Game Day 11-9-2018

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Notebook: MSU-Northern seniors to play their final home game Saturday ■ From Page 11 too. They get off to a fast start, only to forfeit that season-opening win over Carroll College due to using an ineligible player. Then, the Bears lose at Western and barely win at C of I the next week. Needless to say, things weren’t looking great for the Bears at that point. Now however, Rocky hasn’t lost Sept.

15. The Bears have climbed up the NAIA Coaches Poll, and they’ve clinched a share of the Frontier title. Now, only a win over Tech stands between the outright championship and a berth in the NAIA playoffs in just head coach Jason Petrino’s third season.

Of course, if the Bears were to stumble against the Orediggers, then things get a bit more complicated, if, Western and Eastern Oregon both win their final game Saturday.

The Bears do hold tiebreakers over both squads, having split with the Dawgs, and beaten EOU last week. Still, a loss to Tech, coupled with a Western win at SOU, would mean the Battlin’ Bears would still go to the playoffs, but, would likely miss out on hosting that first-round game next week in Billings. Should the Bears win the outright title, they’ll like host Dickinson State in the first round on Nov. 17. And a home playoff game is something Rocky dearly covets, because

it’s certainly been a while since the playoffs have come to Herb Kilndt Field.

As for the rest of the Frontier, there is little to no hope of a second team reaching the NAIA tournament. Even if Western beats SOU, the Bulldogs’ loss to C of I last week probably puts them on the outside looking in. Likewise for EOU. Its loss last week probably eliminated the Mounties from playoff contention, even if they beat Carroll this Saturday in Helena.

For others in the Frontier, winning records are on the line. A win over EOU would give Carroll its first winning season in four years, while SOU is looking to finish above .500, while Montana Tech could finish at the .500 mark with an upset at RMC. C of I could garner its third straight winning season with a win at Northern Saturday, while the Lights are looking to give Andrew Rolin his first Frontier win, in what’s their last chance to do so this season.

Stat Races As the Frontier reaches its final day, most of the individual races are over.

Offensively, Eastern’s Kai Quinn will easily wind up leading the Frontier in passing (326 ypg) and total offense (359 ypg). Only

Rocky quarterback Jacob Bakken averages more than 300 yards passing and 300 yards of total offense, but it would take a huge performance by him on Saturday to surpass Quinn’s numbers. Northern’s Tommy Wilson is fourth in the Frontier in passing and sixth in total offense.

Montana Tech’s Jed Fike will win the league’s rushing title for the second straight season. Fike averages 124 yards per game and has broken the 1,000-yard barrier again.

This season, no one is even close to Fike, with EOU’s Victor Diaz and SOU’s Rey Vega both averaging 80 yards per outing. Neither will get to the 1,000-yard mark either. MSUN’s Jett Robertson is sixth in the Frontier with 586 rushing yards.

EOU’s Brendan Kelly has had a recordsetting season and will lead the league in receiving yards this season, but, the race for catches is close between he and Tech’s Dion Williams, who led the league in that category a year ago. Northern’s Bryce Bumgardner is fourth in the league with 47 receptions and fifth with his 77 receiving yards per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, RMC defensive end Ryder Rice is leading the with 11.5 sacks, but SOU’s Sean Rodgers isn’t far behind with 10. Rice also leads the Frontier with 14.5 tackles for loss. Joe Fehr leads the

Lights with three sacks, and Jaren Maki is tops at MSU-N with four tackles for loss.

Total tackles this season will belong to UM-Western’s Jason Ferris. With one game left, he already has 113 stops this season, and is averaging nearly 13 per game. Carroll’s Chase Bowen is second in total tackles with 79. Maki leads the Lights this season with 62 tackles and just over seven per game.

EOU’s Zach Jacobs has a whopping eight interceptions this season, which is double what RMC’s Keenan Fagan has. Fagan is second in the league with four. Northern linebacker Chase Gilbert is the only light in double digits with two picks this season.

Frontier Honors RMC’s Jacob Bakken was named Frontier Offensive Player of the Week. Last Saturday, Bakken threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns in Rocky’s win over Eastern Oregon.

C of I’s Tristen Alesi was named Defensive Player of the Week. In the Yotes’ win over Western last Saturday, eight tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

C of I’s Kyle Mitchell was named Special Team’s Player of the Week. In the win over Western, he kicked a school-record 45-yard field goal.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The Montana State University-Northern seniors will be honored before Saturday's game between the Lights and the College of Idaho Yotes. Kickoff at Blue Pony Stadium is set for 12 p.m. Not pictured above are Northern seniors Clint Willis and Fotios Jordanoglou.

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The 22: An Unconvential QB C of I comes to Havre on fire

Northern senior quarterback Tommy Wilson has always thought and played outside the box. An no matter the routes he's taken, it's been quite the journy Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports gferguson@havredailynews.com

Tommy Wilson is not a conventional quarterback and his college football career has been anything but ordinary.

Yet, as it winds down this weekend, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think I have always done things a little differently,” Wilson said. “It has been dif-

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com

ferent going through three different schools and trying to build a foundation. Just to keep making that jump was a transition for me, but it has been eventful and I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have enjoyed the travel of college football. I have played in warm weather, cold weather; I have played in extraordinary heat. It has been a lot of fun. I will tell you that.”

Wilson’s college career didn’t start with Northern, instead, it began in the state of Nebraska, where he began playing at Peru State, an NAIA program. After that season, Wilson, who was from California, transferred to the College of Sequoias, a junior college where he started nine games that season, threw 14 touchdowns and averaged 234 yards passing per game. However, after that, he made the move back to the NAIA and he came to Montana State UniversityNorthern at a time when the Lights were looking for a quarterback.

n

It’s hard to fathom, but, when the sun sets on Havre this Saturday afternoon, the Frontier Conference football season will be over.

In fact, it will be that way all across Montana and beyond as the league has reached its final weekend.

Saturday will also be the sunset for the Northern senior class, a group that has endured as many as three different head coaches, and as few as four wins in their entire careers. And yet, these Lights should be more than honored before Saturday’s game against surging College of Idaho, they should be commended for having the commitment, dedication and toughness to stay through all of the ups and downs Northern’s program has endured in their time at MSU-N. Yes, before Saturday’s game, Northern seniors Fotios Jordanoglou, Clint Willis, Andrew Morgan, Sam Mix, Tommy Wilson, Sam Tapia, Alec Wagner, Dale Cummings and Seth Roemmele deserve a lengthy stand-

See Wilson Page 5

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern senior Tommy Wilson has traveled quite the road in his college football career. The last stop though, has been a special one for him as he's quarterbacked the Lights through some tough times. Wilson will play his final game as a Light this Saturday when Northern takes on College of Idaho at Blue Pony Stadium. The game will cap a strong senior season for Wilson, who came to Northern from the College of the Sequoias in California in the winter of 2016.

MSU-Northern Lights vs College of Idaho Yotes Montana State University-Northern

2017 record: 1-10, 0-10 Head coach: Andrew Rolin

Location: Havre, Mont.

Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium

Nickname: Lights

Streak: Northern has never beaten College of Idaho. The Yotes joined the Frontier in 2014, and are 4-0 against the Lights.

Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2018 record: 0-9, 1-9

Saturday, November 10, 2018 Blue Pony Stadium ~ Noon College of Idaho

2017 record: 6-4, 6-5 Head coach: Mike Moroski

Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Stadium: Simplot Stadium

Nickname: Yotes

Streak: The Yotes are riding a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday's finale.

They haven't lost since Sept. 22 at Rocky.

Colors: Purple and Black 2018 record: 5-4, 5-5

ing ovation for what they’ve done in their time on the football field, and off it at MSU-N. The group, composed of players who go as far back as Mark Samson’s final recruiting class, to as new as two-year players like Wilson, Morgan, Tapia and Jordanoglou, have been through about as much as any group of college football players have in their stay at Northern. That includes injuries, and hardships, on and off the field.

Mix’ return to Northern has been well-documented, while Willis has lost a chunk of at least three different seasons to leg injuries, including this season. Jordanoglou, a rising star at wide receiver also suffered a season-ending injury, while Morgan has missed a huge portion of his final year at linebacker as well.

However, no matter how difficult the times of have been, no matter if they’ve been here for five, or two years, Saturday will be a momentous and special day for the Northern seniors, and this group especially, deserve all of the adulation that comes with any senior day.

Of course, the Lights will then have to turn their attention to the Yotes, who are easily the NAIA’s hottest team.

What C of I has done the last month has been incredible. The Yotes bring a five-game winning streak to Blue Pony Stadium, and with it, a scoring binge. In that stretch, C of I, which was picked to finish fourth in the Frontier this season, but stumbled to an 0-5 start, has been averaging close to 50 points per game, and though they didn’t put up

Today in the Frontier Conference

big points last Saturday, they did knock off UM-Western in Dillon, effectively ending the Bulldog’s playoff hopes, minus a tiebreaker miracle at this point.

