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September 2017
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Football: Lights looking to make even more progress with their program
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Sept. 2
at Rocky Mountain
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 ones and twos, 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 is talent and there are other reasons to be optimistic. Senior linebacker Garet
Sept. 9
vs. Montana Tech
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, R.J. 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. I think this team can accomplish plenty this season. Now, we have to go out on Saturday’s and do it. But I know we have guys who can step up and do that,” he continued. “I believe we have a team that can do all those things this season.”
Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11
at Carroll College vs. Montana Western at Mayville State at Eastern Oregon vs. Rocky Mountain at Montana Tech vs. Carroll College vs. Southern Oregon at College of Idaho
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MSU-Northern
September 2017
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
MSU-Northern
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The 2017 Montana State University-Northern football team has high hopes for this fall. The Lights opened their season with a close loss at Rocky Mountain College.
Jim Potter
New season, new determination When the Montana State UniversityNorthern 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 toward 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
September 2017
7
MSU-N golf teams hit the links Chris Peterson
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
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
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After making incremental improvements in the 2016-17 season, both the Lights and Skylights golf programs of Montana State University-Northern will be looking to make an even bigger jump forward in 2017-18. Both teams will still be under the direction of Nothern head golf coach Dave Boles and each team will begin its season at the MSU-Northern Invitational, which will be held in Shelby thia week. Boles is particularly excited about the prospects for the women’s golf team, especially with the addition of incoming transfer Jenna Jensen, who transferred to Northern from Corban University. “Jenna is a very accomplished golfer,” Boles said. “I was surprised when she called me, but she is coming here for the nursing program. I think she might be one of the best, if not the best golfer I have ever had with the program here. I think she has a chance to be one of the top women golfers in the Frontier this season. I don’t want to put that pressure on her, but I think she has the potential to do really well.” Corban, which is also an NAIA school, competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, and thanks to Jensen’s contributions, the school won the regular season and tournament championship in 2016, while Jensen
was the individual medalist at the conference tournament. The Warriors also qualified as a team for the NAIA tournament that season. The rest of the Skylights roster will include some holdovers such as Whitney Bahrns, Diana Ball and Carrigan Cummings. While the Skylights are getting an influx of talent from Jensen, the men’s golf team is going to be relying on returning standouts Devin Bray and Jerod Boles to lead the way this season. “Devin right now is the No. 1 and Jerod is the No. 2,” Boles said. “But they are both pretty close at the top.” In addition to Brey and Jerod Boles, the Lights will be relying on incoming freshmen Trent Nowell and Ethan Partch, as well as a transfer, Zach Hould, who came to Northern from Montana Tech. “We are going to have some inexperience. Ethan, Trent and Zach have never played collegiate golf before,” Boles said. “And I keep telling them about playing 36 holes, but you don’t really know that feeling of being physically tired but still having to gut it out and score well, so that will be something that will be good for them.” After both teams open the season in Shelby they will head to Helena for the tournament hosted by Carroll College Sept. 25-26, before closing out the fall season in Lewiston, Idaho at the Lewis and Clark In-
vitational Oct. 2-3. The Frontier Conference Tournament will be held in the spring once again. This year, it will be played in Tempe, Arizona, April 23-25. “I think that both teams can move up a couple spots in the standings if we can get everyone on the same page on the same day,” Boles said. “It seems like you have two golfers go well one day and a different golfer do well another day, so if we can just get some consistency going, we should be fine.” Northern golf opens the 2017-18 season in Shelby at the Northern Invitational.
Volleyball: Northern volleyball off to strong start under Rose Obunaga ■ From Page 4 learn how to play with each other and give them that chance. If you start subbing people, before they learn to play with each other, it's chaos. So I have been training one lineup and then just plug in others, so they can still get used to each other." And through four weeks of non-conference play, it appears the Skylights are getting used to each other just fine. Northern has battled six of the Top 25 teams in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll, and has persevered in many tough matches, including a host of five-setters. And, the experience the Skylights have gained thus far, should make them more than ready for the Frontier Conference. The Skylights, who were 6-16 overall a season ago, look to have a fight on their hands to get into the top half of the Frontier this season. In the preseason coaches poll,
MSU-N was picked sixth. Northern ranked ahead of seventh-place Montana Western, but was picked to finish behind Carroll College, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College, Lewis and Clark State and University of Providence Great Falls. "It's hard to know right now," Obunaga said. "A lot of it depends on the recruiting classes that each school gets. But we will get a chance to evaluate and see those teams, and we will look and see how we can match our players up against them." The Skylights won't play their first match at home until after the start of conference play, which comes Sept. 14, when Northern will open Frontier play on the road against Rocky Mountain College. The first home match will be Sept. 16 against Western. Friday, Sept. 22, Carroll will come to Havre and start a week=long home stand for
MSU-N. The Skylights will also host Montana Tech, Sept. 28 and LC State Sept. 30, in the final match of this homestand. The final home games come in late October. Northern will host Rocky in the Armory Gymnasium, followed by the University of Providence making a visit Oct. 26. That will lead to a brutal road stretch to close the regular season as MSU-N will head to Carroll Oct. 27, LC State Nov. 2 and Montana Tech Nov. 4. "I still have seen very little of the other teams in the conference," Obunaga said. "We just want to see what everyone has and then we will try to study them and make adjustments." Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Timi Severson and the MSU-Northern volleyball team have played 12 matches so far this season. The Skylights play at home for the first time Sept. 16.
Courtesy Photo The 2017-18 golf season at Montana State University-Northern is underway. The Lights and Skylights of head coach Dave Boles will play three times in the fall season and twice in the spring. For the first time in quite some time, Northern also plays host to its own invitational, as it will use the Marias Valley Golf Club in Shelby to hold the MSU-Northern Invitational. The Lights and Skylights will also play in Helena and Lewiston, Idaho, this fall, as well as the Frontier championships in the spring.
