MONTAGUE – To most of Muskegon County, the Montague football team may be a definite underdog when it takes the field on Friday in the “Battle for the Bell” against archrival Whitehall.

But Wildcat fans don’t have to worry about senior quarterback Chase Gowell’s confidence wavering.

He’s aware that his 2-1 Wildcats are not favored against the 3-0 Vikings, but he’s not particularly stressed about it.

He’s an extremely confident athlete who approaches every challenge with optimism.

“It’s a little different,” Gowell said. “In the years past, when I was a freshman and sophomore, Montague came in with the upper hand. But it’s still one of those games you circle on the calendar because it’s a big game and a rivalry.

“If you’re not confident, you’re playing scared and nervous. I’m kind of ignorant when something bad happens because I flush it out. I tell myself I’m the best every time and that I’ll do things right.”

That competitive edge and self-confidence are part of what helped Gowell earn the starting quarterback position this year after playing wide receiver and defensive back in 2021.

“He’s got a little bit of cockiness almost,” said Montague head coach Justin Dennett. “That’s one reason why I felt pretty comfortable with him playing quarterback. He’s a confident kid who will talk trash in practice, and he’s just really comfortable, which is why I knew he’d be our guy.

“He’s a really nice kid, but a competitive kid and he’s not afraid to line up against anyone.”

In his three starts since taking over the quarterback duties, Gowell has shown an ability to beat defenses with his arm and legs.

In Montague’s season-opening 20-17 victory over Spring Lake, he completed 6 of 10 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.

His biggest contribution came near the end of the game when he completed a 68-yard pass to teammate Paul Olson that gave the Wildcats the ball inside the Lakers’ five-yard line.

A few plays later Adam Baird scored the go-ahead touchdown and Montague escaped with the win.

“It was amazing,” Gowell said about the pass and the winning touchdown. “I didn’t realize how little time was left until the play was over. It was awesome to say the least.”

Gowell was strong through the air in a disappointing 14-7 loss to Ravenna in Week 2, completing 15 of 21 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.

Last Friday against Orchard View, he completed 9 of 10 throws for 174 yards and two touchdowns, including a 44-yard scoring toss to Olson. He also had four carries for 74 yards with one touchdown.

Overall Gowell has completed 29 of 40 passes for 454 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

“It’s sweet, because the defense never really knows what you’ll do,” Gowell said about the dual-threat factor. “You could look like you’re going to run and then you pass or vice versa. It opens up a lot of opportunities for our offense.”

Another player who has been explosive for the Wildcats is Baird, a junior running back who has 270 yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries this season.

“He opens up a ton for our offense,” Gowell said “You get him the ball 10 times and you have a great chance he’s going to break one. You can depend on him to make a great play. He’s amazing to have.”

Gowell realizes he’s following in the footsteps of some great Montague quarterbacks in recent years, including state champion QBs Cody Kater and Drew Collins, as well as last year’s starter, Andrew Kooi, who led the team into the playoffs.

“It’s special,” Gowell said about the Montague quarterback tradition. “I can always ask those guys for help. You have a lot of great quarterbacks that have come through and I’m proud to be following them. I’m nowhere as good as them, but I’m in the conversation.”