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Master of the Sack
Tyler Craig has become a relentless pass rusher, and one of the best defensive players in the Frontier Chris Peterson Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com
There hasn’t been much to celebrate this season when it comes to the Montana State University-Northern football team. However, one thing everyone associated with Lights’ football can be proud of has been the play of Tyler Craig. Craig, who is in his junior season for the Lights after coming to Northern from CMR high school in Great Falls, is putting together an impressive campaign, and even though
MSU-N is 0-7, Craig continues to shine. “We are just working as hard as we can to try and get that win,” Craig said. “That would mean a lot if we could get at least one or maybe two. It’s been difficult at times but we have stayed together and I think we are getting better every single week.” Craig and the Lights will get the chance to end their winless streak Saturday when Northern hosts 2-5 Eastern Oregon at Blue Pony Stadium and if they are going to pull the upset — it’s safe to say it will take a herculean effort from Craig and the defense. Of course, whenever Craig is on the field he brings his best effort, which is one of the reasons why he has become such a great player. Moreover, when it comes to the Frontier Conference there are few, if any players that make more plays in the backfield than Craig. Craig came to Northern as an undersized defensive lineman. Yet after putting time in the weight room to bulk up, he has become
not only a great run defender but an elite pass-rusher as well. Craig burst on the scene in 2013 with 35 tackles, four sacks and eight tackles for loss. Then last season he was even better. In an effort that eventually earned him SecondTeam All-Frontier honors, Craig racked up 51 tackles, 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. His breakout season also earned him the reputation as one the best defensive players in the conference and that is a billing he has worked hard to live up to. “If I was to use one word to sum up Tyler it would relentless,” Northern defensive
See Craig Page 6
Havre Daily News/Roger Miller Montana State University-Northern junior defensive end Tyler Craig led the Frontier Conference in sacks a year ago. And the CMR prep star is on pace to do it again this season. Craig and the Lights host Eastern Oregon Saturday.
MSU-Northern Lights vs Eastern Oregon Mounties Montana State University-Northern Location: Havre, Mont. Nickname: Lights Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2015 record: 0-7 (0-6)
2014 record: 3-8 (2-8) Head coach: Aaron Christensen Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium Streak: The Lights haven't beaten Eastern Oregon since the 2012 season.
Saturday, October 24, 2015 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 1 p.m. Eastern Oregon University Location: LaGrande, Ore. Nickname: Mounties Colors: Blue and Gold 2015 record: 2-4 (2-5)
2014 record: 8-3 (7-3) Head coach: Tim Camp Stadium: Community Stadium Streak: The Mounties have won just twice at Blue Pony Stadium since joining the Frontier Conference.
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Frontier Conference Standings
Montana Tech Southern Oregon UM-Western Carroll College College of Idaho Rocky Mountain Eastern Oregon MSU-Northern
Conf. WL
5-1 5-1 4-2 3-3 3-3 2-4 2-4 0-6
Overall WL
5-1 5-1 4-2 3-3 3-4 3-4 2-5 0-7
Saturday MSU-Northern vs Eastern Oregon Montana Tech at Carroll College College of Idaho Southern Oregon Rocky Mountain at UM-Western Saturday, Oct. 31 MSU-Northern at Carroll College Eastern Oregon at Montana Tech Southern Oregon at Rocky Mountain UM-Western at College of Idaho
NAIA Coaches Poll 1. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (12) 2. Southern Oregon (2) 3. Morningside (Iowa) (1) 4. Baker (Kan.) 5. Grand View (Iowa) 6. Doane (Neb.) 7. Saint Francis (Ind.) 8. Reinhardt (Ga.) 9. Robert Morris (Ill.) 10. Marian (Ind.) 11. Tabor (Kan.) 12. Montana Tech 13. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Rec. Pts Prv.