Yes, the Lights, who played well at Southern Oregon last Saturday, and are fresh off a road trip in which they got to practice inside Oregon State’s Reeser Stadium last Friday, will no doubt be amped up for their finale this weekend, but, they’ll have to be extra amped up to slow down the Yotes, and their triple-option attack.

Last Day With Western’s loss at home to C of I last Saturday, and Rocky Mountain College’s thrashing of Eastern Oregon, the math is simple for the final weekend of the 2018 Frontier season - Rocky beats Montana Tech and the Battlin’ Bears win the Frontier title outright.

And what a ride it’s been for the Bears

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See Notebook Page 12

2018 Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Southern Oregon; 2. Rocky Mountain; T3.

Montana Tech; T3. College of Idaho; 5. Carroll College; 6. Eastern Oregon; 7. UM-Western; 8.

MSU-Northern Havre Daily News Frontier Conference Final Power Rankings

#24 College of Idaho Yotes (5-4, 5-5)

1. Rocky Mountain College 2. Eastern Oregon 3. College of Idaho 4. UM-Western 5. Southern Oregon 6. Carroll College 7. Montana Tech 8. MSU-Northern

At Montana State University-Northern Lights (0-6, 1-6) #11 Rocky Mountain (7-2, 8-2) vs Montana Tech (4-5, 5-5) in Billings

#23 UM-Western (6-3, 6-3) at Southern Oregon (5-4, 5-4) in Ashland, Oregon

#RV Eastern Oregon (5-4, 5-4) at Carroll College (4-5, 5-5) in Helena

Full Coverage on Twitter @HavreDaily

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MSU-Northern Rewind

Lights haven't turned the corner, but they've reached the intersection From the Fringe...

Rocky Mountain UM-Western Eastern Oregon Southern Oregon College of Idaho Carroll College Montana Tech MSU-Northern

Conf. Overall WL WL

7-2 6-3 5-4 5-4 5-4 4-5 4-5 0-9

8-2 6-3 5-4 5-4 5-5 5-5 4-5 1-9

Last Saturday Southern Oregon 37, MSU-Northern 21 Carroll College 35, Montana Tech 14 Rocky Mountain 48, Eastern Oregon 10 College of Idaho 17, UM-Western 14

George Ferguson Sports Editor

When you’re rebuilding a football program, like the job being done by Andrew Rolin and the coaching staff at Montana State University-Northern, a lot of cliches are going to be used.

But cliches are also true many times, and in the case of rebuilding, the cliches being tossed around at Northern right now are fully justified.

After their 42-13 loss to the No. 18 UMWestern Bulldogs at Blue Pony Stadium, there were plenty of cliche’s that came to my mind from what I saw.

Call me an optimist, call me a homer, but you can also consider me someone who has watched, in one form or another, just about every live snap the Lights have had in the last decade, so I do feel like I know what I'm talking about when I am optimist about where the Lights are going.

And while the scoreboard may not agree with me, the Lights are indeed getting better. Now, getting better isn’t a cliche per se, but the use of the term “turning a corner” is, and that’s where the Lights almost are right now.

The fact that Northern completely outplayed Western for the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s game has to be taken into account. No matter how the game turned out, with where the Lights have been the last three or four years, to just dismiss the way they played in the first half Saturday would not just be wrong, it would be ridiculous.

That brings me back to the whole turning the corner cliche.

The Lights didn’t turn a corner Saturday, and they probably haven’t at any point this season, at least not in Frontier Conference play. Coach Rolin would be the first to say Northern still has a way to go in that department. But the cliche that came to my mind Saturday is this: You can’t turn the corner if you never make it to the turn. You can’t take the turn if you haven’t even arrived at the intersection yet.

How’s that for some serious cliches?

But as cliche or as optimistic as that sounds, it’s nonetheless true.

Against the then best team in the Frontier Conference, and perhaps the hottest team in the NAIA right now, the Lights got to the intersection. They made it to the turn.

In fact, Northern even had its blinker on.

Now, did they get all the way there? Did

Frontier Conference Standings

Saturday, Nov. 10 MSU-Northern vs College of Idaho Montana Tech at Rocky Mountain Eastern Oregon at Carroll College UM-Western at Southern Oregon

November 9, 2018

NAIA Coaches Poll

Rec. Pts. Prv. 14 Baker (Kan.) 7-2 193 14 1 Morningside 10-0 366 1 15 Concordia (Mich.)

8-2 175 15 2 Mariani 9-0 352 2 16 Dickinson State 8-2 147 16 3 Bethel 9-0 335 3 17 Saint Xavier (Ill.) 8-3 135 18 4 Reinhardt 8-1 325 4 18 Lindsey Wilson 6-3 134 17 5 Northwestern (Iowa) 8-1 302 6 19 Georgetown (Ky.) 7-3 124 19 6 Kansas Wesleyan 10-0 291 7 7 Benedictine 9-1 281 8 20 Siena Heights (Mich.) 7-2 93 23 8 Saint Francis (Ind.) 8-2 259 9 21 Ottawa (Kan.) 7-2 80 25 9 Evangel 9-1 254 10 22 Avila (Mo.) 7-2 56 21 10 Langston (Okla.)

8-1 237 11 23 UM-Western

6-3

48

23 11 Rocky Mountain 8-2 226 12 24 College of Idaho 5-5 23 NR 12 Grand View 7-2 215 5 25 Southeastern (Fla.) 6-3 22 NR 13 Cumberlands (Ky.) 9-1 209 13 Others receiving votes: Midland (Neb.) 13, Oklahoma Panhandle State 8, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 8, Dordt (Iowa) 6, Eastern Oregon 4, Arizona Christian 3, Webber International (Fla.) 3.

Frontier Conference Individual Leaders Through Week 10

Passing: Kai Quinn, EOU, 327 ypg Receiving: Brendan Kelly, EOU, 142 ypg Receptions: dion Williams, MT, 7 cpg Rushing: Jed Fike, MT, 124 ypg Tackles: Jason Ferris, UM-W, 113 Sacks: Ryder Rice, RMC, 11.5 sacks INT's: Zack Jacobs, EOU, 7 ints

2018 Lights Coaching Staff

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana StateUniversity-Northern head coach Andrew Rolin talks to the Lights during Northern's Frontier Conference home game with UM-Western last month in Havre. In two of Northern's last three games, the Lights have had the lead after the first quarter, which shows Northern is certainly making progress under Rolin. The Lights are home Saturday as they close out the Frontier Conference season against the College of Idaho Yotes. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. in Blue Pony Stadium.

they make that turn? No. I don’t think anyone could say that.

But given where the Lights have been in the recent past and given where they started back when Rolin was hired in December, Northern has come a long, long way. In fact, they’ve come so far, they’re ready to make that turn. They’re so close. All they have to

do now is do it. It’s a grueling and sometimes agonizing turn, and it’s one that may not even happen this season, with only three games left to do it.

Yet all those cliches I just said in the last paragraph are no less true, either. Northern is getting close. They’re getting there.

I know because I’ve seen it happen before.

I know what to look for, and the signs are there. The Lights are about to turn the corner, and I believe, under Rolin, they will.

And if I may be cliche, right now, the Lights are at the intersection. The blinker is on. And they are going to make that turn.

Give it some more time, but they’re going to do it. There’s no going back.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The 2018 Montana State University-Northern coaching staff includes, Andrew Rolin, Head Coach; Jake Chestnut, Defensive Coordinator; Jonathan Amosa, Running Backs/Tight Ends/Strength and Conditioning; CJ Robertson, Offensive Line/Run Game; Ray Clark, Defensive Backs; John Kocurek, Wide Receivers/ Recruiting; James Amos, Tight Ends; Ollie Ogbu, Defensive Line.

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MSU-Northern Offensive Starters

College of Idaho Defensive Starters

MSU-N 2018 Offensive Numbers

C of I 2018 Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 15 ppg, last in Frontier Total offense: 347 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Seth Roemelle #88, 6-0, 190 Receiver

Tristen Alesi #1, 6-0, 190 Cornerback

Passing: 223 ypg, 5th in Frontier

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MSU-Northern Defensive Starters

C of I 2018 Offensive Numbers

MSU-N 2018 Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 30 ppg, 6th in Frontier

Scoring: 45 ppg, last in Frontier

Total defense: 468 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Total defense: 536 ypg, last in Frontier

Pass defense: 292 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Rush defense: 241 ypg, last in Frontier

Scoring: 28 ppg, 5th in Frontier Hunter Juarez #3, 6-0, 185 Receiver

Rolin was hired in December of 2017. He is the fourth fulltime head coach of the Lights since the school reintroduced football. Before coming to Northern he had coaching stops at San Diego, Washington, San Jose State and Libby.

Rolin played QB at San Diego. He is a native of Rancho Cordova, California.

