12
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
Notebook: Rough Saturday for Frontier Conference teams taking on FCS Big Sky opponents ■ From Page 11 You may have seen Montana State playing at Pac 12 power Washington State last Saturday night. In some ways, that game wasn’t pretty. The Montana Grizzlies may suffer an even worse night this Saturday when they play at the University of Washington. It was no different for a handful of Frontier schools that moved up to play Big Sky Conference opponents recently. Last Saturday night, UM-Western traveled to Ogden, Utah to face Weber State, and the Bulldogs were simply no match in a 76-0 loss. Weber was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky this season, so, it was going to be a tough night for the Bulldogs for sure. But, ouch. The Wildcats certainly showed no mercy. College of Idaho was also no match for Northern Colorado in a 41-14 loss. The Yotes did move the ball at times, but, the Bears were just simply too deep and too tough for the Yotes to handle. It’s interesting when Frontier teams
move up to play Big Sky opponents too. I’m not sure of the paydays, but I know it’s not like UM getting $650,000 from the Huskies, or the Bobcats taking home $450,000 from the Cougs last Saturday night. But in the end, on the field it’s the same. It’s exciting for Frontier players to go to bigger stadiums and test themselves against a much higher level of college football.
New looks Many Frontier teams unveiled a different look to their uniforms last weekend. Against Northern, Rocky wore an all-black ensemble, with black helmets and black uniforms with gold trim. With Saturday being sweltering, the all-black uniform combo must have been hot for sure. But, it looked pretty cool. Montana Tech wore copper uniforms against Carroll last Thursday night. I believe Tech wears those uniforms once a year, so it won’t be a permanent removal from their
usual green and white look. They even put a copper logo on their helmets for the game, which was pretty cool. And Western, while not changing colors at all, has completely re branded its logos, and their helmets reflect the new branding. A bulldog mascot logo is all that adorns Western’s traditional black helmets now, and I think the look as pretty good as well. It just goes to show you, the uniform craze, started by Oregon, and has now swept through all of NCAA college football is starting to make its way all the way down to the Frontier Conference.
Players of the Week Southern Oregon quarterback Tanner Trosin was named Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week. In No. 25 Southern Oregon’s 31-21 season opening conference win over No. 7 Eastern Oregon, Trosin, making his first start since game two of last
season, went 21 of 33 passing for 311 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Also nominated were Mason Melby of Rocky Mountain College and Kai Quinn of Eastern Oregon. College of Idaho’s Nate Moore is the Defensive Player of the Week. In College of Idaho’s 41-14 non-conference road loss at Northern Colorado, Moore recorded six solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, two tackles for loss (-14), one sack and one pass break up. Also nominated were Justin Hughes of Eastern Oregon, and Armando Gauger of Southern Oregon. RMC’s Sam Sparks was named Special Teams Player of the Week. In Rocky Mountain’s 32-25 home conference win over MSUNorthern, Sparks returned a kick off 86 yards for a touchdown with 1:02 remaining in the game. As a running back he rushed for 114 yards. Also nominated was Nathan Harden of Eastern Oregon and George Sherwood of Montana-Western.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The Montana State University-Northern Lights open their home schedule against perhaps one of the best teams in not only the Frontier Conference, but all of the NAIA in the Montana Tech Orediggers. Tech comes to Blue Pony Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m., fresh off a 45-28 throttling of Carroll College.
2
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
11
A weapon not to be overlooked
Orediggers make an early statement
MSU-N senior kicker Tommy Langley has a kicker's story that brought him to Havre
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com On the football field, weapons come in all shapes and sizes. And they come at all positions too. And that includes kickers. If you have a good kicker, a guy you know will go out there and score points for you, well, then you have a leg up on the competition. The Montana State University-Northern Lights know they have one of those. They have a guy who will go out and do his job when he’s called upon. In the Frontier Conference, that’s rare
too. At the NAIA level, finding a kicker who can make long field goals, who can be consistent, and who can really boot the ball, that’s a rarity because when they’re really good, they’re playing at a higher level most of the time. Northern seenior Tommy Langley is really good though, and he’s playing at the NAIA level. And his story is one that is right out of a Hollywood movie — literally. Ever see the movie, a true story called We Are Marshall? It’s a great football story, and there’s a part in it where the team recruits a Marshall soccer player to come and be the new Thundering Herd kicker. Well, that’s Tommy Langley’s story too. Like so many kickers, soccer is how Langley ended up playing football, and, the world’s game eventually brought him to Northern. “I Played soccer pretty much all my life,” Langley, a native of Tracy, California said. “I played up to my sophomore year, but then I got injured, and that wasn’t going to allow me to keep my spot playing on the soccer
team. So I had a friend on the football team who told me I should come try out as a kicker, and the next thing I know, I’m playing in varsity games. And from then on, I was a football player.” As it turns out, Langley was a good football player too. He grew up a football fan, so, while he was a soccer player at heart, football wasn’t foreign to him either. “I’ve always loved football, but when I was young, my parents told me I couldn’t try football until high school, so I played soccer, and I did well it at and just kind of continued with that. But I’ve always had a love for the game of football, I’ve always watched it and I’ve always been a fan.” Eventually, Langley’s love of football became a reality, kicking for Tracy High School. And he did well enough that he found a spot kicking for Modesto Junior College, where he was an All-League standout for two seasons. And that led him to Northern, where he
n
Frontier Conference football is underway. And, it looks like one thing holds true following the first week of conference play — the Montana Tech Orediggers are, and are going to be really good. Last Thursday night, Tech opened its pursuit of a repeat Frontier championship with a dominating win over a muchimproved Carroll College squad at sold-out Alumni Coliseum in Butte. Here’s a few notes on what the Orediggers did to Carroll. Quarterback Quinn McQueary, a ho-hum 300-yard passing game. The No. 2 running back on the depth chart, Dickinson State transfer Jed Fike, over 137 yards rushing in his first game. Total offense: 500 yards, with 30 first downs. Defensively, the Orediggers held Carroll to 17 first downs and a mere 94 yards rushing. So Frontier teams not named Montana Tech, you have your work cut out for you
See Langley Page 6
MSU-Northern Lights vs Montana Tech Orediggers Montana State University-Northern Location: Havre, Mont. Nickname: Lights Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2017 record: 0-1 0-1
2016 record: 1-9, 1-9 Head coach: Aaron Christensen Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium Streak: Lights haven't beaten Montana Tech since the 2014 season when they won in Blue Pony Stadium
Saturday, September 9, 2017 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 1 p.m. Montana Tech
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern senior Tommy Langley was one of the top kickers in the Frontier Conference last season. And, after a summer spent working out with NFL players, he plans on being that same weapon again for the Lights this fall. For more photos, go to www.havredailynews.com.
2016 record: 10-2, 9-1 Head coach: Chuck Morrell
Location: Butte, Mont.
Stadium: Alumni Coliseum
Nickname: Orediggers
Streak: The Montana Tech Orediggers have won 10 straight Frontier Conference regular season games dating back to last season.
Colors: Green and White 2017 record: 1-0, 1-0
this season. And that list includes the MSU-Northern Lights, Tech’s next opponent. Lights come to their home opener Saturday fresh off a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of Rocky Mountain College – and in particular, Sam Sparks, who returned a kickoff 86 yards in the final minute of the game to lift the Bears to a 32-25 win over the Lights. Sparks also returned a kickoff for a TD against Northern last season. But, the loss didn’t come without plenty of bright spots for the Lights. Northern quarterback Tommy Wilson was very good in his MSU-N debut. The Lights showed tremendous depth at the WR position with veterans like Beau Wilhelm, Don-
ovan Garner and Sam Mix making plays, while new faces like Marvin Williams and Bryce Bumgardner shined too. Saturday was also MSUN’s first game in four years without Zach McKinley and starting running back Trey Blanchard showed plenty of good things in his first career start. Defensively, the Lights got a herculean effort from Garet Fowler. That was to be expected. But fresh faces like linebacker Steven Fernandez and freshman safety Dylan Kelley were also on display. So, there were plenty of positives the Lights took away from a heartbreaking, season-opening defeat. But, with all due respect to Rocky, Northern’s second game is going to be a different
Today in the Frontier Conference
n
See Notebook Page 12
2017 Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Montana Tech; 2. Eastern Oregon; T3. Southern Oregon; T3. Carroll College; 5. UM-Western; T6. Rocky Mountain College; T6. College of Idaho; 8. MSU-Northern
1. Montana Tech 2. Southern Oregon 3. Carroll College 4. Eastern Oregon 5. UM-Western 6. Rocky Mountain College 7. MSU-Northern 8. College of Idaho
At Montana State University-Northern Lights (0-1, 0-1)
No. 25 Southern Oregon (1-0, 1-0) at No. 19 UM-Western (1-0, 1-1) in Dillon, Mont.
Playing Up
Havre Daily News Frontier Conference Power Rankings
#6 Montana Tech Orediggers (1-0, 1-0)
College of Idaho (0-1, 0-2) at No. 7 Eastern Oregon (0-1, 0-1) in LaGrande, Ore.
animal all together. “They’re ranked where they are for a reason,” MSU-N head coach Aaron Christensen said of the Orediggers. “The look like they’re a very complete football team. Offense, defense, special teams, and coaching, they have everything you need to be a very good football team.” No doubt Tech has already announced its intentions this season. The win over Carroll did that. Of course, Tech won’t take anyone lightly, and, Southern Oregon, Carroll, Eastern Oregon, Western, Rocky, and the Lights all showed plenty of promise last weekend, and will give the ‘Diggers all they can handle. But, there’s also no denying, for Northern, or anyone else in the Frontier, the Orediggers are going to be a handful and then some this fall.