6-0 5-1 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-0 7-0 7-0 5-1 5-2 6-1 5-1 5-2
338 323 319 296 285 275 269 247 235 218 207 202 187
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14
14. William Penn (Iowa) 15. Northwestern (Iowa) 16. Benedictine (Kan.) 17. Montana Western 18. Carroll (Mont.) 19. Kansas Wesleyan 20. St. Francis (Ill.) 21. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 22. Campbellsville (Ky.) 23. Concordia (Neb.) 24. Cumberlands (Ky.) 25. Southeastern (Fla.)
5-2 4-2 5-2 4-2 3-3 6-1 5-2 5-2 5-2 5-1 5-2 4-1
172 155 132 128 109 107 79 72 66 52 29 26
16 20 21 22 11 15 19 17 — — — —
Others receiving votes: : Faulkner (Ala.) 21; Point (Ga.) 12; Dickinson State (N.D.) 9; Ottawa (Kan.) 9; SAGU (Texas) 6.
Frontier Conference Individual Leaders 2015 Week Eight
Passing: Chase White, RMC, 275 ypg Receiving: A. McCullouch, RMC, 104 ypg Receptions: A. McCullouch, RMC 8 cpg Rushing: Nolan Saraceni, MT, 154 ypg Tackles: Gary Posten, EOU 92 Sacks: Reno Ward, UM-W, 8 sacks INT's: Nate Moore, C of I, 5 ints
Lights Coaching Staff
Jim Potter The 2015 Montana State University-Northern coaching staff. Back row, left to right, Jorge Magana, Dylan Murphy, Aaron Christensen, Cody O'Neil and Matt Stevens. Front row, left to right, Arthur Smith, Chuck Terry, Jake Eldridge and Darold DeBolt.
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MSU-Northern Offensive Starters
Eastern Oregon Defensive Starters
MSU-N 2014 Offensive Numbers
EOU Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 6 ppg, last in Frontier Total offense: 230 ypg, last in Frontier
Scoring: 32 ppg, 7th in Frontier Seth Rommele #88, 6-0, 190 Receiver
Byron Benson #27, 5-9, 165 Cornerback
Rush offense: 122 ypg, 7th in Frontier
Total defense: 434 ypg, 7th in Frontier Rush defense: 225 ypg, 7th in Frontier
Clint Willis #75, 6-6, 280 Offensive line
Aaron Christensen MSU-N Head Coach Aaron Christensen enters his first 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).
Adolfo Robles #58, 6-2, 270 Offensive line
Austin Brown #94, 6-3, 265 Defensive line
J.T. Capers #26, 5-11, 187 Linebacker Kalliy Ceesay #22, 6-2, 217 Safety
Zach McKinley #24, 5-11, 210 Running Back
Jess Krahn #8, 6-3, 220 Quarterback
Matt McKeen #78, 6-2,290 Center
Kyle Lanoue #92, 6-2, 260 Nose tackle
Gary Posten #49, 6-1, 210 Linebacker Adam Bese #29, 6-0, 195 Safety
Jacob Folk #60, 6-4, 335 Offensive line
Gabe Benavidez #40, 5-10, 250 Fullback
Pete Morales #77, 6-3, 295 Offensive line
Dalton Morgan #40, 6-2, 229 Defensive line
Jared Jensen #37, 5-8, 210 Linebacker
Kris Welch #50, 6-1, 220 Linebacker
Kagen Khameneh #85, 6-3, 225 Tight end Dillon Barnes #89, 6-0, 160 Punter
Jaime Toscano #49, 5-8, 210 Kicker
Jake Day #10, 5-10, 185 Receiver
John Payne #1, 5-8, 170 Cornerback
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MSU-Northern Numerical Roster No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 53 55 56 58 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79
Name
Pos. Ht. Wt.