Tevita Leetham #77, 6-3, 250 Offensive line

Cy Hicks #50, 6-3, 270 Offensive line

Landon Clark-Gammel #42, 6-2, 230 Defensive line

Tommy Wilson #22, 6-1, 205 Quarterback

Darius Alexander-Jones #53, 6-3, 280 Offensive line

Demetreus Taua #90, 6-2, 280 Defensive line

Drew Faircloth #40, 6-0, 230 Linebacker

Dale Cummings #65, 6-1, 318 Offensive line

Bryce Bumgardner #14, 6-2, 185 Receiver

Trenton Woodward #56, 6-4, 265 Offensive line

Diego Morales #43, 5-8, 175 Kicker

Marvin Williams #19, 5-10, 155 Receiver

Caymus Thomas #13, 5-11, 165 Cornerback

Jeff Tinae #6, 5-11, 165 Safety

Jay Vance #10, 6-2, 225 Defensive tackle

Jaren Maki

#47, 6-2, 215 Linebacker

Justin Pfeifer #55, 6-0, 285 Defensive line

Zach White #91, 6-3, 300 Defensive line

Jake Norby #31, 6-2, 200 Linebacker

Danny Garcia #94, 5-11, 240 Defensive line

Mike Moroski C of I Head Coach

Zach Rickard #75, 6-1, 285 Offensive line

ChaseGilbert #49, 6-0, 215 Linebacker

Forrest Rivers #47, 5-11, 220 Linebacker

Nik Lyons #4, 5-9, 190 Safety

Joe Fehr #58, 6-3, 220 Linebacker

Drew Leick #67, 6-2, 275 Center

Darisu James-Peterson #4, 5-11, 180 Quarterback

Nick Calzaretta #42, 5-11, 205 Running back

Gabe Zurita-Haber #77, 6-3, 300 Offensive line

Josh Brown #70, 6-7, 280 Offensive line Keenan Pattwell

#22, 5-8, 160 Receiver

David Ford #20, 5-7, 180 Safety

Tyler Reay 82, 6-3, 235 Tight end

David Evans #87, 6-4, 205 Tight end Sam Tapia #29, 6-0, 180 Punter

B.J. Hatcher #94, 6-3, 205 Defensive end

Jayden Dawson #8, 5-11, 185 Safety

Jett Robertson #2, 5-11, 195 Running Back

Total offense: 384 ypg, 5th in Frontier Rushing: 160 ypg, 3rd in Frontier

Ostin Welch #26, 6-2, 170 Corner

Ryan Handley #73, 6-4, 275 Offensive line

Andrew Rolin MSU-N Head Coach

College of Idaho Offensive Starters

Devariej Criss #34, 5-9, 175 Corner Isaiah Abdul #15, 5-9, 160 Cornerback

Keegan Crafton #88, 6-5, 235 Receiver

Kyle Mitchell

#12, 6-2, 175 Kicker

Mike Moroski begins his fifth season as head coach at the College of Idaho and has an 22-31 all-time record. Was named head coach in January of 2013 and led the Yotes through their "zero year" program, prior to the return to the field in September of 2014. Moroski played quarterback at UC-Davis from 1975-78. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixthround of the 1979 NFL Draft, spending eight years as a backup quarterback with the Falcons (1979-84), the Houston Oilers (1985) and the San Francisco 49ers (1986).

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Name

Pos.

1 Tristen Alesi DB 2 Isaiah Veal WR 2 Jizan Stinson DB 3 Hunter Juarez WR 3 Grayson McClain DB 4 Darius-James PetersonQB 4 Nik Lyons DB 5 Antoine Paul RB 5 Justin Johnson LB 6 Dominic Garzoli RB 6 Jesse Estrada LB 8 Wes Fitzpatrick WR 8 Jayden Dawson DB 9 Anatol Skylar TE 9 Trevor Manu DB 10 Tony Huebner WR 10 Josh Elsberry DB 11 Nathaniel Holcomb QB 12 Kyle Mitchell K 12 R.J. Walker WR 13 Gage Ferguson QB 14 Connor Richardson WR 15 Isaiah Abdul DB 16 A.J. Bernhardt QB 17 Miles Maupin DL 19 Kai Walter LB 20 Justin Hellyer RB 20 David Ford DB 22 Keenan Pattwell WR 22 Reece Walker DB 23 Cameron Dawson DB 24 Taeson Hardin DB 25 Cameron Hamrick DB 26 Canyon Olsen RB 29 Tony Murphy DB 30 Jordan Nero LB 31 Zach Oster RB 31 James Silva DB 32 Moses Nyirakomini DB 35 Chris Waters WR 35 Spencer Lambert P 36 Jae Vitin DB 38 Isaiah Barba WR 39 Bridger Mortensen DB 40 Drew Faircloth LB 41 Jake Bale FB 42 Nick Calzaretta RB 42 Landon Clark-Gammell DL 43 Brock Funke DL 44 Braxton Bujak TE 45 Mack Roesner LB 46 Graham Carnahan LB 47 Forrest Rivers LB 48 Levi Russo-Bell DL 50 Cy Hicks OL 50 James Roy DL 51 Jacob Torres LS 52 Viliami Hansen LB 53 Masen Medl LB 55 Keagan McCoy DL 56 Chase Owen OL 57 Ricky Bowman Jr. OL 58 Mika Duran DL 64 Vince Seth DL 65 Braden Bale OL 67 Drew Leick OL 69 Triden Mitchell OL 70 Josh Brown OL 72 Alex Houston OL 75 Zach Rickard OL 77 Gabe Zurita-Haber OL 78 Carter Ballenger OL 80 Connor Gagain TE

Ht.

6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-9 5-8 6-1 5-7 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-4 5-10 5-8 5-8 6-1 6-2 5-8 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-1 5-8 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-10 5-8 5-8 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-8 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-2

Wt. Year

185 175 190 185 175 190 190 160 225 180 190 185 185 230 185 170 190 200 175 165 220 185 160 160 215 215 180 180 160 165 175 175 160 200 170 195 180 175 170 185 160 180 170 170 230 215 205 230 250 230 220 205 220 240 270 290 200 210 185 215 285 280 190 260 260 275 265 280 275 285 300 315 225

Hometown

JR San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS) FR Santa Barbara, Calif. (Bishop Diego HS) SO Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach Poly) FR Mill Valley, Calif. (U. of Nevada) JR Alpharetta, Ga. (San Diego Mesa CC) JR Novato, Calif. (Marin Catholic HS) SR Van Nuys, Calif. (Notre Dame HS) FR Ontario, Calif. (Ontario HS) FR Corona, Calif. (Corona HS) SO Orland, Calif. (Orland HS) FR Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) SR Valencia, Calif. (Canyons CC) FR Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) JR Concord, Calif. (Diablo Valley CC) FR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) JR San Marcos, Calif. (Mission Hills HS) SO Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Puyallup, Wash. (Puyallup HS) JR Herriman, Utah (Bingham HS) SO Escondido, Calif. (Southern Oregon) JR Tacoma, Wash. (Siskiyous CC) SO Fallon, Nev. (Churchill County HS) FR Camas, Wash. (Camas HS) FR Dixon, Calif. (Dixon HS) FR Crane, Ore. (Crane Union HS) JR San Diego, Calif. (Cathedral Cath. HS) JR Anderson, Calif. (Shasta CC) SO Stockton, Calif. (St. Mary's HS) SO Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Escondido, Calif. (Santa Fe Christian HS) SO Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) FR Oak Harbor, Wash. (Oak Harbor HS) FR Star, Idaho (Eagle HS) FR Kimberly, Idaho (Kimberly HS) FR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) JR Wasilla, Alaska (Colony HS) SO Renton, Wash. (O'Dea HS) SR Livermore, Calif. (Butte Coll.)

JR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) SR SO Lemoore, Calif. (Fresno City CC) SO Chula Vista, Calif. (Eastlake HS) FR Nampa, Idaho (Skyview HS) FR Meridian, Idaho (Meridian HS) JR Redding, Calif. (Shasta CC) SO La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada HS) SO Larkspur, Calif. (Redwood HS) JR Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS) JR Novato, Calif. (Humboldt State) FR Nampa, Idaho (Nampa Christian HS) FR Novato, Calif. (Marin Catholic HS) SO Cottonwood, Calif. (William Penn U.) JR Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS) FR Cedar Park, Texas (Cedar Park HS) FR Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS) JR Honolulu, Hawaii (Damien HS) FR FR Graham, Wash. (Graham-Kapowsin HS) FR Nampa, Idaho (Skyview HS) FR Boise, Idaho (Capital HS) SO Idaho Falls, Idaho (Skyline HS) JR FR Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS) FR West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS) FR FR Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS) FR Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell HS) JR Colfax, Wash. (Western Oregon U.) FR Auburn, Calif. (Placer HS) FR Antelope, Calif. (Antelope HS) JR Concord, Calif. (Diablo Valley CC) FR Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Roseville, Calif. (Oakmont HS)

No.

Name

81 John Horn 82 Tyler Reay 83 Landon Ebbers 84 Kenny Zamberlin 84 Mikhail Varetskiy 85 Devin Grant 87 Bo Stevens 88 Keegan Crafton 89 Tristin Wolfe 89 Ben Poplin 90 Demetreus Taua 91 Zach White 92 Oscar Reyes 93 Kaden Youssef 94 Daniel Garcia 95 Mykah Weaver

Pos.

WR TE WR WR DL WR WR TE WR DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

Ht.