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MSU-Northern
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
September 2017
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2017 MSU-N Football Breakdown
George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Offense When third-year Montana State University-Northern head football coach Aaron Christensen looks back on last season's offense, he's pretty matter of fact. And when he looks ahead to this fall — same thing. "We weren't good enough offensively last year," Christensen said. "I think we improved from the first year, and we had talent. We had a great, great player in Zach McKinley. But when you look at it all, scoring, completion percentage, first downs, time of possession, turnovers, all of those things, we just weren't good enough." And this season? "We need to improve, in all areas," he said. "I feel like we have the players to do that. We have more depth offensively than we've had the last two seasons. We've got good players at every position. So we've got the guys to be a much better team offensively this season, and I think we will be. But at the end of the day, we have to go out and execute on the field, in games." Northern has had a fourway starting quarterback battle going since last spring, and with junior college transfer Tommy Wilson (6-1, 205) winning the job. Washington State transfer Bryce Missey (6-0, 200) and red-shirt freshman Dylan Cook (6-6, 290) have had their moments in the battle, too. And while the starting QB job is a big one, no position on the MSU-N offense will look more different this season than that of running back. McKinley grabbed the job
as a red-shirt freshman and never let it go on his way to an incredible 4,600-yard career. Now, however, it's time for someone else to take those carries. In the spring, the starting job looked like it was junior Jett Robertson's for the taking, but an injury may sideline him for the season. So the bulk of the carries will fall to junior college transfer Trey Blanchard (5-10, 200) and sophomore B.J. Peters (5-10, 195). While new faces will lead the Lights at running back and quarterback, Northern does have experience in the other two offensive position groups — wide receiver and offensive line. And for the first time in a while, those two groups have something else — depth. At wide receiver, Sam Mix (6-1, 190) is back after catching 21 balls a season ago, as is senior Donovan Garner (5-8, 100). Junior Seth Roemelle (6-0, 190) also has a wealth of experience, while senior Beau Wilhem (6-0, 200) and sophomore Bryce Bumgardner (6-0, 185) are both very talented. Freshman Marvin Williams (6-3, 190) another name Lights fans may see at WR this fall. Northern is also loaded with talent and depth at tight end and H-back or fullback. Leading that group is senior Kagen Khameneh (6-3, 240), one of the most talented tight ends in the Frontier Conference. Wyatt McKinlay (5-10, 205) also caught two touchdowns a year ago, while Jordan Pugh (6-5, 230) and Kitrell Willingham (6-1, 225) are two talented tight ends who will be in the mix this season, as will converted QB Jess Krahn (6-4, 230), who Christensen says has picked up the position really well. Others likely to contribute somewhere out of that position group include
fullback Kingston Sua (5-11, 210) and tight end and former Chinook Sugarbeeter Kenny Pruttis (6-1, 210). Northern is also excited about its offensive line, another group that, while young, has experience, talent and depth. Northern did lose two-time All-Conference standout Pete Morales, but, left tackle Clint Willis returns to anchor what is a big front five. Willis (6-7, 300) is an imposing figure and is poised for a breakout season. Sophomore Trent Woodward (6-5, 275) will back Willis up at LT, while Dylan Schmidt (6-5, 275) will start at left guard. Schmidt saw plenty of action last season, while junior Rob Johnson (6-1, 260) is also in the mix. Sophomore Dale Cummings (6-0, 300) slides into the starting role at center, while Northern is excited about Skylar Barnes (6-0, 300) there, as well. On the right side, the starting guard position will likely go to Ryan Handley (6-3, 265), a versatile linemen who can also play on the outside. Freshman Roger Guillory of Glacier High School could also see time on the inside as well. Northern's other returning starter on the OL is junior Elijah Cox (6-5, 290), who will man the right tackle position for the Lights this fall. "We're going in the right direction as an offense," Christensen said. "You see it on the practice field. As coaches, you can see it getting better and better. We have to prove it on Saturday's. But I know we have the players who can go out and make the plays. I know we have the guys to get the job done. I see us getting better every day. So there's no doubt, I feel like we'll be a better team offensively this season."
George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
Defense
College graduation is a special time in many young people's lives. But for football teams like the Montana State University-Northern Lights, it can also serve as a stark reminder of what's ahead. For the MSU-Northern defense, Northern's 2016 graduating class included a who's who of top Northern defenders, including all-time sack leader Tyler Craig, almost all of the Lights' starting defensive line, and top defensive backs Logan Sprouse and Garrett Jerricoff. So it goes without saying, the Lights are going to look a lot different on defense come this fall. "We have a lot of young guys out here working really hard," longtime Northern defensive coordinator Jake Eldridge said. "And it's going really well. We're throwing a lot at them, we're going to throw a lot of new guys into the fire so to speak. But the effort they bring every day has been great, and they're picking it up really fast." Fortunately, the Lights have some veteran leadership on the defense to help drive that consistency, starting with senior linebacker Garet Fowler (5-10, 205). An All-Conference candidate and team captain, Fowler tallied more than 90 tackles a season ago, and he will lead the Northern defense this fall. The linebacker group also returns starter Alec Wagner (5-11, 225), who had 49 stops a year ago. Together, he and Fowler give the Lights a strong presence in the middle of the defense. Northern will also look to seniors Dakota Schelling (6-0, 185) and Brooks Dunn (5-10, 200), as well as red-shirt freshman Jake Norby (6-0, 200) as impact players on the defense.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Senior Tommy Langley is one of the top kickers in the Frontier Conference, and will be a key weapon for the Lights this season. Norby, a former Chinook standout, has been extremely impressive since last spring. Up front, only senior Elijah Dennison (6-2, 255) returns with any experience in MSUN's base 4-3 defense. Dennison got multiple starts a year ago, and had a pair of sacks. Fellow senior Mitch Harmon (6-1, 245) will also step into a starting role this season, while sophomore Josh Wright (6-2, 240) and talented freshman Ian Sparrow (6-0, 235) will also be counted upon to play a significant role on an inexperienced Northern defensive line. In the secondary, the Lights will also be somewhat inexperienced though they do return starting cornerback Cory Lee (5-10, 190). A senior, Lee was highly consistent a year ago, with 22 tackles and three pass breakups. Sophomore safety DeQuincy Bergen (5-11, 200) is also back. Bergen stepped into a starting role midway through last season, and though he's still young, he adds experience to the back end of MSU-N's defense. Others who will play big roles in the secondary include CBs Morgan McCrary (5-10, 190) and Devariej Criss (5-7, 165). Criss is a red-shirt freshman that Eldridge says has been impressive in fall camp. Wylie Novak (6-0, 175)
is another young safety making strides, as has Malta's Ostin Welch (6-2, 175) and Arizona freshman Dylan Kelley (5-10, 175). And while there are young faces all over the Northern defense, the Lights aren't looking at that as an excuse. Instead, they're looking at their youth as an opportunity, an opportunity to come out and be the kind of defense they aspire to be now, rather than later. "We have such great senior leadership," Eldridge added. "Garet Fowler is doing a great job of working with the young guys, and guys like Elijah Dennison and Mitch Harmon, they've done a great job of taking on that leadership role as well. So when some of your veteran players can step up and help a coach coach, like those guys are doing, that's huge. "I feel really good about where we're at defensively," Christensen added. "We're improving. We've got good depth and we know we have the guys who can play. Now, we have to go out and execute on Saturdays. But you can see it's heading in the right direction." Special Teams A huge, but often overlooked, part of any college football team is special teams play. And when it comes to kicking, the Lights have a pair of players who can get the job done. It starts with senior kicker Tommy Langley (5-11, 190). As a junior, Langley was among the Frontier Conference leaders in field goal percentage and was tops in kicks made over 40 yards, as well as in scoring by kickers. So Langley is a real weapon for the Lights for sure. Northern also brought in junior college transfer Sam Tapia (6-0, 180), so in him the Lights will also have a sound punter to replace Dillon Barnes, who was outstanding a season ago.