Garrett Jericoff DB Tucker Dunn LB Malcolm Manuel DB Jonathan McGinnis LB Herman Smith QB Myvon Rawlings DB Jesse Morales LB Alex Rodriguez DB Jake Day WR Jess Krahn QB Garet Fowler LB Malachi Flores WR Holden Maki QB J.R. Finai WR Joseph DeLaCruz WR Jake Messerly WR Nathan Loutzenhiser QB Bowe McKay WR Qwaundre Yancy WR Logan Sprouse DB Mario Gobbato RB Colton Boyle QB Zach McKinley RB Traejun Foard DB Quintan Boos DB Denzel Hamiel DB Zach Crace RB Kaden Barrus DB Felix Ramirez DB Casey Keen DB Sherman Arthur DB Brooks Dunn LB Garret Severson LB Dakota Schelling LB Corey Lee DB N'Drain "David" N'GuessaLB Lane Foster RB Kyle Watson FB Gabriel Benavidez FB Tovati "TJ" Gasetoto Jr. LB Jonathan Gragg LB Paxton Maki LB Wyatt McKinlay FB Michael McKeen LB Kyle Williams DB Jordan Brusio DL Jace Billy DL Jaime Toscano K Kyle Martinez LB Alec Wagner LB Austin Rychner DL Mitchell Harmon DL Dace Fisher DL Adolfo Robles OL Jacob Folk OL Elijah Dennison DL Justin Ratzburg OL Trenton Woodward OL Dale Cummings OL Trevor Frandsen DL Adam Ayala DL Salesi Koloamatangi DL Brennan Lewis OL Robert Johnson OL Ryan Handley OL Diamond Pedro OL Jeremy Eisenmann OL Dylan Schmidt OL Clint Willis OL Casey Cleveland OL Pete Morales OL Matthew McKeen OL Jaxon Simonson OL
5'9" 6'1" 5'9" 6'1" 6'5" 6'0" 6'0" 6'2" 5'10" 6'3" 5'10" 5'10" 5'9" 6'2" 5'8" 6'1" 6'0" 6'3" 5'7" 5'11" 5'8" 6'0" 5'10" 6'0" 6'0" 6'3" 5'9" 5'9" 5'9" 5'8" 6'1" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 5'10" 6'0" 5'10" 6'1" 5'10" 6'0" 6'2" 6'0" 5'10" 5'10" 6'1" 6'1" 6'0" 5'8" 6'0" 5'11" 5'10" 6'1" 6'1" 6'2" 6'4" 6'2" 6'0" 6'5" 6'1" 5'11" 6'3" 6'0" 6'2" 6'1" 6'3" 6'3" 6'3" 6'4" 6'6" 6'1" 6'3" 6'2" 6'3"
195 225 170 205 215 165 210 205 165 220 205 165 170 215 160 215 190 225 160 170 185 200 205 185 205 210 170 170 190 160 170 190 170 185 175 190 180 220 250 215 210 165 205 215 205 230 210 210 240 210 230 245 195 270 335 245 280 240 330 230 260 235 310 250 230 310 250 275 280 265 295 290 280
Yr. JR JR SR JR SO FR JR FR SO SO SO FR FR SO FR JR FR FR FR JR JR FR JR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR JR SO FR SO JR FR FR FR JR FR FR FR SO FR SO JR FR JR JR FR JR SO FR JR SO FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR JR FR FR FR FR JR SR FR
Hometown
Hilmar High School, Calif. Hamilton High School, Ariz. Golden West College, Calif. Dickinson State, N.D. Colorado State University Silverado High School, Calif. La Habre High School, Calif. Canyon Springs High School Irvine High School, Calif. Hockinson High School, Wash. Belgrade High School, Mont. Vasquez High School, Calif. Belt High School, Mont. Kearns High School, Utah Farmersville High School, Calif. Missoula Sentinel High School, Sandpoint High School, Idaho W.F. High School, Wash. Sahuaro High School, Ariz. Allan Hancock, Calif. Blaine High School, Wash. Sammamish High School CM Russell High School, Mont. Basha High School, Ariz. Malta High School, Mont. Prairie High School, Wash. Libby High School, Mont. Gooding High School, Idaho Sammamish High School,. Cascade High School, Mont. Los Angeles Southwest, Calif. Hamilton High School, Ariz. White River High School. Churchhill County High School College of the Canyons, Calif. Kent High School, Wash. Hot Springs High School, Mont. Lambert High School, Mont. Merced Junior College, Calif. Washington High Hellgate High School, Mont. Belt High School, Mont. Geraldine High School, Mont. Freedom High School, Calif. Desert Oasis High School, Calif. Billings West High School Havre High School, Mont. Citrus College, Calif. City College of San Francisco Laurel High School, Mont. Carter County High School Citrus College, Calif. Sidney High School, Mont. Garces Memorial High School Harlem JR/SR High School Enumclaw High School, Wash. Conrad High School, Mont. Three Forks High School, Mont. Cochran High School, AB Missoula Big Sky High School Prairie High School, Wash. Hamilton High School, Ariz. Churchill County High School Stevensville High School, Idaho Hellgate High School, Mont. College of the Siskiyous, Calif. Missoula Sentinel High School Lakeside High School, Wash. Gardiner High School, Mont. CM Russell High School, Mont. La Habra High School, Calif. Freedom High School, Calif. North Star High School, Mont.