Rocky Mountain College (1-0, 1-1) at Carroll College (0-1, 0-1) in Helena, Mont.
Full Coverage on Twitter @HavreDaily
10
September 8, 2017
MSU-Northern Rewind
www.havredailynews.com
New season, new attitude for Lights George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When the Montana State University-Northern Lights beat the Carroll College Fighting Saints last September in Blue Pony Stadium, it must have felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off Northern’s shoulders. It can feel that way when you haven’t won a football game in a while. And while that was a joyous day for sure, and one that will be a big part of Northern’s history for many years to come, it was just one victory in a 10-game season, and the only one the Lights have had in the last two seasons. So, as the 2017 seasons dawns for a very new, and in many ways, young Lights’ football team, winning is something they want to do more of. It’s not something they’re building towards anymore, it’s something they want to do this fall — right now. “I think, the kids we have returning this year, they’ve now seen, with all we’ve gone through, what it takes to win football games,” Northern third-year head coach Aaron Christensen said. “They now know that it’s not given, they see how hard it is. They see how you have to practice, how hard you have to work, that you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and just get the results. “So from that standpoint, coming into this season, the attitude of this football team is so positive,” he added. “They come to practice every day ready to work hard, they come with a great focus and energy and they want to be better, they want to improve because they have seen that winning isn’t easy. They understand every single game is so tough, especially in this (Frontier) conference. So, from that standpoint, there’s a huge difference this year, and it’s been really good.” Of course, attitude and work ethic is one thing, but, Christensen also believes he has a team that can do what it takes physically, in between the lines, to get more wins this season. Even against a schedule that has the Lights playing defending Frontier champion Montana Tech twice, as well as Carroll and Rocky Mountain College twice, while playing tough road games at Eastern Oregon, Mayville State and College of Idaho. Oh, and a loaded Southern Oregon and powerful UM-Western
squad also come to Blue Pony Stadium this season. And, with all of that, the Lights also graduated the greatest offensive player to ever suit up in Zach McKinley, and the incredible Tyler Craig among others. And still, Christensen is highly optimistic about what his team can achieve this season. “You can’t replace those guys (McKinley and Craig),” Christensen said. “But, when you look at where we’re at right now with our roster, we know we have talent, we know we have guys who can step in and play. We have had more depth and competition in this camp than we have had the two years before, and when you have that, it makes you a better football team. Last year, we had some really talented senior starters, some of the best players we’ve ever had. But, behind those guys, we didn’t have any depth at some spots. Now, there’s not much difference between our one’s and two’s, and that’s going to make a big difference on Saturday’s.” And differences are needed if the Lights are going to make big strides this fall. Offensively, Northern will miss the 1,000 yards, 37 carries per game and nine touchdowns McKinley had last year, as well as his overall presence. But, Christensen feels good about Trey Blanchard and B.J. Peters stepping into that role. Northern is also breaking in a new starting quarterback this fall, as last year’s starters Caleb McLaren graduated, and Jess Krahn moved to tight end. But, whoever is calling the signals for the Lights, does have a bevy of offensive weapons to throw to, including Sam Mix, Donovan Garner and Kagen Khameneh. MSU-N also has as strong as an offensive line as its had in quite some time, anchored by junior left tackle Clint Willis, while kicker Tommy Langley is one of the best in the Frontier. Defensively, there’s also talent and reasons to be optimistic. Senior linebacker Garet Fowler and junior Alec Wagner will be the heart of the middle of MSU-N’s defense, while senior Elijah Dennison will be a force at defensive tackle. In the secondary, Northern also returns starters Cory Lee and DeQuincy Bergen. So there’s no doubt, MSU-N has talent and leadership, but, there’s also no doubt, a lot of new, and young players are going to step into prominent roles this season for a Lights’ squad looking to improve on things such as being dead last in turnover margin and last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. “We have the guys who can step
in and make the plays and do the job,” Christensen said. “Last year, we weren’t good enough,” he added. “We had some good games, but then we had games where we just didn’t play well at all. So it’s about consistency. We know we improved from our first year to last year, but we also know, it wasn’t good enough. So this season, we know we have talent, we know we have players who can play, we as coaches see it and talk about it every day in practice. We just have to be consistent, every game, we have to execute and do things the right away. If we do that, we’ll find success.” And success on the scoreboard is no doubt what the Lights are after. But, in many ways, now in the third year of Christensen, the Lights have already found success. Look at their roster, and sure, big names like McKinley, Craig, Pat Barnett and others aren’t there anymore, and those players will be forever missed. But, the sheer numbers, the depth and the young talent emerging, those are things that two years ago, the Lights were sorely lacking, and having those things now, Northern expects to see it pay dividends. “Like I said, the last two years, we had some very talented players, but we didn’t have depth, and when you don’t have depth, there’s not a lot of competition in practice,” he continued. “So I feel like we’ve built that depth and competition level up and it’s making us a much better football team. And that’s what we want to continue to do, build up that talent and depth at every single position, because good football teams don’t have just one thing. You have to be able to run the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, tackle, kick it, all of it. You have to be good at every phase of the game, and that’s the direction I think we’re heading.” No doubt, the Lights are building up. With young players, like Justin Pfeifer, Peter Hamilton, Jake Norby, Bryce Missey, Dylan Cook, Jake Horner, RJ Henry, Joe Fehr and so many more, brighter days appear to be ahead for the Lights. But, they also want to shine bright now too. That’s the goal. As Christensen preaches often, the Lights always want to be 1-0. And that includes every week this fall. And while there are question marks and unproven players all over Northern’s depth chart, Christensen is confident the Lights will be a better football team in 2017 than they were in 2016. “I do. I do believe we’re a better overall football team right now,” Christensen said. “We see it every single day in practice. it."
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
Frontier Conference Standings
Montana Tech Southern Oregon UM-Western Rocky Mountain Carroll College Eastern Oregon MSU-Northern College of Idaho
Conf. WL 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1
Overall WL 1-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2
Last Week Montana Tech 45, Carroll College 28 Rocky Mountain 32, MSU-Northern 25 Southern Oregon 31, Eastern Oregon 21 Weber State 76, UM-Western 0 Northern Colorado 41, College of Idaho 14 Saturday, Sept. 9 MSU-Northern vs Montana Tech Carroll College vs Rocky Mountain UM-Western vs Southern Oregon College of Idaho vs Eastern Oregon
NAIA Coaches Poll 13 15 Robert Morris (Ill.) 7-3 14 13 Sterling (Kan.) 8-3 15 14 Dickinson State (N.D.) 9-4 16 18 Southeastern (Fla.) 6-3 17 16 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 8-3 18 22 Arizona Christian 7-3 19 19 Montana Western 7-4 20 17 Kansas Wesleyan 9-2 21 23 Georgetown (Ky.) 7-4 22 21 Langston (Okla.) 7-2 23 25 William Penn (Iowa) 7-4 24 RV Saint Xavier (Ill.) 5-6 25 NR Southern Oregon 5-6
1 1 Saint Francis (Ind.) (16) 2 2 Baker (Kan.) 3 3 Reinhardt (Ga.) 4 6 Morningside (Iowa) 5 5 Marian (Ind.) 6 7 Montana Tech 7 4 Eastern Oregon 8 8 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 9 9 Grand View (Iowa) 10 12 Tabor (Kan.) 11 10 Doane (Neb.) 12 11 Missouri Valley
13-1 14-1 13-1 10-2 11-1 10-2 10-3 11-2 9-3 8-3 9-2 9-3
366 351 327 319 305 297 292 268 259 219 214 213
183 162 156 137 122 113 88 86 82 76 51 34 30
Others receiving votes: : Concordia (Neb.) 28; Benedictine (Kan.) 23; Faulkner (Ala.) 19; Carroll (Mont.) 19; Pikeville (Ky.) 9; Warner (Fla.) 5; St. Ambrose (Iowa) 5
Frontier Conference Individual Leaders Week Two
Passing: Quinn McQueary MT, 338 ypg Receiving: Dion Williams, MT, 109 ypg Receptions: Dion Williams, MT, 9 cpg Rushing: Jed Fike, MT, 130 ypg Tackles: Nate Moore, C of I, 29 Sacks: Armando Gauger, SOU, 2 sacks INT's: Terrance Williams, RMC, 2 ints
Lights Coaching Staff
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern coaching staff. From left to right: Dan Vanderpan (defensive line), Darold DeBolt (defensive line), Jake Eldridge (defensive coordinator, strength and conditioning), Rick Wells (defensive backs), Aaron Christensen (head coach, offensive coordinator), Anvil Sinsibaugh (offensive line, recruiting coordinator), Jorge Magana (linebacker, defensive line), Kevin Murphy (linebackers), Lance Marshall (wide receivers, tight ends).
3
4
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
MSU-Northern Offensive Starters
Montana Tech Defensive Starters
MSU-N 2017 Offensive Numbers
TECH 2016 Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 25 ppg, 5th in Frontier Total offense: 412 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
Seth Roemelle #88, 6-0, 190 Receiver
Andre Brown #1, 5-10, 180 Cornerback
Rushing: 297 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
MSU-Northern Defensive Starters
TECH 2016 Offensive Numbers
MSU-N 2016 Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 28 ppg, 2nd in Frontier
Scoring: 32 ppg, 5th in Frontier
Total defense: 296 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Total defense: 414 ypg, 6th in Frontier
Pass defense: 202 ypg, 4th in Frontier
Pass defense: 107 ypg, 1st in Frontier
Scoring: 45 ppg, 1st in Frontier
Aaron Christensen enters his third season as the Head Football Coach of Montana State UniversityNorthern. He brings with him a decade of coaching experience at the NAIA level. From 2012 to 2014, Coach Christensen served as the Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for Missouri Valley College (MVC).
