An all time great: Feight reflects on career, future

One can only imagine the number of lifetime sports memories Max Feight would have created in his senior year at Whitehall High School.

But a vivid memory of one of Montana's top prep athletes will be a crushing injury, basically a 3-in-one happenstance in the first offensive series for the Trojans at Colstrip. The WHS quarterback wasn't even hit, but he heard a pop and there went a full tear of the ACL and partial tears of the meniscus and LCL of his right knee.

He was in a scramble mode on the play.

"I planted my leg," Feight said, "a plant I maybe made a thousand times - and everything went. I felt something pop."

He had surgery last Monday (the 17th) and after a couple of days, the pain subsided. But the rehab will be a long process and his high school athletic career has ended.

"They were able to repair the meniscus and ACL. They said the LCL will heal on its own," he said three hours before the thrilling 34-28 double-overtime victory over Three Forks in the 2018 homecoming game last Friday.

Using crutches, Feight watched from the sidelines as the Trojans improved to 2-3. He hasn't missed a game and enjoys helping out as a student-coach.

"It was really difficult the first two games, but just being involved is what it's all about."

Still, he is saddened by not being able to contribute on the football field, the basketball court and on the track in the 2018-19 school year.

"I wanted to make one more playoff run in football and we were hoping to make it to the state tournament again in basketball," Feight said. "I was hoping to place in the top six in the 110 and 300 hurdles." (He was seventh in both last May in the state Class B track meet at Laurel.)

While being interviewed in his living room, one of his best friends - Braden Larsen - was visiting. Larsen was the quarterback during Feight's freshman and sophomore seasons. Both were starters in basketball.

The football team went 2-6 in 2015 and 10-2 in 2016 when the Trojans made it to the semifinals in the playoffs. Feight guided the Trojans to a 10-1 record in his junior year, the lone loss coming in the playoff quarterfinals against Shelby

Feight said he played alongside the well-known Larsen and Andrew Simon and others in Whitehall since third grade.

"We wanted his mom (Julie Kieckbusch) to coach us, so we let him play," Larsen said, jokingly.

Then he turned serious and praised his friend.

"I played with him when he was younger," said Larsen, who is a sophomore at Montana Tech. "He got older and really blossomed into a great athlete."

That showed last year when Feight completed 181 of 321 passes, good for 2,866 yards and 32 touchdowns. He had only six interceptions.

He also ran 90 times for 614 yards and seven TDs.

He was impressive as a three-year starter in basketball, improving each season. He averaged 14 points as a freshman, 18 as a sophomore and a whopping 27 as a junior.

"I was always a basketball player, but I've learned to love football and realized that if I wanted to play at the next level football would be my best opportunity," he said.

Several colleges, both in and out of state, are interested and haven't backed off after the surgery. Besides his one season as a QB, he started as a wide receiver for two years and also on defense - one year as a cornerback and two as the free safety.

Although the senior season ended prematurely, he has three solid of memories, more than most prep athletes.

"All the friends I made over the years, the playoff runs, winning lots of games and just being a part of what Whitehall sports is all about," Feight said. "I've made life-long buddies."

Now comes the rehab and Feight is anxious to return to sports next year or perhaps in 2020.

"It usually takes eight months, but I'm going to take it slow and come back when it's fully recovered," the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder said. "Playing on Saturdays is the goal."

Then he can start creating more lifetime sports memories.