6-1 6-3 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-0

Wt. Year

175 225 170 185 225 185 190 235 185 245 285 300 240 280 240 220

Hometown

JR Yuba City, Calif. (Yuba City HS) JR Adrian, Ore. (Adrian HS) FR Middleton, Idaho (Middleton HS) FR FR Ferndale, Wash. (Ferndale HS) SO San Mateo, Calif. (Aragon HS) FR JR Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS) FR Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue HS) FR JR Auburn, Wash. (Auburn HS) JR Covington, Wash. (Tahoma HS) JR FR JR Anaheim, Calif. (Orange Coast CC) FR Rexburg, Idaho (Madison HS)

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MSU-Northern Numerical Roster

College of Idaho Numerical Roster No.

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No. Name

2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 64 65 66 67 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 80 81 82 83 84 86 87

Pos. Ht. Wt. Year

Jett Robertson RB Gary Carter DB Fotios Jordanoglou WR Jeff Tinae DB Wylie Novak DB Morgan McCrary DB Sam Mix WR Jay Vance DB Brenden Medina QB Caymus Thomas DB Bryce Bumgardner WR Bryce Missey QB Jake Horner WR Andrew Morgan LB Bennett Feinstein-Smith TE Marvin Williams WR Da’Jon Thomas WR Damien Nelson DB Tommy Wilson QB Samuel Brayboy RB Basie Desterfanis DB Ostin Welch DB Codi Small RB Connor Crawford RB Sam Tapia P Caleb Knoche DB James Beckett DB Andrew Trahan-ProctorRB Devariej Criss DB Derante Lamelle DL Cody Lucke FB Landon Taylor DB Kolby Steen LB Jared Craig DB Koby McCallum DB Peter Hamilton LB Diego Morales K Wyatt McKinlay FB Brandon Powell FB Eric Reyna DB Jaren Maki LB Chase Story LB Chase Gilbert LB Ian Sparrow DL Alec Wagner LB Darius Alexander-JonesOL Aaron Dolfay DL Justin Pfeifer DL Trenton Woodward OL Dax Miller LB Joe Fehr DL Joshua Hutchins OL Dale Cummings OL Colter Cyzmoniak DL Trevor Yuhas OL Spencer Colony OL Cisco Herrera OL Ryan Handley OL Dylan Schmidt OL Clint Willis OL Tevita Leetham OL Tenny Mauigon OL Jared Eisenbarth TE Keagan Stroop WR Charles Storey TE James Gilham WR Malick Touare WR Joe Mikkelsen TE David Evans TE

5-11 6-0 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-8 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-8 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-9 5-6 6-0 5-10 5-9 5-8 5-9 5-11 6-0 5-8 6-0 5-10 5-8 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-9 6-4 6-4 6-2

195 160 180 160 182 190 190 225 208 165 185 205 170 238 236 155 175 155 205 208 190 165 185 205 185 195 187 198 160 255 215 165 180 152 190 220 175 210 250 160 215 195 210 230 215 280 225 285 265 190 220 285 318 260 275 265 320 275 270 300 250 353 205 150 210 170 205 190 210

JR FR SR FR FR JR SR FR FR SO JR SO SO SR JR SO FR FR SR FR JR FR FR SO SR FR JR FR SO JR SO FR FR FR FR SO JR JR JR FR SO FR FR SO SR JR SO FR JR FR SO FR JR FR FR FR JR JR JR SR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR

Hometown Glendale, AZ Menlo Park, CA Ripon, CA Seattle, WA Cut Bank, MT Las Vegas, NV Sammamish, WA Fresno, CA Sebastopol, CA Spokane, WA Saint Helens, OR Spanaway, WA Great Falls, MT Waianae, HI Portland, OR Puyallup, WA San Diego, CA Great Falls, MT Fresno, CA Auburn, WA Fresno, CA Malta, MT Hardin, MT Missoula, MT Carlsbad, CA Forsyth, MT

Kirkland, WA Tacoma, WA San Francisco, CA Browning, MT Fort Benton, MT Chehalis, WA Laurel, MT Salem, OR Cut Bank, MT Pasadena, CA Geraldine, MT Sacramento, CA Kalispell, MT Belt, MT Roy, Utah Green Acres, WA Mesa, AZ Laurel, MT Gilroy, CA Portland, OR Cut Bank, MT Three Forks, MT Florence, MT Eureka, MT Puyallup, WA Cremona, AB Eureka, MT Great Falls, MT Fort Qu’Appellle, SK Madera, CA Missoula, MT Nine Mile Falls, WA Gardiner, MT West Jordan, UT Seattle, WA Woodinville, WA Belt, MT Hardin, MT Browning, MT Hardin, MT Brockton, MT Hardin, MT

No. Name 88 89 91 92 94 96 98 99

Seth Roemmele Jordan Pugh Connor Koker Tyler Pallas B.J. Hatcher Trendae Umi-Tuato’o Ronnie Chavez Jonathyn Jordan

Pos. Ht. Wt. Year

WR TE DL DL DL DL DL DL

6-1 6-5 5-11 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-3

185 225 230 245 205 290 245 205

SR JR SO SO FR FR SO FR

Hometown Claresholm, AB Tacoma, WA Spokane, WA Chehalis, WA Laurel, MT Auburn, WA Missoula, MT Snellville, GA

2018 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Andrew Rolin, Head Coach Jake Chestnut, Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Amosa, Running Backs/Tight Ends/Strength and Conditioning CJ Robertson, Offensive Line/Run Game Ray Clark, Defensive Backs John Kocurek, Wide Receivers/Recruiting James Amos, Tight Ends Ollie Ogbu, Defensive Line

Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Robert Tate; Sports Information: Sierra Richards

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November 9, 2018

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November 9, 2018

Wilson: MSU-N QB having a big season throwing, and running

Wilson: A true competitor, Wilson has fought every step of the way

■ From Page 2

■ From Page 6

During his first spring practices and fall camp with Northern, Wilson competed with three other quarterbacks before eventually being named the starter for the season opener as a junior. The Lights nearly pulled off an upset of Rocky Mountain College in his first career start, yet a late kickoff return for a touchdown spoiled the Lights upset bid.

Wilson didn’t start every game as a junior but he played in all 11 games for the Lights, as they struggled through a 1-10 season. Ever the competitor, Wilson threw 11 touchdowns and passed for 1,800 yards. He also scored two rushing touchdowns and added six more rushing touchdowns this year is what has become a staple of his game.

“I am not like a lot of quarterbacks,” Wilson said. “I like to run the football and when I do, I don’t like to slide.

I am a competitor, I want to get those yards. I also think that it fires up your team, so that’s another reason I won’t slide. I want to get my team going by showing how much I want it.”

Following the 2017 season, the Lights brought in a

new head coach, Andrew Rolin and once again, Wilson was competing with the job against a slew of other quarterbacks and for the third straight season, at two different schools, Wilson emerged as the starter and this time around, he would remain that way.

“He is such a competitor,” Rolin said. “He will need to do everything you ask him to do to try and win the football game. He loves to win and he’s a great leader too. I am going to miss him after this game. He is truly one of the best competitors I have been around and he does a lot for us obviously in both the run game and the passing game. His ability to compete is fun to watch.”

This season, Wilson has run the ball 94 times for 214 yards. Some of those runs have been designed but many have been sacks too, yet Wilson keeps fighting and throughout the season, he has put up some solid numbers. Wilson has 1,969 yards passing and should get over 2,000 yards Saturday against College of Idaho. He also has 14 touchdowns passes and six rushing touchdowns,

n

giving him 20 total touchdowns, along with over 2,200 total yards. He also has two games with three touchdown passes and three games this season with more than 300 total yards.

Undoubtedly, Wilson has achieved a lot over the past two seasons, but one thing he and his teammates haven’t done is beat a Frontier Conference opponent. That could all change Saturday, in Wilson’s final game at Blue Pony Stadium. The senior has already won one game at Blue Pony this year, throwing for 397 yards and three touchdowns against Mayville State, but he desperately wants another.

A game like that would be perfect on senior day, but

the truth is, Wilson doesn’t care about stats -- just wins.

So whether that means throwing for 400 yards, diving for a first down or making the appropriate check down, Wilson is going to do whatever it takes to win and that more than anything is his defining characteristic.

“I have really enjoyed my time here at Northern,” Wilson said. “I am glad that I came and I just want to send these seniors out with a win. I just want to get a win for this school. I want to end it on the right note and I want to add to that foundation because this program is getting close and just want to try and use this game as a springboard for next season so these guys can get some more wins next year.”

See Wilson Page 7

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern's Tommy Wilson fires a pass during a Frontier Conference football game last month in Havre. Wilson has been a two-year starter for the Lights, and this season, he's among the top passers in the Frontier Conference.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Northern's Tommy Wilson fights off a Mayville State defender during a 2018 NAIA game back in August in Havre. Wilson's toughness, and his running ability have been on full display this season, as he's started every game at quarterback for the Lights.