Dylan Schmidt #74, 6-4, 275 Offensive line
Tommy Wilson #22, 6-1, 205 Quarterback
Dale Cummings #65, 6-2, 300 Center
Chance Hansen #99, 6-4, 255 Defensive line
Tyler Sanders #55, 6-2, 275 Defensive line
Ryan Handley #73, 6-3, 265 Offensive line
Brock Beede #45, 6-5, 265 Defensive line
Connor Wines #47, 6-2, 230 Linebacker Dequincy Bergen #21, 5-11, 200 Safety
Elijah Dennison #95, 6-2, 255 Defensive tackle GaretFowler #12, 5-10, 220 Linebacker
Brock Polley #4, 6-2, 215 Linebacker
Danny Mannix #29, 6-0, 205 Linebacker
Josh Wright #92, 6-2, 240 Defensive end
Dylan Kelley #25, 5-10, 175 Safety
Mitchell Harmon #55, 6-1, 245 Defensive line
Sam Mix #9, 6-1, 190 Receiver
Chuck Morrell TECH Head Coach
Jack Hape #58, 6-4, 300 Offensive line
Kellan Davis #73, 6-4, 300 Offensive line
Braden Feisthamel #32, 5-11, 205 Running back Quinn McQueary #8, 6-3, 200 Quarterback
Jed Fike
#28, 5-11,200 Running back
Trevor Hopf #78, 6-3, 285 Offensive line
Alec Wagner
Jalen Whitley #57, 6-3, 295 Offensive line Paul Sundquist #38, 6-1, 220 Defensive line
Tommy Langley #27, 5-11, 190 Kicker
Passing: 338 ypg, 1st in Frontier
#52, 5-11, 225 Linebacker
Elijah Cox #51, 6-5, 280 Offensive line Jake Norby #31, 6-2, 200 Bandit
Hunter Clark #80, 6-4, 235 Tight end
Kagen Khameneh #15, 6-3, 240 Tight end Sam Tapia #89, 6-0, 180 Punter
Steven Fernandez #23, 6-0, 210 Linebacker
Reid Siderius #6, 6-3, 200 Cornerback Kitrell Willingham #85, 6-2, 225 Fullback
Total offense: 511 ypg, 1st in Frontier
Nate Younk #66, 6-1, 280 Offensive line
Tucker Rauthe #22, 6-0, 200 Safety
Trey Blanchard #4, 5-10, 200 Running Back
Sean Sullivan #10, 6-3, 200 Receiver
Morgan McCrary #8, 5-10, 190 Cornerback
Clint Willis #75, 6-7, 300 Offensive line
Aaron Christensen MSU-N Head Coach
Montana Tech Offensive Starters
Devariej Criss #34, 5-9, 175 Corner Dan Van Dyke #30, 5-9, 170 Cornerback
Dion Williams #81, 6-1, 190 Receiver
Derrick Holt
#40, 5-9, 185 Kicker/Punter
his year is Head Coach Chuck Morrell’s seventh at the helm of the Oredigger football program and as a head football coach. He starts the 2017 season with a 35-31 overall record. Coach Morrell guided the Orediggers to a second straight 10-2 overall record and back-to-back Frontier Conference title last season. Morrell was previously the defensive coordinator at NCAA DII Sioux Falls.
9
8
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
www.havredailynews.com
1 Brown, Andre 2 Chris Rivers 3 Chris Johnson 4 Brock Polley 5 Davan Norris 6 Cole Hauptman 7 Chris Lachance 8 Quinn McQueary 9 Reid Siderius 10 Sean Sullivan 11 Tanner Chase 12 Will Hunthausen 13 Justin May 14 Zack Morris 15 Danny Peoples Mick Paffhausen 17 Tanner Kump 18 Chris Kelly 19 Sam McCamley 20 Clay Dean 21 Diovonni Brewer 22 Tucker Rauthe 23 Will Davey 24 Jalen Johnson 25 Zeb Bloom 26 Brett Wagner 27 Jackson King 28 Jed Fike 30 Daniel Van Dyke 31 Will Wyatt 32 Braden Feisthamel 33 Michael Delaney 35 Ike Schweikert 36 Jory Breen 37 Conner Bokma 38 Paul Sundquist 39 CJ Dugan 40 Derrick Holt 41 Andrew Logue 42 Max Hiller 43 Braxton Porter 44 Brock Beede 46 Derick Rodriguez 47 Connor Wines 48 Carter Myers 50 Jacob Yedica 51 Cy Steele 52 Levi Dawes 53 Jacob Clarke 54 Nicholas Argento 55 Tyler Sanders 56 AJ Robinson 57 Jalen Whitley 58 Jack Hape 59 Cameron Myers 62 Hunter Berg 66 Nate Younk 70 Grant Benz 73 Kellen Davis 74 Gage Gallagher 75 Hunter Spartz 78 Trevor Hopf 79 Hayden Smith 80 Hunter Clark 81 Dion Williams 82 Reid Nelson 83 Quade McQueary 84 Tyler Vendetti 85 Kade Woodhall 86 Nathaniel Sander 88 Alec Steele 89 Levi Lynde 90 Cody Howe
Yr.
Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Jr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. R-Fr. So. So. Jr. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Sr. So. So. R-Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. R-Fr. So. So. So. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Fr.
Pos. Ht.
DB DB DB LB QB QB WR QB DB WR WR WR DB DB QB/K DB QB WR WR DB DB DB DB DB WR K DB RB DB RB RB DB LB DB LB LB DB K/P LB LB RB DL LB LB LB LB LB DL LB LB DL LB OL OL LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR WR WR TE WR WR DL
5-10 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-11 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-2 5-9 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-4 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-9 5-9 6-4
Wt. 180 175 170 215 190 190 195 200 190 200 195 180 190 195 190 190 185 215 185 180 170 195 180 175 190 150 170 200 175 220 205 175 215 195 215 215 180 215 220 205 175 260 210 220 215 225 200 245 215 210 265 195 295 310 215 275 275 300 290 310 280 290 275 230 185 190 160 170 160 225 170 155 215
Hometown
Compton, CA / Mt. San Antonio College Jackson, Miss. / Ridgewater Bozeman, MT / Wichita, KS / Highland Sandpoint, ID / Sandpoint HS Simi Valey, Calif. / Simi San Diego, CA / Grossmont Manhattan, MT / Montana State Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Red Lodge, MT / Red Lodge HS Spokane Valley, Wash. / Helena, MT / Joplin, Mont. / Chester-Joplin-Iverness HS Aneheim Hills, Calif. / Santa Ana Butte, MT / University Of Montana 16 Dillon, MT / Beaverhead HS Butte, Mont. / Butte Central HS San Diego, CA / Southwestern Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Butte, MT / Butte HS Oceanside, CA / Palomar College Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Polson, MT / Polson HS Avondale, Ariz. / Glendale Simms, MT / Simms HS General Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran Missoula, MT / Sentinel HS Harrison, Mont. / Dickinson State Helena, MT / Capital HS Show Low, AZ / Show Low HS Savage, MT / St,Ignatius, Coram, MT / Columbia Falls HS Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS Denton, Mont. / Stanford HS Kootenai, Idaho / Sandpoint Kalispell, MT / Flathead HS Renton, WA / Lindbergh HS Caorna, Calif. / Santa Ana LaCenter, WA / LaCenter HS Plain City, UT / Fremont HS Joliet, MT / Joliet HS Simi Valley, Gardiner, MT / Gardiner HS Cody, WY / Cody HS General Spokane Valley, WA / Mt. Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS Helena, MT / Helena Capital HS Billings, MT / Billings Senior HS Helena, MT / Helena, MT / Capital HS Applied Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Billings, MT / Skyview HS Business Bozeman, MT / Bozeman HS Cody, Wyo. / Cody HS Billings, MT / Skyview HS Olalla, WA / Gig Harbor HS Steele, ND / Kidder CountyMoscow, ID / Moscow HS Spokane, Wash. / Green River, Wyo. / Green River Billings, MT / Skyview HS Gig Harbor, WA / Peninsula HS Sacramento, CA / Rio Linda HS Fairfield, CA / Vanden HS Great Falls, MT / Great Falls Townsend, Green River, Wyo. / Green River Stanford, MT Spokane, Wash. Missoula, Mont. / Missoula Red Lodge, MT / Red Lodge HS Kalispell, Mont / Flathead HS
# Name
Yr.
Pos. Ht.
Wt.
Hometown
91 Brennan, John 92 Jase Galt 94 Cam Nissen 95 Chase Barta 96 Tyler Padilla 97 Arthur Flynn 98 James Foote 99 Chance Hansen
Jr. R-Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr.
