Because of the prominence of the teams in a state where there are no professional options, the decision for high-level football recruits in Montana often comes down to two choices — Montana or Montana State.
Previous loyalties can play a big role in that decision. A great many kids growing up in the Treasure State is a fan of either the Cats or the Griz in their childhood.
That doesn’t mean, though, that childhood fandom will determine which school a player will choose.
That was the case with Billings West cornerback Trevin Gradney, a lifelong Montana State fan who committed to the Griz in early October.
“I was an avid Bobcat fan, hated the Grizzlies, wanted nothing to do with them,” Gradney said. “I never thought I would ever consider going to Montana, but things change and here I am.”
For Gradney, the Montana State connections were even stronger than just rooting for the Bobcats.
His father, Joe Gradney, played on the defensive line for the Cats from 1989 until 1992.
“We had always talked about it,” Trevin Gradney said. “He always wanted what was best for me, said that it wasn’t his decision, it was mine. Just go wherever you think you’re going to perform the best and have a good time doing it. I feel like that’s where Montana had me. He took it really well, because [Montana] offered me back in June, and we were talking about it, and kept talking about it, and it kind of settled in a little bit.”
Billings West cornerback Trevin Gradney committed to Montana earlier this season/ photo contributed
Gradney said that his decision came into focus shortly after that offer, when he attended Montana’s camp this summer.
He also went to the Grizzlies’ first two games this season, against Northern Iowa and Drake, and, like many recruits, fell in love with the game day atmosphere at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
“It was super weird,” Gradney said. “I think I started realizing when I was up there, it was totally different than everything I thought it would be. I thought I would hate it up there, but the coaches made everything super easy, and it just seemed like a place I wanted to play and further my career at.”
Gradney mentioned cornerbacks coach C.J. Cox, as well as safeties coach Shann Schillinger, but also had a special shoutout for head coach Bobby Hauck.
“I like his coaching style, I like the way that he likes to win,” Gradney said. “I love to win, I hate to lose, and I think that’s kind of the mindset over there. He’s back now, and I think he’s going to be back for a while, and that reassured me too.”
Gradney’s commitment is one of the latest data points proving that Hauck’s return is influencing Montana’s roster off the field.
The coach is going aggressively after players in his rivals’ territories, and winning more than his fair share of those battles, beating Montana State to Gradney and Bozeman High’s Kris Brown, among others, and Eastern Washington to Jacob McGourin, from Cheney.
“I got a lot of attention from the Cats too,” Gradney said. “I talked to everyone, three or four coaches each week. I just liked it a lot more at Montana. The Cats did recruit me pretty well too. It just worked out with Montana better, I felt like.”
On the field, Gradney is an athletic corner and wide receiver for Billings West who was named second-team all-state last year on defense and has been a big part of the Golden Bears team that’s 9-1 so far and will host Butte in the first round of the state playoffs this Friday.
A win there would be the first postseason win of Gradney’s career.
“It’s definitely a peace of mind knowing where you’re going to go [to college], Gradney said. “Now you can just go out and ball. That’s what I’ve wanted to do all year, and I think I’m set to do that. So it’s definitely good to know where you’re going to go and just focusing on the team and chasing that title.”