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www.havredailynews.com

November 9, 2018

Wilson: MSU-N QB having a big season throwing, and running

Wilson: A true competitor, Wilson has fought every step of the way

■ From Page 2

■ From Page 6

During his first spring practices and fall camp with Northern, Wilson competed with three other quarterbacks before eventually being named the starter for the season opener as a junior. The Lights nearly pulled off an upset of Rocky Mountain College in his first career start, yet a late kickoff return for a touchdown spoiled the Lights upset bid.

Wilson didn’t start every game as a junior but he played in all 11 games for the Lights, as they struggled through a 1-10 season. Ever the competitor, Wilson threw 11 touchdowns and passed for 1,800 yards. He also scored two rushing touchdowns and added six more rushing touchdowns this year is what has become a staple of his game.

“I am not like a lot of quarterbacks,” Wilson said. “I like to run the football and when I do, I don’t like to slide.

I am a competitor, I want to get those yards. I also think that it fires up your team, so that’s another reason I won’t slide. I want to get my team going by showing how much I want it.”

Following the 2017 season, the Lights brought in a

new head coach, Andrew Rolin and once again, Wilson was competing with the job against a slew of other quarterbacks and for the third straight season, at two different schools, Wilson emerged as the starter and this time around, he would remain that way.

“He is such a competitor,” Rolin said. “He will need to do everything you ask him to do to try and win the football game. He loves to win and he’s a great leader too. I am going to miss him after this game. He is truly one of the best competitors I have been around and he does a lot for us obviously in both the run game and the passing game. His ability to compete is fun to watch.”

This season, Wilson has run the ball 94 times for 214 yards. Some of those runs have been designed but many have been sacks too, yet Wilson keeps fighting and throughout the season, he has put up some solid numbers. Wilson has 1,969 yards passing and should get over 2,000 yards Saturday against College of Idaho. He also has 14 touchdowns passes and six rushing touchdowns,

n

giving him 20 total touchdowns, along with over 2,200 total yards. He also has two games with three touchdown passes and three games this season with more than 300 total yards.

Undoubtedly, Wilson has achieved a lot over the past two seasons, but one thing he and his teammates haven’t done is beat a Frontier Conference opponent. That could all change Saturday, in Wilson’s final game at Blue Pony Stadium. The senior has already won one game at Blue Pony this year, throwing for 397 yards and three touchdowns against Mayville State, but he desperately wants another.

A game like that would be perfect on senior day, but

the truth is, Wilson doesn’t care about stats -- just wins.

So whether that means throwing for 400 yards, diving for a first down or making the appropriate check down, Wilson is going to do whatever it takes to win and that more than anything is his defining characteristic.

“I have really enjoyed my time here at Northern,” Wilson said. “I am glad that I came and I just want to send these seniors out with a win. I just want to get a win for this school. I want to end it on the right note and I want to add to that foundation because this program is getting close and just want to try and use this game as a springboard for next season so these guys can get some more wins next year.”

See Wilson Page 7

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern's Tommy Wilson fires a pass during a Frontier Conference football game last month in Havre. Wilson has been a two-year starter for the Lights, and this season, he's among the top passers in the Frontier Conference.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Northern's Tommy Wilson fights off a Mayville State defender during a 2018 NAIA game back in August in Havre. Wilson's toughness, and his running ability have been on full display this season, as he's started every game at quarterback for the Lights.

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Name

Pos.

1 Tristen Alesi DB 2 Isaiah Veal WR 2 Jizan Stinson DB 3 Hunter Juarez WR 3 Grayson McClain DB 4 Darius-James PetersonQB 4 Nik Lyons DB 5 Antoine Paul RB 5 Justin Johnson LB 6 Dominic Garzoli RB 6 Jesse Estrada LB 8 Wes Fitzpatrick WR 8 Jayden Dawson DB 9 Anatol Skylar TE 9 Trevor Manu DB 10 Tony Huebner WR 10 Josh Elsberry DB 11 Nathaniel Holcomb QB 12 Kyle Mitchell K 12 R.J. Walker WR 13 Gage Ferguson QB 14 Connor Richardson WR 15 Isaiah Abdul DB 16 A.J. Bernhardt QB 17 Miles Maupin DL 19 Kai Walter LB 20 Justin Hellyer RB 20 David Ford DB 22 Keenan Pattwell WR 22 Reece Walker DB 23 Cameron Dawson DB 24 Taeson Hardin DB 25 Cameron Hamrick DB 26 Canyon Olsen RB 29 Tony Murphy DB 30 Jordan Nero LB 31 Zach Oster RB 31 James Silva DB 32 Moses Nyirakomini DB 35 Chris Waters WR 35 Spencer Lambert P 36 Jae Vitin DB 38 Isaiah Barba WR 39 Bridger Mortensen DB 40 Drew Faircloth LB 41 Jake Bale FB 42 Nick Calzaretta RB 42 Landon Clark-Gammell DL 43 Brock Funke DL 44 Braxton Bujak TE 45 Mack Roesner LB 46 Graham Carnahan LB 47 Forrest Rivers LB 48 Levi Russo-Bell DL 50 Cy Hicks OL 50 James Roy DL 51 Jacob Torres LS 52 Viliami Hansen LB 53 Masen Medl LB 55 Keagan McCoy DL 56 Chase Owen OL 57 Ricky Bowman Jr. OL 58 Mika Duran DL 64 Vince Seth DL 65 Braden Bale OL 67 Drew Leick OL 69 Triden Mitchell OL 70 Josh Brown OL 72 Alex Houston OL 75 Zach Rickard OL 77 Gabe Zurita-Haber OL 78 Carter Ballenger OL 80 Connor Gagain TE

Ht.

6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-9 5-8 6-1 5-7 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-4 5-10 5-8 5-8 6-1 6-2 5-8 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-1 5-8 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-10 5-8 5-8 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-8 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-7 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-2

Wt. Year

185 175 190 185 175 190 190 160 225 180 190 185 185 230 185 170 190 200 175 165 220 185 160 160 215 215 180 180 160 165 175 175 160 200 170 195 180 175 170 185 160 180 170 170 230 215 205 230 250 230 220 205 220 240 270 290 200 210 185 215 285 280 190 260 260 275 265 280 275 285 300 315 225

Hometown

JR San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines HS) FR Santa Barbara, Calif. (Bishop Diego HS) SO Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach Poly) FR Mill Valley, Calif. (U. of Nevada) JR Alpharetta, Ga. (San Diego Mesa CC) JR Novato, Calif. (Marin Catholic HS) SR Van Nuys, Calif. (Notre Dame HS) FR Ontario, Calif. (Ontario HS) FR Corona, Calif. (Corona HS) SO Orland, Calif. (Orland HS) FR Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) SR Valencia, Calif. (Canyons CC) FR Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) JR Concord, Calif. (Diablo Valley CC) FR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) JR San Marcos, Calif. (Mission Hills HS) SO Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Puyallup, Wash. (Puyallup HS) JR Herriman, Utah (Bingham HS) SO Escondido, Calif. (Southern Oregon) JR Tacoma, Wash. (Siskiyous CC) SO Fallon, Nev. (Churchill County HS) FR Camas, Wash. (Camas HS) FR Dixon, Calif. (Dixon HS) FR Crane, Ore. (Crane Union HS) JR San Diego, Calif. (Cathedral Cath. HS) JR Anderson, Calif. (Shasta CC) SO Stockton, Calif. (St. Mary's HS) SO Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Escondido, Calif. (Santa Fe Christian HS) SO Menifee, Calif. (Heritage HS) FR Oak Harbor, Wash. (Oak Harbor HS) FR Star, Idaho (Eagle HS) FR Kimberly, Idaho (Kimberly HS) FR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) JR Wasilla, Alaska (Colony HS) SO Renton, Wash. (O'Dea HS) SR Livermore, Calif. (Butte Coll.)

JR Meridian, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS) SR SO Lemoore, Calif. (Fresno City CC) SO Chula Vista, Calif. (Eastlake HS) FR Nampa, Idaho (Skyview HS) FR Meridian, Idaho (Meridian HS) JR Redding, Calif. (Shasta CC) SO La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada HS) SO Larkspur, Calif. (Redwood HS) JR Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS) JR Novato, Calif. (Humboldt State) FR Nampa, Idaho (Nampa Christian HS) FR Novato, Calif. (Marin Catholic HS) SO Cottonwood, Calif. (William Penn U.) JR Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS) FR Cedar Park, Texas (Cedar Park HS) FR Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS) JR Honolulu, Hawaii (Damien HS) FR FR Graham, Wash. (Graham-Kapowsin HS) FR Nampa, Idaho (Skyview HS) FR Boise, Idaho (Capital HS) SO Idaho Falls, Idaho (Skyline HS) JR FR Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS) FR West Linn, Ore. (West Linn HS) FR FR Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS) FR Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell HS) JR Colfax, Wash. (Western Oregon U.) FR Auburn, Calif. (Placer HS) FR Antelope, Calif. (Antelope HS) JR Concord, Calif. (Diablo Valley CC) FR Meridian, Idaho (Mountain View HS) FR Roseville, Calif. (Oakmont HS)

No.