DL WR DL DL K/P DL DL DL
270 210 250 255 210 250 255 250
Whitehall, MT / Whitehall HS Malta, Mont. / Malta HS Bigfork, MT / Bigfork HS Manhattan, Mont. / Manhattan Covington, Wash. / Kentlake HS Orland, CA / Orland HS Missoula, MT / Big Sky HS Idaho Falls, ID / Hillcrest
6-0 6-3 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-4
5
MSU-Northern Numerical Roster
Montana Tech Numerical Roster # Name
September 8, 2017
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 65 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 78 79 80 81 83 84 85
Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Donovan Garner Jett Robertson Corey Lee Trey Blanchard Bryce Missey Jarrod Lucas BJ Peters Morgan McCrary Sam Mix Dylan Cook Jess Krahn Garet Fowler Caymus Thomas Bryce Bumgardner Kagen Khameneh Andrew Morgan Jase McCammond Marvin Williams Christian Williams Dequincy Bergen Tommy Wilson Steven Fernandez Basie Destefanis Dylan Kelley Wylie Novak Tommy Langley Connor Crawford Sam Tapia Bob Schenk Jake Norby Sam Edwards Brooks Dunn Devariej Criss Dakota Schelling Jace Koester Cody Lucke Colt Pederson Adrian Leos Kenneth Pruttis Peter Hamilton Kingston Sua Wyatt McKinlay Jake French Jaren Maki Ian Sparrow Elijah Cox Alec Wagner Brandon Moes Aaron Dolfay Mitchell Harmon Trenton Woodward Gerlad Brascome Joe Fehr Tyler Pallas Dale Cummings Robert Johnson Roger Guillory James Sullivan Ryan Handley Dylan Schmidt Clint Willis Skylor Africa Barnes Jaxon Simonson Duntreal Moss Jake Horner Darius Hatcher Beau Wilhelm Fotios Jordanoglou Kitrell Willingham
Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. So.
WR RB DB RB QB DB RB DB WR QB TE LB WR WR TE LB DB WR DB DB QB LB DB DB DB K RB P LB LB LB LB DB LB RB LB LB LB TE LB TE TE LB LB DL OL LB OL LB DL OL OL DL LB OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR TE
5-8 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-6 6-4 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-9 6-0 5-7 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-5 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-5 5-9 5-9 6-0 5-10 6-1
Wt. Hometown
180 200 190 200 200 175 195 190 190 290 230 225 165 185 240 235 170 170 190 200 205 210 195 175 175 190 190 180 225 200 210 190 175 185 180 205 200 195 210 225 210 205 215 220 230 280 225 240 240 245 275 280 205 210 300 250 270 290 265 275 300 300 280 305 160 165 200 180 225
Miami, Florida Glendale, Arizona Moorpark, California Bloomington, Minn. Spanaway, Washi. Hayward, California Rio Vista, California Las Vegas, Nevada Sammamish, Wash. Butte, Montana Hockinson, Wash. Belgrade, Montana Spokane, Washington Saint Helens, Oregon Missoula, Montana Waianae, Hawaii Spokane Valley, Wash. Puyallup, Washington Spokane Valley, Wa. Houston, Texas Fresno, California Apopka, Florida Fresno, California Mesa, Arizona Cut Bank, Montana Tracy, California Missoula, Montana Carlsbad, California Missoula, Montana Chinook, Montana Duarte, California Chandler, Arizona Tacoma, Washington Fallon, Nevada Queen Creek, Arizona Browning, Montana Shelby, Montana Casa Grande, Arizona Chinook, Montana Cut Bank, Montana Federal Way, Wash. Geraldine, Montana Choteau, Montana Belt, Montana Mesa, Arizona Glendale, Arizona Laurel, Montana Great Falls, Montana Portland, Oregon Rancho, California Three Forks, Montana Eureka, Montana Eureka, Montana Chehalis, Washington Cremona, Alberta Stevensville, Montana Kalispell, Montana Burlington, Washington Missoula, Montana Nine Mile Falls, MT. Gardiner, Montana Banks, Oregon Rudyard, Montana Kalispell, Montana Great Falls, Montana Parkland, Washington White Lake, Michigan Ripon, California Parkland, Washington
No. 88 89 90 91 92 95 98
Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Seth Roemmelle Jordan Pugh Connor Coyne Connor Koker Josh Wright Elijah Dennison Ronnie Chavez
Redshirts Xavier Alefaio Chase Alexander Colten Bonny Kody Bowman Chase Garcia Chase Gilbert RJ Henry Joehnis Joyce Justin King Chasen Kipp Koby McCallum Colton Michaels Lucas Olson Justin Pfeifer Chase Storey Ostin Welch
Jr. So. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr.
Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.
Wt. Hometown
WR TE DL LB DL DL DL
6-0 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-2
190 230 255 215 240 255 245
Claresholm, Alberta Tacoma, Washington Virginia City, Nevada Spokane, Washington Sammamish, Wash. Enumclaw, Washington Missoula, Montana
WR DL DL OL RB LB WR WR OL WR DB OL DL DL LB DB
6-2 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-6 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-2
200 265 265 250 185 200 180 190 290 180 180 220 220 275 190 175
Parkland, Wash. Seattle, Wash. Columbia Falls, MT Chandler, Arizona Valencia, Calif. Green Acres, Wash. Fairbanks, Alaska Tacoma, Wash. Fromberg, MT. Heart Butte, MT. Salem, Oregon Prosser, Wash. Eatonville, Wash. Cut Bank, MT. Roy, Utah Malta, MT.
2017 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Aaron Christensen, head coach and offensive coordinator; Jake Eldridge, defensive coordinator, strength & conditioning; Anvil Sinisibaugh offensive line, recruiting coordinator; Jorge Magana, linebackers; Kevin Murphy, linebackers; Dane Vanderpan, defensive line; Lance Marshall, wide receivers; Darold DeBolt, defensive line; Rick Wells, defensive backs. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Kristie Pulin.
6
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
Langley: Soccer helped MSU-N kicker transition to football
Langley: Tommy Langley is a scoring weapon for the Lights
■ From Page 2
■ From Page 6
earned a scholarship from head coach Aaron Christensen and took over Northern’s kicking duties last season. And right away, the Lights knew they had found a weapon in Langley, who in his debut season, made 9-of12 field goals, including setting a school record with a 51-yarder on the final day of the season against College of Idaho last November at Blue Pony Stadium. Langley made 75 percent of his FG attempts and 99 percent of his PAT’s last season, which, by all accounts, should of earned him All-Conference honors. But, accolades or not, Langley knew he had a big season for the Lights, and, he says, he’s always had the confidence to know he can deal with the pressure of kicking, and, he knew he could be a big help to the Lights, even before he got to Havre. “I felt like I kicked really well at Modesto (JC),” Langley said. “So that gave me the confidence to know I could come here and kick at a higher level of football and do well. “As for dealing with the pressure of kicking, I think for me, soccer helped a lot because I played goalie,” he
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Tommy Langley started his football career his sophomore year of high school in Tracy, Calif., by trying out for the football team after an injury ended his soccer season. That would eventually lead Langley to Modesto Junior College and ultimately, to Montana State University-Northern, where he's now in his second season as the Lights' kicker. Langley and Northern play Montana Tech in their home opener Saturday at 1 p.m.
www.havredailynews.com
continued. “When you’re a goalie, all eyes are on you, whether it’s penalty kicks or whatever, it’s on you to make the saves. It’s the same with kicking. All eyes are on me when I got out there. My job is to make every kick, every PAT, every time. And that is a lot of pressure, but I think I’ve always handled it well. I actually think I am better with that pressure. The other big thing is, a kicker is really nothing without his teammates. The long snapper and holder. They deserve credit, because without them, nothing works. Without them, I’m really nothing, so that’s a total team effort right there.” Playing under pressure is nothing new to a kicker. It’s part of the job, and, the life of a kicker can be a weird one. Practice can be, let’s say, boring at times, and even in games, a kicker’s routine and place in the game is just different than any other player on the field. But, it’s a life and position Langley loves, and embraces. And, it’s also one he’s worked hard at to get
n
better. This summer, Langley has worked out with a pair of NFL players involved in the life of special teams, and he says, it’s only served to help him become better at his craft. “Yes, that’s been really good, I have been able to work out with a couple of local (California) guys who have a lot of NFL experience,” Langley said. “One was a local guy who played as a wide receiver/kick returner for the San Diego Chargers last year. The other was a guy who was the (Indianapolis) Colts’ long-snapper for four years, and got picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars this summer. Both those guys are Modesto area guys, and it was great to train with them, and learn from them.” And with a great first season under his belt, and a summer’s worth of training to be an even better kicker,
7
Langley is shooting for the stars this season. Of all the returning kickers in the Frontier Conference, Langley was second among them in scoring last year, and first in field goal percentage. So, by the numbers, Langley returns for his senior season as simply one of the best kickers in the Frontier. But more importantly, he is the Lights’ kicker, and, he wants nothing more than to go out and do his job every time his number is called. It’s not a glorious life, it’s not the position on the football team that gets all the girls so to speak. But, it’s Tommy Langley’s position, and in him, the Lights have a true weapon. “I’m excited for this season,” Langley said. “I expect to be kicking a lot of PAT’s this year, because our offense is going to be really good. I’m really looking forward to going out there and doing my job. I love it, and I think this is going to be a great season for us.”
See Langley Page 7
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson MSU-Northern's Tommy Langley boots a kick during the Lights' win over Carroll College last September at Blue Pony Stadium. Langley was one of the top scoring kickers in the Frontier Conference last season. He also made 75 percent of his field goal attempts, and, broke the MSU-N school record for the longest made field goal. He kicked a 51-yarder last November against College of Idaho.