No. 80 85 87 88 89 90 91 92 94 95 99
Name
Logan Mayernik Kagen Khamaneh Jordan Pugh Seth Roemmele Dillon Barnes Patrick Barnett Tyler Craig Lane Urick Linnwood Kirkland Josh Loutzenhiser Jefferson Aumua
Pos. Ht. Wt.
WR TE TE WR P DL DL DL DL DL DL
5'11" 6'3" 6'5" 6'0" 6'0" 6'2" 6'2" 6'1" 6'0" 6'1" 6'3"
180 225 220 190 160 265 230 285 260 255 340
Yr. JR SO FR FR JR JR JR JR JR SO SR
Hometown
Carterville High School, Mont. Missoula Sentinel High School Wilson High School, Wash. Willow Creek High School, AB Citrus College, Calif. Billings West High School CM Russell High School, Mont. Great Falls High School, Mont. Waldrof College, Iowa Sandpoint High School, Idaho College of the Siskiyous, Calif.
2015 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Aaron Christensen, head coach; Jake Eldridge, defensive coordinator, strength & conditioning; Cody O'Neil, offensive line, recruiting coordinator; Jorge Magana, defensive line; Arthur Smith, linebackers; Matt Stevens, running backs; Chuck Terry, wide receivers; Darold DeBolt, defensive line, special teams; Dylan Murphy, tight ends, offensive line. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Nicole Yazzie.
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Craig: Tyler Craig worked hard to become the force that his now n From Page 2 coordinator Jake Eldridge said. “Everything that he does is at 100 miles an hour. He is trying to do everything he can to make us successful and when he comes to work every day he gives 110 percent in everything that he does. “When he came here, he was undersized and needed to bulk up,” Eldridge added. “But he worked really hard and now he is one of the best defensive lineman in the Frontier. He’s strong and he’s really athletic and that makes it really hard for guys to get their hands on him.” With high expectations placed upon him to start the season, Craig has done more than live up to those expectations — he has exceeded
them. Through seven games, the fiery defensive end has rampaged through the league to the tune of 53 tackles, seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. Those numbers are not only good enough to be among the leaders in the Frontier but also the entire NAIA. Craig’s seven sacks have him tied atop the Frontier but that number is also good enough to be fifth in the nation. He also ranks in the top 30 in the NAIA in sacks per game, tackles for loss and tackles for loss per game. “It’s been my goal every year to try and lead the Frontier in sacks,” Craig said. “Obviously the team goals are more important and it sounds weird talking about individual goals
but I figure that if I am doing well, it’s better for the team.” In addition to leading the Frontier in sacks, another goal of Craig’s this season is to work his way onto the First-Team All-Frontier Defensive Team — an honor that eluded him a season ago. And one thing that will play in his favor is his ability to play and dominate on all three downs—against both the run and the pass—something that is becoming more and more rare among defensive ends. “He brings a lot of versatility,” Eldridge said. “He allows us to do a lot of different things because of his
n See Craig Page 7
Havre Daily News/File Photo Montana State University-Northern defensive end Tyler Craig sacks a Dickinson State University quarterback during an NAIA football game last season at Blue Pony Stadium. Craig came to Northern somewhat undersized, but through hard work in the weight room, he's bulked up now, and is one of the biggest forces in the NAIA defensively. Craig totaled 10 sacks a season ago, and is among the Frontier Conference and NAIA leaders in sacks and tackles for loss again this season. Craig and the Lights are home to take on Eastern Oregon Saturday.