Name

81 John Horn 82 Tyler Reay 83 Landon Ebbers 84 Kenny Zamberlin 84 Mikhail Varetskiy 85 Devin Grant 87 Bo Stevens 88 Keegan Crafton 89 Tristin Wolfe 89 Ben Poplin 90 Demetreus Taua 91 Zach White 92 Oscar Reyes 93 Kaden Youssef 94 Daniel Garcia 95 Mykah Weaver

Pos.

WR TE WR WR DL WR WR TE WR DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

Ht.

6-1 6-3 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-0

Wt. Year

175 225 170 185 225 185 190 235 185 245 285 300 240 280 240 220

Hometown

JR Yuba City, Calif. (Yuba City HS) JR Adrian, Ore. (Adrian HS) FR Middleton, Idaho (Middleton HS) FR FR Ferndale, Wash. (Ferndale HS) SO San Mateo, Calif. (Aragon HS) FR JR Hermiston, Ore. (Hermiston HS) FR Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue HS) FR JR Auburn, Wash. (Auburn HS) JR Covington, Wash. (Tahoma HS) JR FR JR Anaheim, Calif. (Orange Coast CC) FR Rexburg, Idaho (Madison HS)

5

MSU-Northern Numerical Roster

College of Idaho Numerical Roster No.

November 9, 2018

No. Name

2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 64 65 66 67 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 80 81 82 83 84 86 87

Pos. Ht. Wt. Year

Jett Robertson RB Gary Carter DB Fotios Jordanoglou WR Jeff Tinae DB Wylie Novak DB Morgan McCrary DB Sam Mix WR Jay Vance DB Brenden Medina QB Caymus Thomas DB Bryce Bumgardner WR Bryce Missey QB Jake Horner WR Andrew Morgan LB Bennett Feinstein-Smith TE Marvin Williams WR Da’Jon Thomas WR Damien Nelson DB Tommy Wilson QB Samuel Brayboy RB Basie Desterfanis DB Ostin Welch DB Codi Small RB Connor Crawford RB Sam Tapia P Caleb Knoche DB James Beckett DB Andrew Trahan-ProctorRB Devariej Criss DB Derante Lamelle DL Cody Lucke FB Landon Taylor DB Kolby Steen LB Jared Craig DB Koby McCallum DB Peter Hamilton LB Diego Morales K Wyatt McKinlay FB Brandon Powell FB Eric Reyna DB Jaren Maki LB Chase Story LB Chase Gilbert LB Ian Sparrow DL Alec Wagner LB Darius Alexander-JonesOL Aaron Dolfay DL Justin Pfeifer DL Trenton Woodward OL Dax Miller LB Joe Fehr DL Joshua Hutchins OL Dale Cummings OL Colter Cyzmoniak DL Trevor Yuhas OL Spencer Colony OL Cisco Herrera OL Ryan Handley OL Dylan Schmidt OL Clint Willis OL Tevita Leetham OL Tenny Mauigon OL Jared Eisenbarth TE Keagan Stroop WR Charles Storey TE James Gilham WR Malick Touare WR Joe Mikkelsen TE David Evans TE

5-11 6-0 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-5 5-8 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-2 5-8 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-9 5-6 6-0 5-10 5-9 5-8 5-9 5-11 6-0 5-8 6-0 5-10 5-8 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-9 6-4 6-4 6-2

195 160 180 160 182 190 190 225 208 165 185 205 170 238 236 155 175 155 205 208 190 165 185 205 185 195 187 198 160 255 215 165 180 152 190 220 175 210 250 160 215 195 210 230 215 280 225 285 265 190 220 285 318 260 275 265 320 275 270 300 250 353 205 150 210 170 205 190 210

JR FR SR FR FR JR SR FR FR SO JR SO SO SR JR SO FR FR SR FR JR FR FR SO SR FR JR FR SO JR SO FR FR FR FR SO JR JR JR FR SO FR FR SO SR JR SO FR JR FR SO FR JR FR FR FR JR JR JR SR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR

Hometown Glendale, AZ Menlo Park, CA Ripon, CA Seattle, WA Cut Bank, MT Las Vegas, NV Sammamish, WA Fresno, CA Sebastopol, CA Spokane, WA Saint Helens, OR Spanaway, WA Great Falls, MT Waianae, HI Portland, OR Puyallup, WA San Diego, CA Great Falls, MT Fresno, CA Auburn, WA Fresno, CA Malta, MT Hardin, MT Missoula, MT Carlsbad, CA Forsyth, MT

Kirkland, WA Tacoma, WA San Francisco, CA Browning, MT Fort Benton, MT Chehalis, WA Laurel, MT Salem, OR Cut Bank, MT Pasadena, CA Geraldine, MT Sacramento, CA Kalispell, MT Belt, MT Roy, Utah Green Acres, WA Mesa, AZ Laurel, MT Gilroy, CA Portland, OR Cut Bank, MT Three Forks, MT Florence, MT Eureka, MT Puyallup, WA Cremona, AB Eureka, MT Great Falls, MT Fort Qu’Appellle, SK Madera, CA Missoula, MT Nine Mile Falls, WA Gardiner, MT West Jordan, UT Seattle, WA Woodinville, WA Belt, MT Hardin, MT Browning, MT Hardin, MT Brockton, MT Hardin, MT

No. Name 88 89 91 92 94 96 98 99

Seth Roemmele Jordan Pugh Connor Koker Tyler Pallas B.J. Hatcher Trendae Umi-Tuato’o Ronnie Chavez Jonathyn Jordan

Pos. Ht. Wt. Year

WR TE DL DL DL DL DL DL

6-1 6-5 5-11 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-3

185 225 230 245 205 290 245 205

SR JR SO SO FR FR SO FR

Hometown Claresholm, AB Tacoma, WA Spokane, WA Chehalis, WA Laurel, MT Auburn, WA Missoula, MT Snellville, GA

2018 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Andrew Rolin, Head Coach Jake Chestnut, Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Amosa, Running Backs/Tight Ends/Strength and Conditioning CJ Robertson, Offensive Line/Run Game Ray Clark, Defensive Backs John Kocurek, Wide Receivers/Recruiting James Amos, Tight Ends Ollie Ogbu, Defensive Line

Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Robert Tate; Sports Information: Sierra Richards

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November 9, 2018

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MSU-Northern Offensive Starters

College of Idaho Defensive Starters

MSU-N 2018 Offensive Numbers

C of I 2018 Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 15 ppg, last in Frontier Total offense: 347 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Seth Roemelle #88, 6-0, 190 Receiver

Tristen Alesi #1, 6-0, 190 Cornerback

Passing: 223 ypg, 5th in Frontier

www.havredailynews.com

November 9, 2018

MSU-Northern Defensive Starters

C of I 2018 Offensive Numbers

MSU-N 2018 Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 30 ppg, 6th in Frontier

Scoring: 45 ppg, last in Frontier

Total defense: 468 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Total defense: 536 ypg, last in Frontier

Pass defense: 292 ypg, 7th in Frontier

Rush defense: 241 ypg, last in Frontier

Scoring: 28 ppg, 5th in Frontier Hunter Juarez #3, 6-0, 185 Receiver

Rolin was hired in December of 2017. He is the fourth fulltime head coach of the Lights since the school reintroduced football. Before coming to Northern he had coaching stops at San Diego, Washington, San Jose State and Libby.

Rolin played QB at San Diego. He is a native of Rancho Cordova, California.