6
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
Langley: Soccer helped MSU-N kicker transition to football
Langley: Tommy Langley is a scoring weapon for the Lights
■ From Page 2
■ From Page 6
earned a scholarship from head coach Aaron Christensen and took over Northern’s kicking duties last season. And right away, the Lights knew they had found a weapon in Langley, who in his debut season, made 9-of12 field goals, including setting a school record with a 51-yarder on the final day of the season against College of Idaho last November at Blue Pony Stadium. Langley made 75 percent of his FG attempts and 99 percent of his PAT’s last season, which, by all accounts, should of earned him All-Conference honors. But, accolades or not, Langley knew he had a big season for the Lights, and, he says, he’s always had the confidence to know he can deal with the pressure of kicking, and, he knew he could be a big help to the Lights, even before he got to Havre. “I felt like I kicked really well at Modesto (JC),” Langley said. “So that gave me the confidence to know I could come here and kick at a higher level of football and do well. “As for dealing with the pressure of kicking, I think for me, soccer helped a lot because I played goalie,” he
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Tommy Langley started his football career his sophomore year of high school in Tracy, Calif., by trying out for the football team after an injury ended his soccer season. That would eventually lead Langley to Modesto Junior College and ultimately, to Montana State University-Northern, where he's now in his second season as the Lights' kicker. Langley and Northern play Montana Tech in their home opener Saturday at 1 p.m.
www.havredailynews.com
continued. “When you’re a goalie, all eyes are on you, whether it’s penalty kicks or whatever, it’s on you to make the saves. It’s the same with kicking. All eyes are on me when I got out there. My job is to make every kick, every PAT, every time. And that is a lot of pressure, but I think I’ve always handled it well. I actually think I am better with that pressure. The other big thing is, a kicker is really nothing without his teammates. The long snapper and holder. They deserve credit, because without them, nothing works. Without them, I’m really nothing, so that’s a total team effort right there.” Playing under pressure is nothing new to a kicker. It’s part of the job, and, the life of a kicker can be a weird one. Practice can be, let’s say, boring at times, and even in games, a kicker’s routine and place in the game is just different than any other player on the field. But, it’s a life and position Langley loves, and embraces. And, it’s also one he’s worked hard at to get
n
better. This summer, Langley has worked out with a pair of NFL players involved in the life of special teams, and he says, it’s only served to help him become better at his craft. “Yes, that’s been really good, I have been able to work out with a couple of local (California) guys who have a lot of NFL experience,” Langley said. “One was a local guy who played as a wide receiver/kick returner for the San Diego Chargers last year. The other was a guy who was the (Indianapolis) Colts’ long-snapper for four years, and got picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars this summer. Both those guys are Modesto area guys, and it was great to train with them, and learn from them.” And with a great first season under his belt, and a summer’s worth of training to be an even better kicker,
7
Langley is shooting for the stars this season. Of all the returning kickers in the Frontier Conference, Langley was second among them in scoring last year, and first in field goal percentage. So, by the numbers, Langley returns for his senior season as simply one of the best kickers in the Frontier. But more importantly, he is the Lights’ kicker, and, he wants nothing more than to go out and do his job every time his number is called. It’s not a glorious life, it’s not the position on the football team that gets all the girls so to speak. But, it’s Tommy Langley’s position, and in him, the Lights have a true weapon. “I’m excited for this season,” Langley said. “I expect to be kicking a lot of PAT’s this year, because our offense is going to be really good. I’m really looking forward to going out there and doing my job. I love it, and I think this is going to be a great season for us.”
See Langley Page 7
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson MSU-Northern's Tommy Langley boots a kick during the Lights' win over Carroll College last September at Blue Pony Stadium. Langley was one of the top scoring kickers in the Frontier Conference last season. He also made 75 percent of his field goal attempts, and, broke the MSU-N school record for the longest made field goal. He kicked a 51-yarder last November against College of Idaho.
8
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
www.havredailynews.com
1 Brown, Andre 2 Chris Rivers 3 Chris Johnson 4 Brock Polley 5 Davan Norris 6 Cole Hauptman 7 Chris Lachance 8 Quinn McQueary 9 Reid Siderius 10 Sean Sullivan 11 Tanner Chase 12 Will Hunthausen 13 Justin May 14 Zack Morris 15 Danny Peoples Mick Paffhausen 17 Tanner Kump 18 Chris Kelly 19 Sam McCamley 20 Clay Dean 21 Diovonni Brewer 22 Tucker Rauthe 23 Will Davey 24 Jalen Johnson 25 Zeb Bloom 26 Brett Wagner 27 Jackson King 28 Jed Fike 30 Daniel Van Dyke 31 Will Wyatt 32 Braden Feisthamel 33 Michael Delaney 35 Ike Schweikert 36 Jory Breen 37 Conner Bokma 38 Paul Sundquist 39 CJ Dugan 40 Derrick Holt 41 Andrew Logue 42 Max Hiller 43 Braxton Porter 44 Brock Beede 46 Derick Rodriguez 47 Connor Wines 48 Carter Myers 50 Jacob Yedica 51 Cy Steele 52 Levi Dawes 53 Jacob Clarke 54 Nicholas Argento 55 Tyler Sanders 56 AJ Robinson 57 Jalen Whitley 58 Jack Hape 59 Cameron Myers 62 Hunter Berg 66 Nate Younk 70 Grant Benz 73 Kellen Davis 74 Gage Gallagher 75 Hunter Spartz 78 Trevor Hopf 79 Hayden Smith 80 Hunter Clark 81 Dion Williams 82 Reid Nelson 83 Quade McQueary 84 Tyler Vendetti 85 Kade Woodhall 86 Nathaniel Sander 88 Alec Steele 89 Levi Lynde 90 Cody Howe
Yr.
Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Jr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. R-Fr. So. So. Jr. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Sr. So. So. R-Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Fr. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. R-Fr. So. So. So. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. R-Fr.
Pos. Ht.
DB DB DB LB QB QB WR QB DB WR WR WR DB DB QB/K DB QB WR WR DB DB DB DB DB WR K DB RB DB RB RB DB LB DB LB LB DB K/P LB LB RB DL LB LB LB LB LB DL LB LB DL LB OL OL LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR WR WR TE WR WR DL
5-10 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-11 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-9 6-3 6-2 5-9 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-4 5-11 6-1 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-9 5-9 6-4
Wt. 180 175 170 215 190 190 195 200 190 200 195 180 190 195 190 190 185 215 185 180 170 195 180 175 190 150 170 200 175 220 205 175 215 195 215 215 180 215 220 205 175 260 210 220 215 225 200 245 215 210 265 195 295 310 215 275 275 300 290 310 280 290 275 230 185 190 160 170 160 225 170 155 215
Hometown
Compton, CA / Mt. San Antonio College Jackson, Miss. / Ridgewater Bozeman, MT / Wichita, KS / Highland Sandpoint, ID / Sandpoint HS Simi Valey, Calif. / Simi San Diego, CA / Grossmont Manhattan, MT / Montana State Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Red Lodge, MT / Red Lodge HS Spokane Valley, Wash. / Helena, MT / Joplin, Mont. / Chester-Joplin-Iverness HS Aneheim Hills, Calif. / Santa Ana Butte, MT / University Of Montana 16 Dillon, MT / Beaverhead HS Butte, Mont. / Butte Central HS San Diego, CA / Southwestern Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Butte, MT / Butte HS Oceanside, CA / Palomar College Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Polson, MT / Polson HS Avondale, Ariz. / Glendale Simms, MT / Simms HS General Macomb, Mich. / Lutheran Missoula, MT / Sentinel HS Harrison, Mont. / Dickinson State Helena, MT / Capital HS Show Low, AZ / Show Low HS Savage, MT / St,Ignatius, Coram, MT / Columbia Falls HS Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS Denton, Mont. / Stanford HS Kootenai, Idaho / Sandpoint Kalispell, MT / Flathead HS Renton, WA / Lindbergh HS Caorna, Calif. / Santa Ana LaCenter, WA / LaCenter HS Plain City, UT / Fremont HS Joliet, MT / Joliet HS Simi Valley, Gardiner, MT / Gardiner HS Cody, WY / Cody HS General Spokane Valley, WA / Mt. Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS Helena, MT / Helena Capital HS Billings, MT / Billings Senior HS Helena, MT / Helena, MT / Capital HS Applied Kalispell, MT / Glacier HS Billings, MT / Skyview HS Business Bozeman, MT / Bozeman HS Cody, Wyo. / Cody HS Billings, MT / Skyview HS Olalla, WA / Gig Harbor HS Steele, ND / Kidder CountyMoscow, ID / Moscow HS Spokane, Wash. / Green River, Wyo. / Green River Billings, MT / Skyview HS Gig Harbor, WA / Peninsula HS Sacramento, CA / Rio Linda HS Fairfield, CA / Vanden HS Great Falls, MT / Great Falls Townsend, Green River, Wyo. / Green River Stanford, MT Spokane, Wash. Missoula, Mont. / Missoula Red Lodge, MT / Red Lodge HS Kalispell, Mont / Flathead HS
# Name
Yr.
Pos. Ht.
Wt.
Hometown
91 Brennan, John 92 Jase Galt 94 Cam Nissen 95 Chase Barta 96 Tyler Padilla 97 Arthur Flynn 98 James Foote 99 Chance Hansen
Jr. R-Fr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr.