MSU-Northern
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
September 2017
3
Northern rodeo ready to ride Chris Peterson Havre Daily News
cpeterson@havredailynews.com
Over the past few years, the Northern rodeo program has been working to get better and better and this season, with a bunch of promising holdovers from last year’s program, both the Lights and Skylights will be looking to reach greater heights this season. Last season, both teams fared well and were competitive in the Big Sky Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, as the men’s team finished fourth and the women’s team finished fifth. “We actually have a more seasoned group of kids than we have had before,” Kallenberger said. “We have more seniors than we have had before and we also have a really good junior class and a good freshmen class as well. We actually have six kids that are ranked in the PRCA. That’s the great thing about rodeo is that kids can compete in the pro rodeo and amatuer rodeo too, along with college rodeo. We have six that are making the Montana Pro Circuit Finals and the Northern Rodeo Association finals, so they are competing at the professional level right now.” As far as the women’s rodeo team is concerned, Kallenberger said he expects Tara Stimpson and Calonna Slade to lead the way as returners. He also expects big contributions from freshmen Cassidy Williamson and Brenna Krueger. Stimpson will compete in barrel racing, breakaway roping and team roping, while Slade will take part in barrel racing and breakaway roping. Williamson will be a four-event participant as a freshman; Krueger will compete in three events to start. “Those are the ones I expect to lead the women’s team,” Kallenberger said of Stimpson, Slade, Williamson and Krueger. “We have some veterans, but we also have some really good freshmen coming in.” When it comes to the men’s team, senior George Marcenko will be among the top performers. He will compete in both tie-down roping and team roping this season for the Lights. John Bell, who like Marcenko, is already qualified for the Northern Rodeo Association and Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit finals, will be another top cowboy for the
Lights. He also competes in tie-down roping and team roping. “I expect good things from both of those guys,” Kallenberger said. “They are both two-event cowboys and have done a good job for us.” As far as newcomers go, Kallenberger said T.J. Allen of Harlem is one that he expects to have a chance to make a big impact early at at MSU-N. “He is one guy I would like to see step up,” Kallenberger said. “He is currently leading the Elite Professional Bull Riders tour and has won more than $10,000. That’s a prolevel thing and he is No. 1 and he is a freshman, so we are really excited about him in the bull riding.” Others that should make strong contribu-
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern men's and women's rodeo teams are underway this fall. The Lights and Skylights are once again under the leadership of head coach Doug Kallenberger.
tions for the Men’s rodeo team this season are sophomore Zane Marcenko and junior Yancy Hawley from Hays. “Last year our men’s team finished fourth and I really see our Men’s team in the top two this year,” Kallenberger said. “And I feel the exact same way about our women’s team. They finished fifth last year and that’s the highest that both teams have ever finished before, fourth and fifth and I expect the women’s team to be top three. I am really excited. We have good quality kids. I expect a lot of good, individual performances, but as a team, I really feel that both men’s and women’s teams can finish in the top three” The Northern rodeo teams open their season in Cody, Wyoming at the Northwest Col-
lege Trapper Stampede. That takes place Sept. 8-9. Then, both teams will be in Glendive Sept. 15-17 for the DCC Regional Rodeo, before returning home for the MSU-Northern Rodeo at the Bigger Better Barn Sept. 22-23 at the Great Northern Fairgrounds in Havre. Both teams will then close out the fall season at the Central Wyoming College Rodeo in Dillon, starting Sept. 29. The schedule will then resume in the spring on April 12, when both teams will be in Bozeman to take part in a rodeo hosted by Montana State, followed by a trip to Miles City April 20-22 and Missoula April 27-29 for a rodeo hosted by the University of Montana. Finally, the regular season will conclude May 4-5 at the University of Providence Rodeo Great Falls.
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MSU-Northern
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
www.havredailynews.com Northern Volleyball Schedule Sept. 14 Sept. 16 Sept. 21 Sept. 22 Sept. 28 Sept. 30 Oct. 5 Oct. 20 Oct. 26 Oct. 27 Nov. 2 Nov. 4 Nov. 9-11
at Rocky Mountain vs. Montana Western at. Univ. of Providence vs. Carroll College vs. Montana Tech vs. Lewis-Clark State at. Montana Western vs. Rocky Mountain vs. Univ. of Providence at Carroll College at Lewis-Clark State at Montana Tech Frontier Conference Tourney
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State UniversityNorthern volleyball team poses for a photo inside the Armory Gymnasium recently. The Skylights began a new era in August, as Rose Obunaga became their new head coach. Northern is off to a 4-8 start this season, having played at tough non-conference tournaments, and against some of the top teams in the NAIA. The Skylights make their home debut Sept. 16 when they take on the UM-Western Bulldogs inside the Armory.