Tevita Leetham #77, 6-3, 250 Offensive line

Cy Hicks #50, 6-3, 270 Offensive line

Landon Clark-Gammel #42, 6-2, 230 Defensive line

Tommy Wilson #22, 6-1, 205 Quarterback

Darius Alexander-Jones #53, 6-3, 280 Offensive line

Demetreus Taua #90, 6-2, 280 Defensive line

Drew Faircloth #40, 6-0, 230 Linebacker

Dale Cummings #65, 6-1, 318 Offensive line

Bryce Bumgardner #14, 6-2, 185 Receiver

Trenton Woodward #56, 6-4, 265 Offensive line

Diego Morales #43, 5-8, 175 Kicker

Marvin Williams #19, 5-10, 155 Receiver

Caymus Thomas #13, 5-11, 165 Cornerback

Jeff Tinae #6, 5-11, 165 Safety

Jay Vance #10, 6-2, 225 Defensive tackle

Jaren Maki

#47, 6-2, 215 Linebacker

Justin Pfeifer #55, 6-0, 285 Defensive line

Zach White #91, 6-3, 300 Defensive line

Jake Norby #31, 6-2, 200 Linebacker

Danny Garcia #94, 5-11, 240 Defensive line

Mike Moroski C of I Head Coach

Zach Rickard #75, 6-1, 285 Offensive line

ChaseGilbert #49, 6-0, 215 Linebacker

Forrest Rivers #47, 5-11, 220 Linebacker

Nik Lyons #4, 5-9, 190 Safety

Joe Fehr #58, 6-3, 220 Linebacker

Drew Leick #67, 6-2, 275 Center

Darisu James-Peterson #4, 5-11, 180 Quarterback

Nick Calzaretta #42, 5-11, 205 Running back

Gabe Zurita-Haber #77, 6-3, 300 Offensive line

Josh Brown #70, 6-7, 280 Offensive line Keenan Pattwell

#22, 5-8, 160 Receiver

David Ford #20, 5-7, 180 Safety

Tyler Reay 82, 6-3, 235 Tight end

David Evans #87, 6-4, 205 Tight end Sam Tapia #29, 6-0, 180 Punter

B.J. Hatcher #94, 6-3, 205 Defensive end

Jayden Dawson #8, 5-11, 185 Safety

Jett Robertson #2, 5-11, 195 Running Back

Total offense: 384 ypg, 5th in Frontier Rushing: 160 ypg, 3rd in Frontier

Ostin Welch #26, 6-2, 170 Corner

Ryan Handley #73, 6-4, 275 Offensive line

Andrew Rolin MSU-N Head Coach

College of Idaho Offensive Starters

Devariej Criss #34, 5-9, 175 Corner Isaiah Abdul #15, 5-9, 160 Cornerback

Keegan Crafton #88, 6-5, 235 Receiver

Kyle Mitchell

#12, 6-2, 175 Kicker

Mike Moroski begins his fifth season as head coach at the College of Idaho and has an 22-31 all-time record. Was named head coach in January of 2013 and led the Yotes through their "zero year" program, prior to the return to the field in September of 2014. Moroski played quarterback at UC-Davis from 1975-78. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixthround of the 1979 NFL Draft, spending eight years as a backup quarterback with the Falcons (1979-84), the Houston Oilers (1985) and the San Francisco 49ers (1986).

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MSU-Northern Rewind

Lights haven't turned the corner, but they've reached the intersection From the Fringe...

Rocky Mountain UM-Western Eastern Oregon Southern Oregon College of Idaho Carroll College Montana Tech MSU-Northern

Conf. Overall WL WL

7-2 6-3 5-4 5-4 5-4 4-5 4-5 0-9

8-2 6-3 5-4 5-4 5-5 5-5 4-5 1-9

Last Saturday Southern Oregon 37, MSU-Northern 21 Carroll College 35, Montana Tech 14 Rocky Mountain 48, Eastern Oregon 10 College of Idaho 17, UM-Western 14

George Ferguson Sports Editor

When you’re rebuilding a football program, like the job being done by Andrew Rolin and the coaching staff at Montana State University-Northern, a lot of cliches are going to be used.

But cliches are also true many times, and in the case of rebuilding, the cliches being tossed around at Northern right now are fully justified.

After their 42-13 loss to the No. 18 UMWestern Bulldogs at Blue Pony Stadium, there were plenty of cliche’s that came to my mind from what I saw.

Call me an optimist, call me a homer, but you can also consider me someone who has watched, in one form or another, just about every live snap the Lights have had in the last decade, so I do feel like I know what I'm talking about when I am optimist about where the Lights are going.

And while the scoreboard may not agree with me, the Lights are indeed getting better. Now, getting better isn’t a cliche per se, but the use of the term “turning a corner” is, and that’s where the Lights almost are right now.

The fact that Northern completely outplayed Western for the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s game has to be taken into account. No matter how the game turned out, with where the Lights have been the last three or four years, to just dismiss the way they played in the first half Saturday would not just be wrong, it would be ridiculous.

That brings me back to the whole turning the corner cliche.

The Lights didn’t turn a corner Saturday, and they probably haven’t at any point this season, at least not in Frontier Conference play. Coach Rolin would be the first to say Northern still has a way to go in that department. But the cliche that came to my mind Saturday is this: You can’t turn the corner if you never make it to the turn. You can’t take the turn if you haven’t even arrived at the intersection yet.

How’s that for some serious cliches?

But as cliche or as optimistic as that sounds, it’s nonetheless true.

Against the then best team in the Frontier Conference, and perhaps the hottest team in the NAIA right now, the Lights got to the intersection. They made it to the turn.

In fact, Northern even had its blinker on.

Now, did they get all the way there? Did

Frontier Conference Standings

Saturday, Nov. 10 MSU-Northern vs College of Idaho Montana Tech at Rocky Mountain Eastern Oregon at Carroll College UM-Western at Southern Oregon

November 9, 2018

NAIA Coaches Poll

Rec. Pts. Prv. 14 Baker (Kan.) 7-2 193 14 1 Morningside 10-0 366 1 15 Concordia (Mich.)

8-2 175 15 2 Mariani 9-0 352 2 16 Dickinson State 8-2 147 16 3 Bethel 9-0 335 3 17 Saint Xavier (Ill.) 8-3 135 18 4 Reinhardt 8-1 325 4 18 Lindsey Wilson 6-3 134 17 5 Northwestern (Iowa) 8-1 302 6 19 Georgetown (Ky.) 7-3 124 19 6 Kansas Wesleyan 10-0 291 7 7 Benedictine 9-1 281 8 20 Siena Heights (Mich.) 7-2 93 23 8 Saint Francis (Ind.) 8-2 259 9 21 Ottawa (Kan.) 7-2 80 25 9 Evangel 9-1 254 10 22 Avila (Mo.) 7-2 56 21 10 Langston (Okla.)

8-1 237 11 23 UM-Western

6-3

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23 11 Rocky Mountain 8-2 226 12 24 College of Idaho 5-5 23 NR 12 Grand View 7-2 215 5 25 Southeastern (Fla.) 6-3 22 NR 13 Cumberlands (Ky.) 9-1 209 13 Others receiving votes: Midland (Neb.) 13, Oklahoma Panhandle State 8, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 8, Dordt (Iowa) 6, Eastern Oregon 4, Arizona Christian 3, Webber International (Fla.) 3.

Frontier Conference Individual Leaders Through Week 10

Passing: Kai Quinn, EOU, 327 ypg Receiving: Brendan Kelly, EOU, 142 ypg Receptions: dion Williams, MT, 7 cpg Rushing: Jed Fike, MT, 124 ypg Tackles: Jason Ferris, UM-W, 113 Sacks: Ryder Rice, RMC, 11.5 sacks INT's: Zack Jacobs, EOU, 7 ints

2018 Lights Coaching Staff

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana StateUniversity-Northern head coach Andrew Rolin talks to the Lights during Northern's Frontier Conference home game with UM-Western last month in Havre. In two of Northern's last three games, the Lights have had the lead after the first quarter, which shows Northern is certainly making progress under Rolin. The Lights are home Saturday as they close out the Frontier Conference season against the College of Idaho Yotes. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. in Blue Pony Stadium.

they make that turn? No. I don’t think anyone could say that.

But given where the Lights have been in the recent past and given where they started back when Rolin was hired in December, Northern has come a long, long way. In fact, they’ve come so far, they’re ready to make that turn. They’re so close. All they have to

do now is do it. It’s a grueling and sometimes agonizing turn, and it’s one that may not even happen this season, with only three games left to do it.

Yet all those cliches I just said in the last paragraph are no less true, either. Northern is getting close. They’re getting there.

I know because I’ve seen it happen before.

I know what to look for, and the signs are there. The Lights are about to turn the corner, and I believe, under Rolin, they will.

And if I may be cliche, right now, the Lights are at the intersection. The blinker is on. And they are going to make that turn.

Give it some more time, but they’re going to do it. There’s no going back.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The 2018 Montana State University-Northern coaching staff includes, Andrew Rolin, Head Coach; Jake Chestnut, Defensive Coordinator; Jonathan Amosa, Running Backs/Tight Ends/Strength and Conditioning; CJ Robertson, Offensive Line/Run Game; Ray Clark, Defensive Backs; John Kocurek, Wide Receivers/ Recruiting; James Amos, Tight Ends; Ollie Ogbu, Defensive Line.

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The 22: An Unconvential QB C of I comes to Havre on fire

Northern senior quarterback Tommy Wilson has always thought and played outside the box. An no matter the routes he's taken, it's been quite the journy Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports gferguson@havredailynews.com

Tommy Wilson is not a conventional quarterback and his college football career has been anything but ordinary.

Yet, as it winds down this weekend, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think I have always done things a little differently,” Wilson said. “It has been dif-

George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com

ferent going through three different schools and trying to build a foundation. Just to keep making that jump was a transition for me, but it has been eventful and I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have enjoyed the travel of college football. I have played in warm weather, cold weather; I have played in extraordinary heat. It has been a lot of fun. I will tell you that.”

Wilson’s college career didn’t start with Northern, instead, it began in the state of Nebraska, where he began playing at Peru State, an NAIA program. After that season, Wilson, who was from California, transferred to the College of Sequoias, a junior college where he started nine games that season, threw 14 touchdowns and averaged 234 yards passing per game. However, after that, he made the move back to the NAIA and he came to Montana State UniversityNorthern at a time when the Lights were looking for a quarterback.

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It’s hard to fathom, but, when the sun sets on Havre this Saturday afternoon, the Frontier Conference football season will be over.

In fact, it will be that way all across Montana and beyond as the league has reached its final weekend.