DL WR DL DL K/P DL DL DL
270 210 250 255 210 250 255 250
Whitehall, MT / Whitehall HS Malta, Mont. / Malta HS Bigfork, MT / Bigfork HS Manhattan, Mont. / Manhattan Covington, Wash. / Kentlake HS Orland, CA / Orland HS Missoula, MT / Big Sky HS Idaho Falls, ID / Hillcrest
6-0 6-3 6-5 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-4
5
MSU-Northern Numerical Roster
Montana Tech Numerical Roster # Name
September 8, 2017
No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 65 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 78 79 80 81 83 84 85
Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Donovan Garner Jett Robertson Corey Lee Trey Blanchard Bryce Missey Jarrod Lucas BJ Peters Morgan McCrary Sam Mix Dylan Cook Jess Krahn Garet Fowler Caymus Thomas Bryce Bumgardner Kagen Khameneh Andrew Morgan Jase McCammond Marvin Williams Christian Williams Dequincy Bergen Tommy Wilson Steven Fernandez Basie Destefanis Dylan Kelley Wylie Novak Tommy Langley Connor Crawford Sam Tapia Bob Schenk Jake Norby Sam Edwards Brooks Dunn Devariej Criss Dakota Schelling Jace Koester Cody Lucke Colt Pederson Adrian Leos Kenneth Pruttis Peter Hamilton Kingston Sua Wyatt McKinlay Jake French Jaren Maki Ian Sparrow Elijah Cox Alec Wagner Brandon Moes Aaron Dolfay Mitchell Harmon Trenton Woodward Gerlad Brascome Joe Fehr Tyler Pallas Dale Cummings Robert Johnson Roger Guillory James Sullivan Ryan Handley Dylan Schmidt Clint Willis Skylor Africa Barnes Jaxon Simonson Duntreal Moss Jake Horner Darius Hatcher Beau Wilhelm Fotios Jordanoglou Kitrell Willingham
Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. So.
WR RB DB RB QB DB RB DB WR QB TE LB WR WR TE LB DB WR DB DB QB LB DB DB DB K RB P LB LB LB LB DB LB RB LB LB LB TE LB TE TE LB LB DL OL LB OL LB DL OL OL DL LB OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR TE
5-8 6-0 5-10 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-6 6-4 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-9 6-0 5-7 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-5 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-5 5-9 5-9 6-0 5-10 6-1
Wt. Hometown
180 200 190 200 200 175 195 190 190 290 230 225 165 185 240 235 170 170 190 200 205 210 195 175 175 190 190 180 225 200 210 190 175 185 180 205 200 195 210 225 210 205 215 220 230 280 225 240 240 245 275 280 205 210 300 250 270 290 265 275 300 300 280 305 160 165 200 180 225
Miami, Florida Glendale, Arizona Moorpark, California Bloomington, Minn. Spanaway, Washi. Hayward, California Rio Vista, California Las Vegas, Nevada Sammamish, Wash. Butte, Montana Hockinson, Wash. Belgrade, Montana Spokane, Washington Saint Helens, Oregon Missoula, Montana Waianae, Hawaii Spokane Valley, Wash. Puyallup, Washington Spokane Valley, Wa. Houston, Texas Fresno, California Apopka, Florida Fresno, California Mesa, Arizona Cut Bank, Montana Tracy, California Missoula, Montana Carlsbad, California Missoula, Montana Chinook, Montana Duarte, California Chandler, Arizona Tacoma, Washington Fallon, Nevada Queen Creek, Arizona Browning, Montana Shelby, Montana Casa Grande, Arizona Chinook, Montana Cut Bank, Montana Federal Way, Wash. Geraldine, Montana Choteau, Montana Belt, Montana Mesa, Arizona Glendale, Arizona Laurel, Montana Great Falls, Montana Portland, Oregon Rancho, California Three Forks, Montana Eureka, Montana Eureka, Montana Chehalis, Washington Cremona, Alberta Stevensville, Montana Kalispell, Montana Burlington, Washington Missoula, Montana Nine Mile Falls, MT. Gardiner, Montana Banks, Oregon Rudyard, Montana Kalispell, Montana Great Falls, Montana Parkland, Washington White Lake, Michigan Ripon, California Parkland, Washington
No. 88 89 90 91 92 95 98
Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Seth Roemmelle Jordan Pugh Connor Coyne Connor Koker Josh Wright Elijah Dennison Ronnie Chavez
Redshirts Xavier Alefaio Chase Alexander Colten Bonny Kody Bowman Chase Garcia Chase Gilbert RJ Henry Joehnis Joyce Justin King Chasen Kipp Koby McCallum Colton Michaels Lucas Olson Justin Pfeifer Chase Storey Ostin Welch
Jr. So. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr.
Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr.
Wt. Hometown
WR TE DL LB DL DL DL
6-0 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-2
190 230 255 215 240 255 245
Claresholm, Alberta Tacoma, Washington Virginia City, Nevada Spokane, Washington Sammamish, Wash. Enumclaw, Washington Missoula, Montana
WR DL DL OL RB LB WR WR OL WR DB OL DL DL LB DB
6-2 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-6 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-2
200 265 265 250 185 200 180 190 290 180 180 220 220 275 190 175
Parkland, Wash. Seattle, Wash. Columbia Falls, MT Chandler, Arizona Valencia, Calif. Green Acres, Wash. Fairbanks, Alaska Tacoma, Wash. Fromberg, MT. Heart Butte, MT. Salem, Oregon Prosser, Wash. Eatonville, Wash. Cut Bank, MT. Roy, Utah Malta, MT.
2017 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Aaron Christensen, head coach and offensive coordinator; Jake Eldridge, defensive coordinator, strength & conditioning; Anvil Sinisibaugh offensive line, recruiting coordinator; Jorge Magana, linebackers; Kevin Murphy, linebackers; Dane Vanderpan, defensive line; Lance Marshall, wide receivers; Darold DeBolt, defensive line; Rick Wells, defensive backs. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Kristie Pulin.
4
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
MSU-Northern Offensive Starters
Montana Tech Defensive Starters
MSU-N 2017 Offensive Numbers
TECH 2016 Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 25 ppg, 5th in Frontier Total offense: 412 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
Seth Roemelle #88, 6-0, 190 Receiver
Andre Brown #1, 5-10, 180 Cornerback
Rushing: 297 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
MSU-Northern Defensive Starters
TECH 2016 Offensive Numbers
MSU-N 2016 Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 28 ppg, 2nd in Frontier
Scoring: 32 ppg, 5th in Frontier
Total defense: 296 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Total defense: 414 ypg, 6th in Frontier
Pass defense: 202 ypg, 4th in Frontier
Pass defense: 107 ypg, 1st in Frontier
Scoring: 45 ppg, 1st in Frontier
Aaron Christensen enters his third season as the Head Football Coach of Montana State UniversityNorthern. He brings with him a decade of coaching experience at the NAIA level. From 2012 to 2014, Coach Christensen served as the Offensive Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator for Missouri Valley College (MVC).
Dylan Schmidt #74, 6-4, 275 Offensive line
Tommy Wilson #22, 6-1, 205 Quarterback
Dale Cummings #65, 6-2, 300 Center
Chance Hansen #99, 6-4, 255 Defensive line
Tyler Sanders #55, 6-2, 275 Defensive line
Ryan Handley #73, 6-3, 265 Offensive line
Brock Beede #45, 6-5, 265 Defensive line
Connor Wines #47, 6-2, 230 Linebacker Dequincy Bergen #21, 5-11, 200 Safety
Elijah Dennison #95, 6-2, 255 Defensive tackle GaretFowler #12, 5-10, 220 Linebacker
Brock Polley #4, 6-2, 215 Linebacker
Danny Mannix #29, 6-0, 205 Linebacker
Josh Wright #92, 6-2, 240 Defensive end
Dylan Kelley #25, 5-10, 175 Safety
Mitchell Harmon #55, 6-1, 245 Defensive line
Sam Mix #9, 6-1, 190 Receiver
Chuck Morrell TECH Head Coach
Jack Hape #58, 6-4, 300 Offensive line
Kellan Davis #73, 6-4, 300 Offensive line
Braden Feisthamel #32, 5-11, 205 Running back Quinn McQueary #8, 6-3, 200 Quarterback
Jed Fike
#28, 5-11,200 Running back
Trevor Hopf #78, 6-3, 285 Offensive line
Alec Wagner
Jalen Whitley #57, 6-3, 295 Offensive line Paul Sundquist #38, 6-1, 220 Defensive line
Tommy Langley #27, 5-11, 190 Kicker
Passing: 338 ypg, 1st in Frontier
#52, 5-11, 225 Linebacker
Elijah Cox #51, 6-5, 280 Offensive line Jake Norby #31, 6-2, 200 Bandit
Hunter Clark #80, 6-4, 235 Tight end
Kagen Khameneh #15, 6-3, 240 Tight end Sam Tapia #89, 6-0, 180 Punter
Steven Fernandez #23, 6-0, 210 Linebacker
Reid Siderius #6, 6-3, 200 Cornerback Kitrell Willingham #85, 6-2, 225 Fullback
Total offense: 511 ypg, 1st in Frontier
Nate Younk #66, 6-1, 280 Offensive line
Tucker Rauthe #22, 6-0, 200 Safety
Trey Blanchard #4, 5-10, 200 Running Back
Sean Sullivan #10, 6-3, 200 Receiver
Morgan McCrary #8, 5-10, 190 Cornerback
Clint Willis #75, 6-7, 300 Offensive line
Aaron Christensen MSU-N Head Coach
Montana Tech Offensive Starters
Devariej Criss #34, 5-9, 175 Corner Dan Van Dyke #30, 5-9, 170 Cornerback
Dion Williams #81, 6-1, 190 Receiver
Derrick Holt
#40, 5-9, 185 Kicker/Punter
his year is Head Coach Chuck Morrell’s seventh at the helm of the Oredigger football program and as a head football coach. He starts the 2017 season with a 35-31 overall record. Coach Morrell guided the Orediggers to a second straight 10-2 overall record and back-to-back Frontier Conference title last season. Morrell was previously the defensive coordinator at NCAA DII Sioux Falls.