Not just a new season for Skylights George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When the 2017 season started last month, there was a lot of new when it came to the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team. New head coach, new system, new style, and even some new players. But, a month into the fall, the Skylights are showing that new necessarily doesn’t mean struggle. There have been growing pains early, sure, as new head coach Rose Obunaga and her team adjust to each other. But the new coach, a former Olympic volleyball player, who took over following the resignation of long-time head man Bill Huebsch, is optimistic. "At this point, I am still trying to learn about my team and about my players," Obunaga said before the start of her first season at MSU-N. "I think once we have some competition we will know a little bit more about ourselves, what our strengths are, what our weaknesses are. Then we can work on correcting some of those things." The Skylights did graduate players such as Emily Russell, Jacy Vining and Cydney Auzenne off last year's team, however, MSU-N still boasts a pair of All-Frontier performers back from last season in Cassie Krueger (6-0) and Timi Severson (6-0). Krueger led the Skylights with 280 kills or 3.1 kills per set, while Severson, the only freshman selected to the First Team, was second with 246 or three kills per set. With Krueger and Severson, MSU-N has
what should be a productive offense, but it will take more than two powerful hitters for the Skylights to improve on their 5-7 record in the Frontier last season. "I think that we have some strong players that are back and we have a lot of experience," Obunaga said. "We have a group of six that includes mostly those experienced players. We will start with them and work in some of the others. Some positions, we don't have a lot of depth, so I am trying to put people in positions where they know what to do." While Krueger and Severson may be the two stars of the team, Northern has a bevy of other contributors. One of them is Hannah Amtmann (5-4), who made the Frontier All-Freshman team as a defensive specialist. She led the Skylights with 355 digs. Kylie Pasieka (5-7) is another player who will help on the back end defensively. Others such as Mikayla Virostek (6-0) and Haley Yoder (6-2) will help defend the block, and Hailey Warren (5-8) should also contribute as a setter. Sophomore Katia Michelotti (6-2) should also be one to watch. Newcomers to the Skylight program include former Belgrade All-Stater Shania Neubauer (5-9, OH) and Ashley Ponce (5-2) a 5-2 DS from California. Junior college transfers McKaylie Tanner (5-11, S/RS) and Precious Atafua (5-11, OH) should also contribute right away. "I have a six person rotation that is permanent," Obunaga said. "And then we have others that are filling in. I want them to
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
MSU-N harriers racing again George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com It’s year three for head coach Chad Spangler and the Montana State University-Northern cross country team. And now just might be the time the Lights and Skylights shine. Spangler has veteran runners on both the men’s and women’s teams this season, so he’s excited about the upcoming season. And on top of that, for the first time in the program’s young history, they will also host a meet right here in Havre. “We’re really excited to host our first home meet during our Homecoming weekend,” Spangler said. “We really hope fans will come out to Prairie Farms on the morning of Sept. 23rd and watch us race Central Wyoming College.” And what fans will see is a very savvy,
very experienced Northern squad. On the women’s side, Northern returns sophomore Rachel David of Havre, it’s highest finisher at last year’s Frontier Conference championships. Former Blue Ponies Breck Don and McKenna Barkus are also returning seniors, as is Courtney Coda, while Havre’s Kaitlin Nystrom also returns from last year’s varsity team. Newcomers Ashley McCready and Havre’s Nicole Parsons round out the Northern lineup. “Right now Rachel David and Ashley McCready (from Ronan) are really pushing the women’s team,” Spangler said. “They are both running very well and certainly have All-Conference potential this year. Rachel and Ashley will be important scorers for us this year, but they are also impact teammates because they are always pushing the training pace, and attitude — making everyone better.”
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern men's and women's cross country teams pose for a photo before the start of the 2017 season. It's the third year of the program for the Lights and Skylights.
September 2017
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Northern Cross-Country Schedule Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 20 Nov. 3 Nov. 18
MSU Running Company Invitational - Bozeman Battle of the Border vs. Central WY College - Havre Yellowjacket Open - Billings Lewis-Clark State Invitational - Lewiston, ID University of Providence Open - Great Falls Frontier Conference Championships - Lewiston, ID NAIA Cross-Country Nationals - Vancouver, WA
The Lights, too, have plenty of returning talent, led by senior Riley Dennis and redshirt freshman Luke Karnauskas of Havre High. Rocky Boy’s Tristen Belgarde is also back, as is sophomore Beau Hyatt. But the Lights have also added plenty of new runners to a roster that should be deep and strong this fall. Harley Dowling, Kai Krumwiede, Gabe Hallock and Amos Taisaw provide Northern with plenty of depth. “On the men’s team, Luke Karnauskas, Kai Krumwiede (from Lewistown), Riley Dennis (from Ronan), and Amos Taiswa (from Kilgoris, Kenya) have been really consistent and productive so far,” Spangler noted. “These four guys are really running well together in training sessions. It’s difficult to predict how they’re going to compete in the ultra-competitive Frontier Conference, but it’s safe to say that we’re much stronger at this point compared to last season.” The Frontier is tough, and so is Northern’s schedule. MSU-N opens the season at the Carroll College Early Bird Invita-
tional, before traveling to NCAA Montana State for a meet. Then comes Northern’s first-ever home meet, followed by the Yellowjacket Open in Billings Oct. 7. MSU-N also travels to the LC State Invitational Oct. 14 and the University of Providence Open Oct. 20 before heading back to Lewiston, Idaho, for the 2017 Frontier Conference Championships Nov. 3. “We’ve been at it for weeks now and I’m pretty excited about this year’s teams,” Spangler said. “The women have just been so solid in training camp so far — they’re just getting it done. They’ve been so consistent and just really into it. Many of the women are running their last season, so I think that’s a driver for some of them this year. On the guys side, we’re a little younger and we’ve had a little more inconsistency due to injuries. We’re working through that and the guys that have been consistent are looking great at this point in our training. I really think we can be in the mix by conference championships this year.”