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Craig: Northern junior doing everything he can to help the Lights win n From Page 6 athleticism and he does whatever we ask of him. He obviously can rush the passer but he is also great at the point of attack and he does a great job of dropping back in coverage when we ask him to. He plays every down and his versatility just allows us to do a lot of different things defensively.” While Craig has had an outstanding individual season for MSU-N that
doesn’t replace the team success he desires so badly. At the end of the day, football is a team game and no individual accolades will make up for the ultimate prize, which is winning. And until the Lights get that first win and beyond — Craig’s motor will be running because while stats and awards matter — nothing matters more than the men Craig refers to as his brothers.
Havre Daily News/Roger Miller Montana State University-Northern's junior defensive end Tyler Craig has seven sacks this season, and a total of 17 sacks in the last two years combined. Craig is in his third full season with the Lights and has been starting since the end of his freshman campaign. And while he's piling up impressive defensive numbers, and is already a Frontier All-Conference standout, he says he desperately wants to help his young Lights' team win games before this season comes to a close. Craig and the Lights will get another chance to notch a win Saturday when they host EOU at Blue Pony Stadium.
“My biggest motivation is my teammates, I like to call them my brothers,” Craig said. “I have met some great people during my time here at Northern and playing beside my brothers and playing for them is the thing that drives me the most so if we can come together and get a win that would mean everything.” Craig and the Lights face EOU Saturday afternoon in Havre.
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Eastern Oregon Numerical Roster No.
1 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 80 83 85 86 87 88 90
Name
Year
John Payne Zach Bartlow Alexander Miles Reece Hack Jace Billingsley TJ Esekielu Calvin Conners Jorden Payne Trampis Waite Anfernee Sloan Skylar Williams Ryan Fassler Jonathan Branson Marshall Pack Matt Stone Joshua Richards Kalliy Ceesay Teague James AJ Prom Sam Monahan Byron Benson Jesus Retano Adam Bese Anfernee Cortez Khalil Howse Justin Hughes Nate Buchkoski Jared Jensen Michael Cooney Kody Bartlett Dalton Morgan Sterling Farrah Codi Branch Anthony Lyngar Reece Stanley Jacob Batke Alonso Mendoza Tucker Stanley Marc David Gary Posten Kris Welch Micheal Arenas Jayson Branson Carson Holman Morris Capers Graham Thompson Kyle Hall Abdulah Habibovic Tristan Holt Mitch Staeffler Travis Jones Adam Sisson Kai Turner Bennett Muasau Logan Reardon Andre Brembry Ryan Bertand Garek Stuart Dallon Grinder Josh Bostrom Logan Deroin Brenden Kelly Deacon Starr Ryker Ely Mick Wilson Gabe Giacci
JR JR SR SO SR JR SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO JR SO SO JR SO SR JR SR SO SO SO SO JR SO SO JR SO SO JR JR JR SO JR SR SR SR SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO JR SO SO SO SO JR SO SO SR SO JR JR SO JR SO SO SO
Pos. Ht.