9
10
September 8, 2017
MSU-Northern Rewind
www.havredailynews.com
New season, new attitude for Lights George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When the Montana State University-Northern Lights beat the Carroll College Fighting Saints last September in Blue Pony Stadium, it must have felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off Northern’s shoulders. It can feel that way when you haven’t won a football game in a while. And while that was a joyous day for sure, and one that will be a big part of Northern’s history for many years to come, it was just one victory in a 10-game season, and the only one the Lights have had in the last two seasons. So, as the 2017 seasons dawns for a very new, and in many ways, young Lights’ football team, winning is something they want to do more of. It’s not something they’re building towards anymore, it’s something they want to do this fall — right now. “I think, the kids we have returning this year, they’ve now seen, with all we’ve gone through, what it takes to win football games,” Northern third-year head coach Aaron Christensen said. “They now know that it’s not given, they see how hard it is. They see how you have to practice, how hard you have to work, that you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and just get the results. “So from that standpoint, coming into this season, the attitude of this football team is so positive,” he added. “They come to practice every day ready to work hard, they come with a great focus and energy and they want to be better, they want to improve because they have seen that winning isn’t easy. They understand every single game is so tough, especially in this (Frontier) conference. So, from that standpoint, there’s a huge difference this year, and it’s been really good.” Of course, attitude and work ethic is one thing, but, Christensen also believes he has a team that can do what it takes physically, in between the lines, to get more wins this season. Even against a schedule that has the Lights playing defending Frontier champion Montana Tech twice, as well as Carroll and Rocky Mountain College twice, while playing tough road games at Eastern Oregon, Mayville State and College of Idaho. Oh, and a loaded Southern Oregon and powerful UM-Western
squad also come to Blue Pony Stadium this season. And, with all of that, the Lights also graduated the greatest offensive player to ever suit up in Zach McKinley, and the incredible Tyler Craig among others. And still, Christensen is highly optimistic about what his team can achieve this season. “You can’t replace those guys (McKinley and Craig),” Christensen said. “But, when you look at where we’re at right now with our roster, we know we have talent, we know we have guys who can step in and play. We have had more depth and competition in this camp than we have had the two years before, and when you have that, it makes you a better football team. Last year, we had some really talented senior starters, some of the best players we’ve ever had. But, behind those guys, we didn’t have any depth at some spots. Now, there’s not much difference between our one’s and two’s, and that’s going to make a big difference on Saturday’s.” And differences are needed if the Lights are going to make big strides this fall. Offensively, Northern will miss the 1,000 yards, 37 carries per game and nine touchdowns McKinley had last year, as well as his overall presence. But, Christensen feels good about Trey Blanchard and B.J. Peters stepping into that role. Northern is also breaking in a new starting quarterback this fall, as last year’s starters Caleb McLaren graduated, and Jess Krahn moved to tight end. But, whoever is calling the signals for the Lights, does have a bevy of offensive weapons to throw to, including Sam Mix, Donovan Garner and Kagen Khameneh. MSU-N also has as strong as an offensive line as its had in quite some time, anchored by junior left tackle Clint Willis, while kicker Tommy Langley is one of the best in the Frontier. Defensively, there’s also talent and reasons to be optimistic. Senior linebacker Garet Fowler and junior Alec Wagner will be the heart of the middle of MSU-N’s defense, while senior Elijah Dennison will be a force at defensive tackle. In the secondary, Northern also returns starters Cory Lee and DeQuincy Bergen. So there’s no doubt, MSU-N has talent and leadership, but, there’s also no doubt, a lot of new, and young players are going to step into prominent roles this season for a Lights’ squad looking to improve on things such as being dead last in turnover margin and last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. “We have the guys who can step
in and make the plays and do the job,” Christensen said. “Last year, we weren’t good enough,” he added. “We had some good games, but then we had games where we just didn’t play well at all. So it’s about consistency. We know we improved from our first year to last year, but we also know, it wasn’t good enough. So this season, we know we have talent, we know we have players who can play, we as coaches see it and talk about it every day in practice. We just have to be consistent, every game, we have to execute and do things the right away. If we do that, we’ll find success.” And success on the scoreboard is no doubt what the Lights are after. But, in many ways, now in the third year of Christensen, the Lights have already found success. Look at their roster, and sure, big names like McKinley, Craig, Pat Barnett and others aren’t there anymore, and those players will be forever missed. But, the sheer numbers, the depth and the young talent emerging, those are things that two years ago, the Lights were sorely lacking, and having those things now, Northern expects to see it pay dividends. “Like I said, the last two years, we had some very talented players, but we didn’t have depth, and when you don’t have depth, there’s not a lot of competition in practice,” he continued. “So I feel like we’ve built that depth and competition level up and it’s making us a much better football team. And that’s what we want to continue to do, build up that talent and depth at every single position, because good football teams don’t have just one thing. You have to be able to run the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, tackle, kick it, all of it. You have to be good at every phase of the game, and that’s the direction I think we’re heading.” No doubt, the Lights are building up. With young players, like Justin Pfeifer, Peter Hamilton, Jake Norby, Bryce Missey, Dylan Cook, Jake Horner, RJ Henry, Joe Fehr and so many more, brighter days appear to be ahead for the Lights. But, they also want to shine bright now too. That’s the goal. As Christensen preaches often, the Lights always want to be 1-0. And that includes every week this fall. And while there are question marks and unproven players all over Northern’s depth chart, Christensen is confident the Lights will be a better football team in 2017 than they were in 2016. “I do. I do believe we’re a better overall football team right now,” Christensen said. “We see it every single day in practice. it."
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
Frontier Conference Standings
Montana Tech Southern Oregon UM-Western Rocky Mountain Carroll College Eastern Oregon MSU-Northern College of Idaho
Conf. WL 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1
Overall WL 1-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2
Last Week Montana Tech 45, Carroll College 28 Rocky Mountain 32, MSU-Northern 25 Southern Oregon 31, Eastern Oregon 21 Weber State 76, UM-Western 0 Northern Colorado 41, College of Idaho 14 Saturday, Sept. 9 MSU-Northern vs Montana Tech Carroll College vs Rocky Mountain UM-Western vs Southern Oregon College of Idaho vs Eastern Oregon
NAIA Coaches Poll 13 15 Robert Morris (Ill.) 7-3 14 13 Sterling (Kan.) 8-3 15 14 Dickinson State (N.D.) 9-4 16 18 Southeastern (Fla.) 6-3 17 16 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 8-3 18 22 Arizona Christian 7-3 19 19 Montana Western 7-4 20 17 Kansas Wesleyan 9-2 21 23 Georgetown (Ky.) 7-4 22 21 Langston (Okla.) 7-2 23 25 William Penn (Iowa) 7-4 24 RV Saint Xavier (Ill.) 5-6 25 NR Southern Oregon 5-6
1 1 Saint Francis (Ind.) (16) 2 2 Baker (Kan.) 3 3 Reinhardt (Ga.) 4 6 Morningside (Iowa) 5 5 Marian (Ind.) 6 7 Montana Tech 7 4 Eastern Oregon 8 8 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 9 9 Grand View (Iowa) 10 12 Tabor (Kan.) 11 10 Doane (Neb.) 12 11 Missouri Valley
13-1 14-1 13-1 10-2 11-1 10-2 10-3 11-2 9-3 8-3 9-2 9-3
366 351 327 319 305 297 292 268 259 219 214 213
183 162 156 137 122 113 88 86 82 76 51 34 30
Others receiving votes: : Concordia (Neb.) 28; Benedictine (Kan.) 23; Faulkner (Ala.) 19; Carroll (Mont.) 19; Pikeville (Ky.) 9; Warner (Fla.) 5; St. Ambrose (Iowa) 5
Frontier Conference Individual Leaders Week Two
Passing: Quinn McQueary MT, 338 ypg Receiving: Dion Williams, MT, 109 ypg Receptions: Dion Williams, MT, 9 cpg Rushing: Jed Fike, MT, 130 ypg Tackles: Nate Moore, C of I, 29 Sacks: Armando Gauger, SOU, 2 sacks INT's: Terrance Williams, RMC, 2 ints
Lights Coaching Staff
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern coaching staff. From left to right: Dan Vanderpan (defensive line), Darold DeBolt (defensive line), Jake Eldridge (defensive coordinator, strength and conditioning), Rick Wells (defensive backs), Aaron Christensen (head coach, offensive coordinator), Anvil Sinsibaugh (offensive line, recruiting coordinator), Jorge Magana (linebacker, defensive line), Kevin Murphy (linebackers), Lance Marshall (wide receivers, tight ends).