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
www.havredailynews.com Northern Volleyball Schedule Sept. 14 Sept. 16 Sept. 21 Sept. 22 Sept. 28 Sept. 30 Oct. 5 Oct. 20 Oct. 26 Oct. 27 Nov. 2 Nov. 4 Nov. 9-11
at Rocky Mountain vs. Montana Western at. Univ. of Providence vs. Carroll College vs. Montana Tech vs. Lewis-Clark State at. Montana Western vs. Rocky Mountain vs. Univ. of Providence at Carroll College at Lewis-Clark State at Montana Tech Frontier Conference Tourney
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State UniversityNorthern volleyball team poses for a photo inside the Armory Gymnasium recently. The Skylights began a new era in August, as Rose Obunaga became their new head coach. Northern is off to a 4-8 start this season, having played at tough non-conference tournaments, and against some of the top teams in the NAIA. The Skylights make their home debut Sept. 16 when they take on the UM-Western Bulldogs inside the Armory.
Not just a new season for Skylights George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com When the 2017 season started last month, there was a lot of new when it came to the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team. New head coach, new system, new style, and even some new players. But, a month into the fall, the Skylights are showing that new necessarily doesn’t mean struggle. There have been growing pains early, sure, as new head coach Rose Obunaga and her team adjust to each other. But the new coach, a former Olympic volleyball player, who took over following the resignation of long-time head man Bill Huebsch, is optimistic. "At this point, I am still trying to learn about my team and about my players," Obunaga said before the start of her first season at MSU-N. "I think once we have some competition we will know a little bit more about ourselves, what our strengths are, what our weaknesses are. Then we can work on correcting some of those things." The Skylights did graduate players such as Emily Russell, Jacy Vining and Cydney Auzenne off last year's team, however, MSU-N still boasts a pair of All-Frontier performers back from last season in Cassie Krueger (6-0) and Timi Severson (6-0). Krueger led the Skylights with 280 kills or 3.1 kills per set, while Severson, the only freshman selected to the First Team, was second with 246 or three kills per set. With Krueger and Severson, MSU-N has
what should be a productive offense, but it will take more than two powerful hitters for the Skylights to improve on their 5-7 record in the Frontier last season. "I think that we have some strong players that are back and we have a lot of experience," Obunaga said. "We have a group of six that includes mostly those experienced players. We will start with them and work in some of the others. Some positions, we don't have a lot of depth, so I am trying to put people in positions where they know what to do." While Krueger and Severson may be the two stars of the team, Northern has a bevy of other contributors. One of them is Hannah Amtmann (5-4), who made the Frontier All-Freshman team as a defensive specialist. She led the Skylights with 355 digs. Kylie Pasieka (5-7) is another player who will help on the back end defensively. Others such as Mikayla Virostek (6-0) and Haley Yoder (6-2) will help defend the block, and Hailey Warren (5-8) should also contribute as a setter. Sophomore Katia Michelotti (6-2) should also be one to watch. Newcomers to the Skylight program include former Belgrade All-Stater Shania Neubauer (5-9, OH) and Ashley Ponce (5-2) a 5-2 DS from California. Junior college transfers McKaylie Tanner (5-11, S/RS) and Precious Atafua (5-11, OH) should also contribute right away. "I have a six person rotation that is permanent," Obunaga said. "And then we have others that are filling in. I want them to
■ See Volleyball Page 7
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
MSU-N harriers racing again George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com It’s year three for head coach Chad Spangler and the Montana State University-Northern cross country team. And now just might be the time the Lights and Skylights shine. Spangler has veteran runners on both the men’s and women’s teams this season, so he’s excited about the upcoming season. And on top of that, for the first time in the program’s young history, they will also host a meet right here in Havre. “We’re really excited to host our first home meet during our Homecoming weekend,” Spangler said. “We really hope fans will come out to Prairie Farms on the morning of Sept. 23rd and watch us race Central Wyoming College.” And what fans will see is a very savvy,
very experienced Northern squad. On the women’s side, Northern returns sophomore Rachel David of Havre, it’s highest finisher at last year’s Frontier Conference championships. Former Blue Ponies Breck Don and McKenna Barkus are also returning seniors, as is Courtney Coda, while Havre’s Kaitlin Nystrom also returns from last year’s varsity team. Newcomers Ashley McCready and Havre’s Nicole Parsons round out the Northern lineup. “Right now Rachel David and Ashley McCready (from Ronan) are really pushing the women’s team,” Spangler said. “They are both running very well and certainly have All-Conference potential this year. Rachel and Ashley will be important scorers for us this year, but they are also impact teammates because they are always pushing the training pace, and attitude — making everyone better.”
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern men's and women's cross country teams pose for a photo before the start of the 2017 season. It's the third year of the program for the Lights and Skylights.
September 2017
5
Northern Cross-Country Schedule Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 20 Nov. 3 Nov. 18
MSU Running Company Invitational - Bozeman Battle of the Border vs. Central WY College - Havre Yellowjacket Open - Billings Lewis-Clark State Invitational - Lewiston, ID University of Providence Open - Great Falls Frontier Conference Championships - Lewiston, ID NAIA Cross-Country Nationals - Vancouver, WA
The Lights, too, have plenty of returning talent, led by senior Riley Dennis and redshirt freshman Luke Karnauskas of Havre High. Rocky Boy’s Tristen Belgarde is also back, as is sophomore Beau Hyatt. But the Lights have also added plenty of new runners to a roster that should be deep and strong this fall. Harley Dowling, Kai Krumwiede, Gabe Hallock and Amos Taisaw provide Northern with plenty of depth. “On the men’s team, Luke Karnauskas, Kai Krumwiede (from Lewistown), Riley Dennis (from Ronan), and Amos Taiswa (from Kilgoris, Kenya) have been really consistent and productive so far,” Spangler noted. “These four guys are really running well together in training sessions. It’s difficult to predict how they’re going to compete in the ultra-competitive Frontier Conference, but it’s safe to say that we’re much stronger at this point compared to last season.” The Frontier is tough, and so is Northern’s schedule. MSU-N opens the season at the Carroll College Early Bird Invita-
tional, before traveling to NCAA Montana State for a meet. Then comes Northern’s first-ever home meet, followed by the Yellowjacket Open in Billings Oct. 7. MSU-N also travels to the LC State Invitational Oct. 14 and the University of Providence Open Oct. 20 before heading back to Lewiston, Idaho, for the 2017 Frontier Conference Championships Nov. 3. “We’ve been at it for weeks now and I’m pretty excited about this year’s teams,” Spangler said. “The women have just been so solid in training camp so far — they’re just getting it done. They’ve been so consistent and just really into it. Many of the women are running their last season, so I think that’s a driver for some of them this year. On the guys side, we’re a little younger and we’ve had a little more inconsistency due to injuries. We’re working through that and the guys that have been consistent are looking great at this point in our training. I really think we can be in the mix by conference championships this year.”
