We Pick The Winners: Hugh Smith revels in Central success

The Great Falls Central football program is having a tremendous season and fans throughout town are happy about it.

No one more so than Hugh Smith.

“Saturday’s going to be extremely exciting,” Hugh said, referring to Central’s Class C semifinal clash with Fairview Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. “This is really outstanding, just fantastic. It’s a group of kids that’s come a long way since they first got together as freshmen, and an especially large senior group. They deserve it all.”

Hugh, who was among those instrumental in restoring Central’s academic and athletic missions after decades of dormancy, is this week’s Guest Guesser in our We Pick The Winners contest.

Hugh said all Great Falls Central fans and alumni are winners these days. It was evident last weekend when more than 500 fans showed up at Memorial Stadium to cheer the Mustangs to a 52-22 victory over Scobey. And it figures to be just as noticeable this Saturday at 1 when unbeaten Fairview tests the Mustangs on the artificial turf at the stadium.

“The thing that’s really nice about it is the fact we’re doing a pretty good job for a Class C school of filling the stands on the (west end) of the stadium,” Hugh said. “We’ve had an awful lot of alumni come to watch the games. And it’s unsolicited. You know, ‘Central’s in the paper and Central’s in the playoffs.’ So they’re coming to the games. The exposure has been fantastic and just great for us.”

Hugh has been with the Central school since it was resurrected about 20 years ago. The football program has improved over the years, often in baby-step fashion, but has now returned to its former status as a state-wide power.

“It’s just great,” Hugh said. “This is kind of the cake at the long road.”

In 2001, a year after the school was reopened for the first time in about 25 years, Central football players competed in a co-op program with Power and Dutton. It was a three-year arrangement, after which Central had JV eight-man football programs on its own for a few seasons.

“The success was kind of low back then,” Hugh said.

The program dropped to Six-Man and had several winning seasons, including 2009 when coach Skip Garza’s Mustangs advanced to the state semifinals.

Mike Nelson coached Central to abundant eight-man success thereafter in the Northern C, but the Mustangs haven’t been a huge factor in the state playoffs until this fall. Greg Horton is the Central head coach now and, after a pair of playoff victories, has led the team to nine victories in 10 games. Horton’s staff includes Nelson.

“They’re doing a great job,” Hugh said.

Hugh knows a little about football – and all sports. The California native first came to the Treasure State in 1972 to play football at what was then called Eastern Montana College. He and his wife, Vonnie, moved to Great Falls in 1974 and never left.

He had a lengthy career as a special education instructor at C.M. Russell High and for 26 years coached at the middle school level in Great Falls. He managed the Great Falls Electrics American Legion baseball team for a few summers, and for more than three decades served as a baseball umpire and football official.

Hugh, a former offensive center, coached the Mustang football team for several seasons, then served as the school’s principal and athletic director for 12 years. He is now the school’s development director, with his daughter, Jamie Smith-Stevens, now the Central AD.

“She’s been with us at Central since the beginning, 19 years,” Hugh said. “She started out as the cheer coach, worked her way into activities and is now the athletic director. She’s a great communicator and does a great job. She works her tail off and puts in a lot more hours than most people.”

Vonnie, who grew up in Billings, recently retired after a 42-year teaching career in Great Falls. Hugh’s brother, John, was an extremely successful football coach at Columbus. Hugh’s brother-in-law, Ed West, is a former highly respected and award-winning sportswriter for the Billings Gazette.

Central won its only state championship in football in 1962. The last time Central played in a state championship football game was 1965, when the team finished runner-up to Great Falls High in Class AA. Central also won unofficial titles with unbeaten seasons in 1957 and 1958 when there was no playoff system.

And now, the Mustangs are back in the playoff limelight.

“It’s just fantastic for our kids,” Hugh said. “And to be back playing in Memorial Stadium is just awesome. Central had such a rich history there in the old days. It’s just fantastic. I love it.”

My pal Grady Higgins continues to lead the We Pick The Winners overall standings after last week’s 12-6 effort. Setting the pace a week ago were Guest Guesser Jarren Komac, Scott Thompson and yours truly with 13-5 records.

Remember, if you’d like to be considered for We Pick The Winners duty, drop me a line at smansch@greatfallstribune.com