DB QB WR QB WR ATH WR DB QB DB QB QB DB WR RB WR DB RB RB RB DB DB DB DB RB LB LB LB DB DB LB LB LB LB FB LB RB LB K LB LB LB LB LB LB LB OL OL OL OL DL WR WR OL OL OL WR OL DL WR TE WR WR WR TE DL
5-8 6-0 5-10 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-7 6-0 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-2 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-9 6-1 5-11 5-11 5-6 5-10 6-1 5-8 6-0 5-10 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-3 6-3 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-9 5-9 5-9 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-5 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-8 6-5 6-2
Wt.
170 195 183 220 185 205 160 160 195 165 165 175 175 165 180 170 212 180 190 210 185 177 195 165 160 165 195 190 165 180 229 220 175 225 245 200 180 200 180 210 220 205 200 190 200 190 270 300 260 277 230 185 175 310 250 275 180 290 255 180 186 175 190 180 235 220
Hometown
Camas, Wash. Waitsburg, Wash. Meridian, Idaho Stayton, Ore. Winnemucca, Nev. Federal Way, Wash. Winnemucca, Nev. Camas, Wash. Ontario, Ore. Fernley, Nev. Fernley, Nev. Prosser, Wash. Vancouver, Wash. Boise, Idaho Bainbridge Island, Wash. Tacoma, Wash. Seattle, Wash. Tacoma, Wash. Portland, Ore. Yerington, Nev. Kent, Wash. Culver, Ore. Kent, Wash. Zillah, Wash. Federal Way, Wash. Logandale, Nev. Spokane, Wash. Lovelock, Nev. Lakeview, Ore. Finley, Wash. Benton City, Wash. Kennewick, Wash. Sublimity, Ore. Meridian, Idaho Napavine, Wash. Hillsboro, Ore. Kennewick, Wash. Napavine, Wash. Spokane, Wash. Emmett, Idaho Finley, Wash. Winnemucca, Nev. Vancouver, Wash. Clarkston, Wash. Bellevue, Wash. Hayden, Idaho Kennewick, Wash. Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovin Meridian, Idaho Rainier, Ore. Stanwood, Wash. Meridian, Idaho Meridian, Idaho Vancouver, Wash. Walla Walla, Wash. Los Angeles, Calif. Nampa, Idaho Lake Stevens, Wash. Benton City, Wash. Nampa, Idaho Meridian, Idaho Kennewick, Wash. Meridian, Idaho Granger, Wash. Council, Idaho Bend, Ore.
No.
91 92 94 99
Name
Matt Prosser Kyle Lanoue Austin Brown Nathan Harden
Year
SO JR JR SO
Pos. Ht.
DL DL DL P/K
6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0
Wt.
210 260 265 165
Hometown
Salem, Ore. Bremerton, Wash. Meridian, Idaho Graham, Wash.
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MSU-Northern Defensive Starters
Eastern Oregon Offensive Starters EOU Offensive Numbers
MSU-N Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 29 ppg, 5th in Frontier
Scoring: 47 ppg, last in Frontier Total defense: 483 ypg, last in Frontier
Malcolm Manuel #3, 5-9, 170 Cornerback
Calvin Connors #9, 5-9, 185 Receiver
Total offense: 351 ypg, 6th in Frontier Rushing: 149 ypg, 5th in Frontier
Rush defense: 233 ypg, last in Frontier
Mick Wilson #79, 6-5, 275 Offensive line
Tyler Craig #91, 6-2, 245 Defensive end Tucker Dunn
#2, 6-1, 225 Linebacker
Logan Sprouse #21, 5-11, 170 Safety
Lane Urick #92, 6-1, 285 Defensive tackle GaretFowler #12, 5-10, 205 Linebacker
Garrett Jericoff #1, 5-9, 165 Safety
Patrick Barnett #90, 6-2, 265 Defensive tackle Jesse Morales #7, 6-0, 210 Linebacker
Jordan Brusio #47, 5-11, 240 Defensive end
Tim Camp EOU Head Coach
Andre Bremby #72, 6-0, 275 Offensive line
Bennett Muasau #70, 5-10, 310 Offensive line
Zach Bartlow #4, 6-0, 195 Quarterback
Jace Billingsley #7, 5-9, 185 Running back
Mitch Staeffler #63, 6-2, 290 Offensive line
Atai Mataafa #68, 6-3, 310 Offensive line Brendan Kelly
#85, 6-2, 180 Receiver
Logan Deroin #81, 6-2, 225 Tight end
Myvon Rawlings #6, 6-0, 185 Safety
Josh Richards #21, 5-10, 170 Receiver
Marc David
#43, 6-0, 180 Kicker
Nathan Harden
#99, 6-0, 195 Punter
Tim Camp enters his eighth season at the helm of the Mountaineer football program in 2015. Prior to be named head coach at EOU, Camp served as an assistant coach for two years at EOU. He served as an offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and camp coordinator. Before coming to EOU, Coach Camp served as the offensive coordinator at Bucknell University and the offensive line and tight ends coach at the University of NebraskaOmaha.