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September 2017
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2017 MSU-N Football Breakdown
George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Offense When third-year Montana State University-Northern head football coach Aaron Christensen looks back on last season's offense, he's pretty matter of fact. And when he looks ahead to this fall — same thing. "We weren't good enough offensively last year," Christensen said. "I think we improved from the first year, and we had talent. We had a great, great player in Zach McKinley. But when you look at it all, scoring, completion percentage, first downs, time of possession, turnovers, all of those things, we just weren't good enough." And this season? "We need to improve, in all areas," he said. "I feel like we have the players to do that. We have more depth offensively than we've had the last two seasons. We've got good players at every position. So we've got the guys to be a much better team offensively this season, and I think we will be. But at the end of the day, we have to go out and execute on the field, in games." Northern has had a fourway starting quarterback battle going since last spring, and with junior college transfer Tommy Wilson (6-1, 205) winning the job. Washington State transfer Bryce Missey (6-0, 200) and red-shirt freshman Dylan Cook (6-6, 290) have had their moments in the battle, too. And while the starting QB job is a big one, no position on the MSU-N offense will look more different this season than that of running back. McKinley grabbed the job
as a red-shirt freshman and never let it go on his way to an incredible 4,600-yard career. Now, however, it's time for someone else to take those carries. In the spring, the starting job looked like it was junior Jett Robertson's for the taking, but an injury may sideline him for the season. So the bulk of the carries will fall to junior college transfer Trey Blanchard (5-10, 200) and sophomore B.J. Peters (5-10, 195). While new faces will lead the Lights at running back and quarterback, Northern does have experience in the other two offensive position groups — wide receiver and offensive line. And for the first time in a while, those two groups have something else — depth. At wide receiver, Sam Mix (6-1, 190) is back after catching 21 balls a season ago, as is senior Donovan Garner (5-8, 100). Junior Seth Roemelle (6-0, 190) also has a wealth of experience, while senior Beau Wilhem (6-0, 200) and sophomore Bryce Bumgardner (6-0, 185) are both very talented. Freshman Marvin Williams (6-3, 190) another name Lights fans may see at WR this fall. Northern is also loaded with talent and depth at tight end and H-back or fullback. Leading that group is senior Kagen Khameneh (6-3, 240), one of the most talented tight ends in the Frontier Conference. Wyatt McKinlay (5-10, 205) also caught two touchdowns a year ago, while Jordan Pugh (6-5, 230) and Kitrell Willingham (6-1, 225) are two talented tight ends who will be in the mix this season, as will converted QB Jess Krahn (6-4, 230), who Christensen says has picked up the position really well. Others likely to contribute somewhere out of that position group include
fullback Kingston Sua (5-11, 210) and tight end and former Chinook Sugarbeeter Kenny Pruttis (6-1, 210). Northern is also excited about its offensive line, another group that, while young, has experience, talent and depth. Northern did lose two-time All-Conference standout Pete Morales, but, left tackle Clint Willis returns to anchor what is a big front five. Willis (6-7, 300) is an imposing figure and is poised for a breakout season. Sophomore Trent Woodward (6-5, 275) will back Willis up at LT, while Dylan Schmidt (6-5, 275) will start at left guard. Schmidt saw plenty of action last season, while junior Rob Johnson (6-1, 260) is also in the mix. Sophomore Dale Cummings (6-0, 300) slides into the starting role at center, while Northern is excited about Skylar Barnes (6-0, 300) there, as well. On the right side, the starting guard position will likely go to Ryan Handley (6-3, 265), a versatile linemen who can also play on the outside. Freshman Roger Guillory of Glacier High School could also see time on the inside as well. Northern's other returning starter on the OL is junior Elijah Cox (6-5, 290), who will man the right tackle position for the Lights this fall. "We're going in the right direction as an offense," Christensen said. "You see it on the practice field. As coaches, you can see it getting better and better. We have to prove it on Saturday's. But I know we have the players who can go out and make the plays. I know we have the guys to get the job done. I see us getting better every day. So there's no doubt, I feel like we'll be a better team offensively this season."
George Ferguson
Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
Defense
College graduation is a special time in many young people's lives. But for football teams like the Montana State University-Northern Lights, it can also serve as a stark reminder of what's ahead. For the MSU-Northern defense, Northern's 2016 graduating class included a who's who of top Northern defenders, including all-time sack leader Tyler Craig, almost all of the Lights' starting defensive line, and top defensive backs Logan Sprouse and Garrett Jerricoff. So it goes without saying, the Lights are going to look a lot different on defense come this fall. "We have a lot of young guys out here working really hard," longtime Northern defensive coordinator Jake Eldridge said. "And it's going really well. We're throwing a lot at them, we're going to throw a lot of new guys into the fire so to speak. But the effort they bring every day has been great, and they're picking it up really fast." Fortunately, the Lights have some veteran leadership on the defense to help drive that consistency, starting with senior linebacker Garet Fowler (5-10, 205). An All-Conference candidate and team captain, Fowler tallied more than 90 tackles a season ago, and he will lead the Northern defense this fall. The linebacker group also returns starter Alec Wagner (5-11, 225), who had 49 stops a year ago. Together, he and Fowler give the Lights a strong presence in the middle of the defense. Northern will also look to seniors Dakota Schelling (6-0, 185) and Brooks Dunn (5-10, 200), as well as red-shirt freshman Jake Norby (6-0, 200) as impact players on the defense.
Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Senior Tommy Langley is one of the top kickers in the Frontier Conference, and will be a key weapon for the Lights this season. Norby, a former Chinook standout, has been extremely impressive since last spring. Up front, only senior Elijah Dennison (6-2, 255) returns with any experience in MSUN's base 4-3 defense. Dennison got multiple starts a year ago, and had a pair of sacks. Fellow senior Mitch Harmon (6-1, 245) will also step into a starting role this season, while sophomore Josh Wright (6-2, 240) and talented freshman Ian Sparrow (6-0, 235) will also be counted upon to play a significant role on an inexperienced Northern defensive line. In the secondary, the Lights will also be somewhat inexperienced though they do return starting cornerback Cory Lee (5-10, 190). A senior, Lee was highly consistent a year ago, with 22 tackles and three pass breakups. Sophomore safety DeQuincy Bergen (5-11, 200) is also back. Bergen stepped into a starting role midway through last season, and though he's still young, he adds experience to the back end of MSU-N's defense. Others who will play big roles in the secondary include CBs Morgan McCrary (5-10, 190) and Devariej Criss (5-7, 165). Criss is a red-shirt freshman that Eldridge says has been impressive in fall camp. Wylie Novak (6-0, 175)
is another young safety making strides, as has Malta's Ostin Welch (6-2, 175) and Arizona freshman Dylan Kelley (5-10, 175). And while there are young faces all over the Northern defense, the Lights aren't looking at that as an excuse. Instead, they're looking at their youth as an opportunity, an opportunity to come out and be the kind of defense they aspire to be now, rather than later. "We have such great senior leadership," Eldridge added. "Garet Fowler is doing a great job of working with the young guys, and guys like Elijah Dennison and Mitch Harmon, they've done a great job of taking on that leadership role as well. So when some of your veteran players can step up and help a coach coach, like those guys are doing, that's huge. "I feel really good about where we're at defensively," Christensen added. "We're improving. We've got good depth and we know we have the guys who can play. Now, we have to go out and execute on Saturdays. But you can see it's heading in the right direction." Special Teams A huge, but often overlooked, part of any college football team is special teams play. And when it comes to kicking, the Lights have a pair of players who can get the job done. It starts with senior kicker Tommy Langley (5-11, 190). As a junior, Langley was among the Frontier Conference leaders in field goal percentage and was tops in kicks made over 40 yards, as well as in scoring by kickers. So Langley is a real weapon for the Lights for sure. Northern also brought in junior college transfer Sam Tapia (6-0, 180), so in him the Lights will also have a sound punter to replace Dillon Barnes, who was outstanding a season ago.
MSU-Northern
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September 2017
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Northern rodeo ready to ride Chris Peterson Havre Daily News
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Over the past few years, the Northern rodeo program has been working to get better and better and this season, with a bunch of promising holdovers from last year’s program, both the Lights and Skylights will be looking to reach greater heights this season. Last season, both teams fared well and were competitive in the Big Sky Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, as the men’s team finished fourth and the women’s team finished fifth. “We actually have a more seasoned group of kids than we have had before,” Kallenberger said. “We have more seniors than we have had before and we also have a really good junior class and a good freshmen class as well. We actually have six kids that are ranked in the PRCA. That’s the great thing about rodeo is that kids can compete in the pro rodeo and amatuer rodeo too, along with college rodeo. We have six that are making the Montana Pro Circuit Finals and the Northern Rodeo Association finals, so they are competing at the professional level right now.” As far as the women’s rodeo team is concerned, Kallenberger said he expects Tara Stimpson and Calonna Slade to lead the way as returners. He also expects big contributions from freshmen Cassidy Williamson and Brenna Krueger. Stimpson will compete in barrel racing, breakaway roping and team roping, while Slade will take part in barrel racing and breakaway roping. Williamson will be a four-event participant as a freshman; Krueger will compete in three events to start. “Those are the ones I expect to lead the women’s team,” Kallenberger said of Stimpson, Slade, Williamson and Krueger. “We have some veterans, but we also have some really good freshmen coming in.” When it comes to the men’s team, senior George Marcenko will be among the top performers. He will compete in both tie-down roping and team roping this season for the Lights. John Bell, who like Marcenko, is already qualified for the Northern Rodeo Association and Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit finals, will be another top cowboy for the
Lights. He also competes in tie-down roping and team roping. “I expect good things from both of those guys,” Kallenberger said. “They are both two-event cowboys and have done a good job for us.” As far as newcomers go, Kallenberger said T.J. Allen of Harlem is one that he expects to have a chance to make a big impact early at at MSU-N. “He is one guy I would like to see step up,” Kallenberger said. “He is currently leading the Elite Professional Bull Riders tour and has won more than $10,000. That’s a prolevel thing and he is No. 1 and he is a freshman, so we are really excited about him in the bull riding.” Others that should make strong contribu-
Jim Potter The 2017 Montana State University-Northern men's and women's rodeo teams are underway this fall. The Lights and Skylights are once again under the leadership of head coach Doug Kallenberger.
tions for the Men’s rodeo team this season are sophomore Zane Marcenko and junior Yancy Hawley from Hays. “Last year our men’s team finished fourth and I really see our Men’s team in the top two this year,” Kallenberger said. “And I feel the exact same way about our women’s team. They finished fifth last year and that’s the highest that both teams have ever finished before, fourth and fifth and I expect the women’s team to be top three. I am really excited. We have good quality kids. I expect a lot of good, individual performances, but as a team, I really feel that both men’s and women’s teams can finish in the top three” The Northern rodeo teams open their season in Cody, Wyoming at the Northwest Col-
lege Trapper Stampede. That takes place Sept. 8-9. Then, both teams will be in Glendive Sept. 15-17 for the DCC Regional Rodeo, before returning home for the MSU-Northern Rodeo at the Bigger Better Barn Sept. 22-23 at the Great Northern Fairgrounds in Havre. Both teams will then close out the fall season at the Central Wyoming College Rodeo in Dillon, starting Sept. 29. The schedule will then resume in the spring on April 12, when both teams will be in Bozeman to take part in a rodeo hosted by Montana State, followed by a trip to Miles City April 20-22 and Missoula April 27-29 for a rodeo hosted by the University of Montana. Finally, the regular season will conclude May 4-5 at the University of Providence Rodeo Great Falls.