Saturday will also be the sunset for the Northern senior class, a group that has endured as many as three different head coaches, and as few as four wins in their entire careers. And yet, these Lights should be more than honored before Saturday’s game against surging College of Idaho, they should be commended for having the commitment, dedication and toughness to stay through all of the ups and downs Northern’s program has endured in their time at MSU-N. Yes, before Saturday’s game, Northern seniors Fotios Jordanoglou, Clint Willis, Andrew Morgan, Sam Mix, Tommy Wilson, Sam Tapia, Alec Wagner, Dale Cummings and Seth Roemmele deserve a lengthy stand-

See Wilson Page 5

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern senior Tommy Wilson has traveled quite the road in his college football career. The last stop though, has been a special one for him as he's quarterbacked the Lights through some tough times. Wilson will play his final game as a Light this Saturday when Northern takes on College of Idaho at Blue Pony Stadium. The game will cap a strong senior season for Wilson, who came to Northern from the College of the Sequoias in California in the winter of 2016.

MSU-Northern Lights vs College of Idaho Yotes Montana State University-Northern

2017 record: 1-10, 0-10 Head coach: Andrew Rolin

Location: Havre, Mont.

Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium

Nickname: Lights

Streak: Northern has never beaten College of Idaho. The Yotes joined the Frontier in 2014, and are 4-0 against the Lights.

Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2018 record: 0-9, 1-9

Saturday, November 10, 2018 Blue Pony Stadium ~ Noon College of Idaho

2017 record: 6-4, 6-5 Head coach: Mike Moroski

Location: Caldwell, Idaho

Stadium: Simplot Stadium

Nickname: Yotes

Streak: The Yotes are riding a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday's finale.

They haven't lost since Sept. 22 at Rocky.

Colors: Purple and Black 2018 record: 5-4, 5-5

ing ovation for what they’ve done in their time on the football field, and off it at MSU-N. The group, composed of players who go as far back as Mark Samson’s final recruiting class, to as new as two-year players like Wilson, Morgan, Tapia and Jordanoglou, have been through about as much as any group of college football players have in their stay at Northern. That includes injuries, and hardships, on and off the field.

Mix’ return to Northern has been well-documented, while Willis has lost a chunk of at least three different seasons to leg injuries, including this season. Jordanoglou, a rising star at wide receiver also suffered a season-ending injury, while Morgan has missed a huge portion of his final year at linebacker as well.

However, no matter how difficult the times of have been, no matter if they’ve been here for five, or two years, Saturday will be a momentous and special day for the Northern seniors, and this group especially, deserve all of the adulation that comes with any senior day.

Of course, the Lights will then have to turn their attention to the Yotes, who are easily the NAIA’s hottest team.

What C of I has done the last month has been incredible. The Yotes bring a five-game winning streak to Blue Pony Stadium, and with it, a scoring binge. In that stretch, C of I, which was picked to finish fourth in the Frontier this season, but stumbled to an 0-5 start, has been averaging close to 50 points per game, and though they didn’t put up

Today in the Frontier Conference

big points last Saturday, they did knock off UM-Western in Dillon, effectively ending the Bulldog’s playoff hopes, minus a tiebreaker miracle at this point.

Yes, the Lights, who played well at Southern Oregon last Saturday, and are fresh off a road trip in which they got to practice inside Oregon State’s Reeser Stadium last Friday, will no doubt be amped up for their finale this weekend, but, they’ll have to be extra amped up to slow down the Yotes, and their triple-option attack.

Last Day With Western’s loss at home to C of I last Saturday, and Rocky Mountain College’s thrashing of Eastern Oregon, the math is simple for the final weekend of the 2018 Frontier season - Rocky beats Montana Tech and the Battlin’ Bears win the Frontier title outright.

And what a ride it’s been for the Bears

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See Notebook Page 12

2018 Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Southern Oregon; 2. Rocky Mountain; T3.

Montana Tech; T3. College of Idaho; 5. Carroll College; 6. Eastern Oregon; 7. UM-Western; 8.

MSU-Northern Havre Daily News Frontier Conference Final Power Rankings

#24 College of Idaho Yotes (5-4, 5-5)

1. Rocky Mountain College 2. Eastern Oregon 3. College of Idaho 4. UM-Western 5. Southern Oregon 6. Carroll College 7. Montana Tech 8. MSU-Northern

At Montana State University-Northern Lights (0-6, 1-6) #11 Rocky Mountain (7-2, 8-2) vs Montana Tech (4-5, 5-5) in Billings

#23 UM-Western (6-3, 6-3) at Southern Oregon (5-4, 5-4) in Ashland, Oregon

#RV Eastern Oregon (5-4, 5-4) at Carroll College (4-5, 5-5) in Helena

Full Coverage on Twitter @HavreDaily

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Notebook: MSU-Northern seniors to play their final home game Saturday ■ From Page 11 too. They get off to a fast start, only to forfeit that season-opening win over Carroll College due to using an ineligible player. Then, the Bears lose at Western and barely win at C of I the next week. Needless to say, things weren’t looking great for the Bears at that point. Now however, Rocky hasn’t lost Sept.

15. The Bears have climbed up the NAIA Coaches Poll, and they’ve clinched a share of the Frontier title. Now, only a win over Tech stands between the outright championship and a berth in the NAIA playoffs in just head coach Jason Petrino’s third season.

Of course, if the Bears were to stumble against the Orediggers, then things get a bit more complicated, if, Western and Eastern Oregon both win their final game Saturday.

The Bears do hold tiebreakers over both squads, having split with the Dawgs, and beaten EOU last week. Still, a loss to Tech, coupled with a Western win at SOU, would mean the Battlin’ Bears would still go to the playoffs, but, would likely miss out on hosting that first-round game next week in Billings. Should the Bears win the outright title, they’ll like host Dickinson State in the first round on Nov. 17. And a home playoff game is something Rocky dearly covets, because

it’s certainly been a while since the playoffs have come to Herb Kilndt Field.

As for the rest of the Frontier, there is little to no hope of a second team reaching the NAIA tournament. Even if Western beats SOU, the Bulldogs’ loss to C of I last week probably puts them on the outside looking in. Likewise for EOU. Its loss last week probably eliminated the Mounties from playoff contention, even if they beat Carroll this Saturday in Helena.

For others in the Frontier, winning records are on the line. A win over EOU would give Carroll its first winning season in four years, while SOU is looking to finish above .500, while Montana Tech could finish at the .500 mark with an upset at RMC. C of I could garner its third straight winning season with a win at Northern Saturday, while the Lights are looking to give Andrew Rolin his first Frontier win, in what’s their last chance to do so this season.

Stat Races As the Frontier reaches its final day, most of the individual races are over.

Offensively, Eastern’s Kai Quinn will easily wind up leading the Frontier in passing (326 ypg) and total offense (359 ypg). Only

Rocky quarterback Jacob Bakken averages more than 300 yards passing and 300 yards of total offense, but it would take a huge performance by him on Saturday to surpass Quinn’s numbers. Northern’s Tommy Wilson is fourth in the Frontier in passing and sixth in total offense.

Montana Tech’s Jed Fike will win the league’s rushing title for the second straight season. Fike averages 124 yards per game and has broken the 1,000-yard barrier again.

This season, no one is even close to Fike, with EOU’s Victor Diaz and SOU’s Rey Vega both averaging 80 yards per outing. Neither will get to the 1,000-yard mark either. MSUN’s Jett Robertson is sixth in the Frontier with 586 rushing yards.

EOU’s Brendan Kelly has had a recordsetting season and will lead the league in receiving yards this season, but, the race for catches is close between he and Tech’s Dion Williams, who led the league in that category a year ago. Northern’s Bryce Bumgardner is fourth in the league with 47 receptions and fifth with his 77 receiving yards per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, RMC defensive end Ryder Rice is leading the with 11.5 sacks, but SOU’s Sean Rodgers isn’t far behind with 10. Rice also leads the Frontier with 14.5 tackles for loss. Joe Fehr leads the

Lights with three sacks, and Jaren Maki is tops at MSU-N with four tackles for loss.

Total tackles this season will belong to UM-Western’s Jason Ferris. With one game left, he already has 113 stops this season, and is averaging nearly 13 per game. Carroll’s Chase Bowen is second in total tackles with 79. Maki leads the Lights this season with 62 tackles and just over seven per game.

EOU’s Zach Jacobs has a whopping eight interceptions this season, which is double what RMC’s Keenan Fagan has. Fagan is second in the league with four. Northern linebacker Chase Gilbert is the only light in double digits with two picks this season.

Frontier Honors RMC’s Jacob Bakken was named Frontier Offensive Player of the Week. Last Saturday, Bakken threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns in Rocky’s win over Eastern Oregon.

C of I’s Tristen Alesi was named Defensive Player of the Week. In the Yotes’ win over Western last Saturday, eight tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

C of I’s Kyle Mitchell was named Special Team’s Player of the Week. In the win over Western, he kicked a school-record 45-yard field goal.

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The Montana State University-Northern seniors will be honored before Saturday's game between the Lights and the College of Idaho Yotes. Kickoff at Blue Pony Stadium is set for 12 p.m. Not pictured above are Northern seniors Clint Willis and Fotios Jordanoglou.