3
2
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
www.havredailynews.com
September 8, 2017
11
A weapon not to be overlooked
Orediggers make an early statement
MSU-N senior kicker Tommy Langley has a kicker's story that brought him to Havre
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com On the football field, weapons come in all shapes and sizes. And they come at all positions too. And that includes kickers. If you have a good kicker, a guy you know will go out there and score points for you, well, then you have a leg up on the competition. The Montana State University-Northern Lights know they have one of those. They have a guy who will go out and do his job when he’s called upon. In the Frontier Conference, that’s rare
too. At the NAIA level, finding a kicker who can make long field goals, who can be consistent, and who can really boot the ball, that’s a rarity because when they’re really good, they’re playing at a higher level most of the time. Northern seenior Tommy Langley is really good though, and he’s playing at the NAIA level. And his story is one that is right out of a Hollywood movie — literally. Ever see the movie, a true story called We Are Marshall? It’s a great football story, and there’s a part in it where the team recruits a Marshall soccer player to come and be the new Thundering Herd kicker. Well, that’s Tommy Langley’s story too. Like so many kickers, soccer is how Langley ended up playing football, and, the world’s game eventually brought him to Northern. “I Played soccer pretty much all my life,” Langley, a native of Tracy, California said. “I played up to my sophomore year, but then I got injured, and that wasn’t going to allow me to keep my spot playing on the soccer
team. So I had a friend on the football team who told me I should come try out as a kicker, and the next thing I know, I’m playing in varsity games. And from then on, I was a football player.” As it turns out, Langley was a good football player too. He grew up a football fan, so, while he was a soccer player at heart, football wasn’t foreign to him either. “I’ve always loved football, but when I was young, my parents told me I couldn’t try football until high school, so I played soccer, and I did well it at and just kind of continued with that. But I’ve always had a love for the game of football, I’ve always watched it and I’ve always been a fan.” Eventually, Langley’s love of football became a reality, kicking for Tracy High School. And he did well enough that he found a spot kicking for Modesto Junior College, where he was an All-League standout for two seasons. And that led him to Northern, where he
n
Frontier Conference football is underway. And, it looks like one thing holds true following the first week of conference play — the Montana Tech Orediggers are, and are going to be really good. Last Thursday night, Tech opened its pursuit of a repeat Frontier championship with a dominating win over a muchimproved Carroll College squad at sold-out Alumni Coliseum in Butte. Here’s a few notes on what the Orediggers did to Carroll. Quarterback Quinn McQueary, a ho-hum 300-yard passing game. The No. 2 running back on the depth chart, Dickinson State transfer Jed Fike, over 137 yards rushing in his first game. Total offense: 500 yards, with 30 first downs. Defensively, the Orediggers held Carroll to 17 first downs and a mere 94 yards rushing. So Frontier teams not named Montana Tech, you have your work cut out for you
See Langley Page 6
MSU-Northern Lights vs Montana Tech Orediggers Montana State University-Northern Location: Havre, Mont. Nickname: Lights Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2017 record: 0-1 0-1
2016 record: 1-9, 1-9 Head coach: Aaron Christensen Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium Streak: Lights haven't beaten Montana Tech since the 2014 season when they won in Blue Pony Stadium
Saturday, September 9, 2017 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 1 p.m. Montana Tech
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Montana State University-Northern senior Tommy Langley was one of the top kickers in the Frontier Conference last season. And, after a summer spent working out with NFL players, he plans on being that same weapon again for the Lights this fall. For more photos, go to www.havredailynews.com.
2016 record: 10-2, 9-1 Head coach: Chuck Morrell
Location: Butte, Mont.
Stadium: Alumni Coliseum
Nickname: Orediggers
Streak: The Montana Tech Orediggers have won 10 straight Frontier Conference regular season games dating back to last season.
Colors: Green and White 2017 record: 1-0, 1-0
this season. And that list includes the MSU-Northern Lights, Tech’s next opponent. Lights come to their home opener Saturday fresh off a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of Rocky Mountain College – and in particular, Sam Sparks, who returned a kickoff 86 yards in the final minute of the game to lift the Bears to a 32-25 win over the Lights. Sparks also returned a kickoff for a TD against Northern last season. But, the loss didn’t come without plenty of bright spots for the Lights. Northern quarterback Tommy Wilson was very good in his MSU-N debut. The Lights showed tremendous depth at the WR position with veterans like Beau Wilhelm, Don-
ovan Garner and Sam Mix making plays, while new faces like Marvin Williams and Bryce Bumgardner shined too. Saturday was also MSUN’s first game in four years without Zach McKinley and starting running back Trey Blanchard showed plenty of good things in his first career start. Defensively, the Lights got a herculean effort from Garet Fowler. That was to be expected. But fresh faces like linebacker Steven Fernandez and freshman safety Dylan Kelley were also on display. So, there were plenty of positives the Lights took away from a heartbreaking, season-opening defeat. But, with all due respect to Rocky, Northern’s second game is going to be a different
Today in the Frontier Conference
n
See Notebook Page 12
2017 Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Montana Tech; 2. Eastern Oregon; T3. Southern Oregon; T3. Carroll College; 5. UM-Western; T6. Rocky Mountain College; T6. College of Idaho; 8. MSU-Northern
1. Montana Tech 2. Southern Oregon 3. Carroll College 4. Eastern Oregon 5. UM-Western 6. Rocky Mountain College 7. MSU-Northern 8. College of Idaho
At Montana State University-Northern Lights (0-1, 0-1)
No. 25 Southern Oregon (1-0, 1-0) at No. 19 UM-Western (1-0, 1-1) in Dillon, Mont.
Playing Up
Havre Daily News Frontier Conference Power Rankings
#6 Montana Tech Orediggers (1-0, 1-0)
College of Idaho (0-1, 0-2) at No. 7 Eastern Oregon (0-1, 0-1) in LaGrande, Ore.
animal all together. “They’re ranked where they are for a reason,” MSU-N head coach Aaron Christensen said of the Orediggers. “The look like they’re a very complete football team. Offense, defense, special teams, and coaching, they have everything you need to be a very good football team.” No doubt Tech has already announced its intentions this season. The win over Carroll did that. Of course, Tech won’t take anyone lightly, and, Southern Oregon, Carroll, Eastern Oregon, Western, Rocky, and the Lights all showed plenty of promise last weekend, and will give the ‘Diggers all they can handle. But, there’s also no denying, for Northern, or anyone else in the Frontier, the Orediggers are going to be a handful and then some this fall.
Rocky Mountain College (1-0, 1-1) at Carroll College (0-1, 0-1) in Helena, Mont.
Full Coverage on Twitter @HavreDaily
12
September 8, 2017
www.havredailynews.com
Notebook: Rough Saturday for Frontier Conference teams taking on FCS Big Sky opponents ■ From Page 11 You may have seen Montana State playing at Pac 12 power Washington State last Saturday night. In some ways, that game wasn’t pretty. The Montana Grizzlies may suffer an even worse night this Saturday when they play at the University of Washington. It was no different for a handful of Frontier schools that moved up to play Big Sky Conference opponents recently. Last Saturday night, UM-Western traveled to Ogden, Utah to face Weber State, and the Bulldogs were simply no match in a 76-0 loss. Weber was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky this season, so, it was going to be a tough night for the Bulldogs for sure. But, ouch. The Wildcats certainly showed no mercy. College of Idaho was also no match for Northern Colorado in a 41-14 loss. The Yotes did move the ball at times, but, the Bears were just simply too deep and too tough for the Yotes to handle. It’s interesting when Frontier teams
move up to play Big Sky opponents too. I’m not sure of the paydays, but I know it’s not like UM getting $650,000 from the Huskies, or the Bobcats taking home $450,000 from the Cougs last Saturday night. But in the end, on the field it’s the same. It’s exciting for Frontier players to go to bigger stadiums and test themselves against a much higher level of college football.
New looks Many Frontier teams unveiled a different look to their uniforms last weekend. Against Northern, Rocky wore an all-black ensemble, with black helmets and black uniforms with gold trim. With Saturday being sweltering, the all-black uniform combo must have been hot for sure. But, it looked pretty cool. Montana Tech wore copper uniforms against Carroll last Thursday night. I believe Tech wears those uniforms once a year, so it won’t be a permanent removal from their
usual green and white look. They even put a copper logo on their helmets for the game, which was pretty cool. And Western, while not changing colors at all, has completely re branded its logos, and their helmets reflect the new branding. A bulldog mascot logo is all that adorns Western’s traditional black helmets now, and I think the look as pretty good as well. It just goes to show you, the uniform craze, started by Oregon, and has now swept through all of NCAA college football is starting to make its way all the way down to the Frontier Conference.
Players of the Week Southern Oregon quarterback Tanner Trosin was named Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week. In No. 25 Southern Oregon’s 31-21 season opening conference win over No. 7 Eastern Oregon, Trosin, making his first start since game two of last
season, went 21 of 33 passing for 311 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Also nominated were Mason Melby of Rocky Mountain College and Kai Quinn of Eastern Oregon. College of Idaho’s Nate Moore is the Defensive Player of the Week. In College of Idaho’s 41-14 non-conference road loss at Northern Colorado, Moore recorded six solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, two tackles for loss (-14), one sack and one pass break up. Also nominated were Justin Hughes of Eastern Oregon, and Armando Gauger of Southern Oregon. RMC’s Sam Sparks was named Special Teams Player of the Week. In Rocky Mountain’s 32-25 home conference win over MSUNorthern, Sparks returned a kick off 86 yards for a touchdown with 1:02 remaining in the game. As a running back he rushed for 114 yards. Also nominated was Nathan Harden of Eastern Oregon and George Sherwood of Montana-Western.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson The Montana State University-Northern Lights open their home schedule against perhaps one of the best teams in not only the Frontier Conference, but all of the NAIA in the Montana Tech Orediggers. Tech comes to Blue Pony Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m., fresh off a 45-28 throttling of Carroll College.