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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
MSU-Northern
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The 2017 Montana State University-Northern football team has high hopes for this fall. The Lights opened their season with a close loss at Rocky Mountain College.
Jim Potter
New season, new determination When the Montana State UniversityNorthern 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 toward 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
September 2017
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MSU-N golf teams hit the links Chris Peterson
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
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
■ See Football Page 8
After making incremental improvements in the 2016-17 season, both the Lights and Skylights golf programs of Montana State University-Northern will be looking to make an even bigger jump forward in 2017-18. Both teams will still be under the direction of Nothern head golf coach Dave Boles and each team will begin its season at the MSU-Northern Invitational, which will be held in Shelby thia week. Boles is particularly excited about the prospects for the women’s golf team, especially with the addition of incoming transfer Jenna Jensen, who transferred to Northern from Corban University. “Jenna is a very accomplished golfer,” Boles said. “I was surprised when she called me, but she is coming here for the nursing program. I think she might be one of the best, if not the best golfer I have ever had with the program here. I think she has a chance to be one of the top women golfers in the Frontier this season. I don’t want to put that pressure on her, but I think she has the potential to do really well.” Corban, which is also an NAIA school, competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, and thanks to Jensen’s contributions, the school won the regular season and tournament championship in 2016, while Jensen
was the individual medalist at the conference tournament. The Warriors also qualified as a team for the NAIA tournament that season. The rest of the Skylights roster will include some holdovers such as Whitney Bahrns, Diana Ball and Carrigan Cummings. While the Skylights are getting an influx of talent from Jensen, the men’s golf team is going to be relying on returning standouts Devin Bray and Jerod Boles to lead the way this season. “Devin right now is the No. 1 and Jerod is the No. 2,” Boles said. “But they are both pretty close at the top.” In addition to Brey and Jerod Boles, the Lights will be relying on incoming freshmen Trent Nowell and Ethan Partch, as well as a transfer, Zach Hould, who came to Northern from Montana Tech. “We are going to have some inexperience. Ethan, Trent and Zach have never played collegiate golf before,” Boles said. “And I keep telling them about playing 36 holes, but you don’t really know that feeling of being physically tired but still having to gut it out and score well, so that will be something that will be good for them.” After both teams open the season in Shelby they will head to Helena for the tournament hosted by Carroll College Sept. 25-26, before closing out the fall season in Lewiston, Idaho at the Lewis and Clark In-
vitational Oct. 2-3. The Frontier Conference Tournament will be held in the spring once again. This year, it will be played in Tempe, Arizona, April 23-25. “I think that both teams can move up a couple spots in the standings if we can get everyone on the same page on the same day,” Boles said. “It seems like you have two golfers go well one day and a different golfer do well another day, so if we can just get some consistency going, we should be fine.” Northern golf opens the 2017-18 season in Shelby at the Northern Invitational.
Volleyball: Northern volleyball off to strong start under Rose Obunaga ■ From Page 4 learn how to play with each other and give them that chance. If you start subbing people, before they learn to play with each other, it's chaos. So I have been training one lineup and then just plug in others, so they can still get used to each other." And through four weeks of non-conference play, it appears the Skylights are getting used to each other just fine. Northern has battled six of the Top 25 teams in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll, and has persevered in many tough matches, including a host of five-setters. And, the experience the Skylights have gained thus far, should make them more than ready for the Frontier Conference. The Skylights, who were 6-16 overall a season ago, look to have a fight on their hands to get into the top half of the Frontier this season. In the preseason coaches poll,
MSU-N was picked sixth. Northern ranked ahead of seventh-place Montana Western, but was picked to finish behind Carroll College, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College, Lewis and Clark State and University of Providence Great Falls. "It's hard to know right now," Obunaga said. "A lot of it depends on the recruiting classes that each school gets. But we will get a chance to evaluate and see those teams, and we will look and see how we can match our players up against them." The Skylights won't play their first match at home until after the start of conference play, which comes Sept. 14, when Northern will open Frontier play on the road against Rocky Mountain College. The first home match will be Sept. 16 against Western. Friday, Sept. 22, Carroll will come to Havre and start a week=long home stand for
MSU-N. The Skylights will also host Montana Tech, Sept. 28 and LC State Sept. 30, in the final match of this homestand. The final home games come in late October. Northern will host Rocky in the Armory Gymnasium, followed by the University of Providence making a visit Oct. 26. That will lead to a brutal road stretch to close the regular season as MSU-N will head to Carroll Oct. 27, LC State Nov. 2 and Montana Tech Nov. 4. "I still have seen very little of the other teams in the conference," Obunaga said. "We just want to see what everyone has and then we will try to study them and make adjustments." Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson Timi Severson and the MSU-Northern volleyball team have played 12 matches so far this season. The Skylights play at home for the first time Sept. 16.
Courtesy Photo The 2017-18 golf season at Montana State University-Northern is underway. The Lights and Skylights of head coach Dave Boles will play three times in the fall season and twice in the spring. For the first time in quite some time, Northern also plays host to its own invitational, as it will use the Marias Valley Golf Club in Shelby to hold the MSU-Northern Invitational. The Lights and Skylights will also play in Helena and Lewiston, Idaho, this fall, as well as the Frontier championships in the spring.
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MSU-Northern
September 2017
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
Football: Lights looking to make even more progress with their program
www.havredailynews.com Lights Football Schedule
■ From Page 2
Sept. 2
at Rocky Mountain
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 ones and twos, 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 is talent and there are other reasons to be optimistic. Senior linebacker Garet
Sept. 9
vs. Montana Tech
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, R.J. 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. I think this team can accomplish plenty this season. Now, we have to go out on Saturday’s and do it. But I know we have guys who can step up and do that,” he continued. “I believe we have a team that can do all those things this season.”
Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11
at Carroll College vs. Montana Western at Mayville State at Eastern Oregon vs. Rocky Mountain at Montana Tech vs. Carroll College vs. Southern Oregon at College of Idaho