumnus of Great Falls High, as is Brock's mother, Kathy (Brackney).

"John and Kathy used to kid each other when they were in high school, you know, because of the rivalry," said Jack. "And I'm an old Bison myself."

It's an obvious conflict of interest for the Osweilers of Great Falls when Brock and the Kalispell boys take on the Rustlers. It's even worse when Flathead meets the Bison. That will be the case Feb. 10 in Kalispell as Montana State-bound Bobby Howard and the defending state champion Great Falls High team takes on the Braves.

"That," said Jack, "will be quite a game. There's some real dandy athletes over there at Great Falls High. But now I have to root for Kalispell."

It's probably unfair to compare a player like Osweiler, who turned 16 on Nov. 22, with senior stars such as the dynamic 6-7 Howard and Glendive's 6-10 Derek Selvig, who has signed with the University of Montana. But the numbers don't lie: As a freshman Osweiler averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 steals; this season he's getting about 17 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field.

Among other Class AA players, only Howard is averaging a double-double.

"He's blessed with a talent," said Jack.

Runs in the family, perhaps?

"I don't know," Jack laughed. "I played a little intramural basketball in high school, but in those days it was more of a rough-and-tumble game. In football, I played for the Bisons, but I wasn't anything like Brock."

The prodigy was a varsity quarterback as a freshman at Flathead High, the largest high school in the state. Last fall as a sophomore, Brock displayed an especially strong arm and was named first-team All-State after throwing for 2,454 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Leaf, Dickenson and Leister — all former CMR superstar quarterbacks — didn't even play varsity football until they were juniors.

So why the quick commitment to Gonzaga, which doesn't offer football?

"I've had some football schools call me, and tons of them for basketball," Brock said. "The Pac-10, Big 12, Big 10, anywhere .... I had to sit down a lot when this (Gonzaga) offer came up and compare football with basketball. Me and my family and coaches all thought that basketball would probably be the better route. There's lots of things I need to work on in basketball. I really need to make more time to work on basketball during football season."

On a January Saturday morning at CMR Brock was friendly when a stranger approached with a notepad. "Sure," he responded to an interview request. "What do you want to know?"

It's that friendly disposition that really pleases his grandfather.

"He's a pretty good student and he's very considerate of others," Jack said. "Brock doesn't really have a big head about him, he just plays the game."

Playing ball in the home town of his parents is always a special event.

"You try to represent them the best way you can," Brock said. "Whenever you come here to Great Falls to play football or basketball, you know there's going to be a lot of people watching."

It's that way all over Montana. With a reputation that precedes him, Brock is somewhat of a marked man in gyms throughout his home state.

"Last year in Butte (at the State AA basketball tournament), it got pretty rough," Jack said. "Brock took some pretty good licks. But the kid takes it all in stride. I guess he figures what will be will be. He's really quite a kid, but there are an awful lot of great kids playing ball all over Montana."

Next year Brock will be faced with another decision, when a new high school — Glacier High — opens in the Flathead Valley.

"It's going to be a great thing," said Brock.

Head football coach Grady Bennett, the former Montana Grizzly star quarterback, is leaving his post at Flathead to build the new program at Glacier. Does that mean this is Brock's last year at Flathead High?

"I'm not too sure about that," Brock said. "I've been a Brave going on three years. I've sunk into that and I don't want to learn to hate them. It's not 100 percent, but there's a pretty high percentage that I'll be going to Flathead."

After that, it's on to Gonzaga.

And then?

"You never know," said Jack. "Injuries and stuff. But I really think he could go far."