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MSU-Northern Rewind
Lights shut out at Montana Tech Nationally ranked Orediggers make it a season sweep of Northern
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com The Montana State UniversityNorthern offense once again looked much improved in its latest game. And for a half, the Lights were right in their latest Frontier Conference battle. Unfortunately, the game was a full 60 minutes and in the end, the nationally ranked Montana Tech Orediggers were too much for the Lights. On Saturday in Butte, MSU-N fell to the No. 13 Orediggers 40-0, in spite of holding Tech to just 13 points in the first half and just two offensive touchdowns the entire game. And while the Orediggers, who swept the Lights this season with Saturday’s win, didn’t get much traction against the MSU-N defense, they found other ways to score, including an early interception return for a touchdown by Drew Scheelman in the first quarter. That was one of two pick-six touchdowns by the Diggers, MSU-N sophomore quarterback Jess Krahn was intercepted three times. Tech also took advantage of a pair of punting miscues by the Lights to add to the scoring. Leading 13-0 at halftime, the Orediggers blocked an MSU-N punt in the third quarter and Rial Gunlickson returned that for a score. In the fourth quarter, Northern mishandled a snap on a punt, and it was recovered by Tech’s Dion Williams in the endzone for another TD. That came on the heels of a 63-yard interception return by Tyler Sanders, while Clay Cavander finished off a 20-point fourth quarter with a 67-yard touchdown run. “It’s kind of nice when you find that many ways to score a touchdown,” Montana Tech head coach Chuck Morrell said. “We found a way to win playing team football.” The four non-offensive touchdowns offset an excellent game by the MSUN defense, which limited a powerful Tech offense to just 13 points, though the Diggers did gain 434 yards on the ground, with Cavender running for 144. Tech quarterback Quinn McQueary started for the first time in three games, and he scored a rushing touchdown, but the Lights limited his effectiveness, and got an interception from Alex Rodriguez. Tucker Dunn had a big day for Northern, with 12 tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. Rodriguez added nine tackles, while Tyler Craig had a sack as well.
Butte sports.com Montana State University-Northern's Alex Rodriguez, left, tries to bring down Montana Tech's Zach Bunny during a Frontier Conference football game Saturday in Butte. The Lights lost to the No. 13 Orediggers 40-0. On offense, MSU-N moved the ball well on a stingy Tech defense, especially Zach McKinley, who rushed for 132 yards on 29 carries. But, turnovers killed the Lights yet again, and aided in MSU-N being shut out for the second time this season. Krahn finished the game 13-of-35 for 100 yards, while Qwaundre Yancy had six catches for 29 yards and Mario Gobbato had four grabs for 48 yards. Northern (0-6, 0-7) returns home to host Eastern Oregon Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. Montana Tech 40, Lights 0
MSU-Northern 0 0 0 0 - 0 Montana Tech 13 0 7 20 - 40 MT – Drew Schleeman 51 interception return (pass
failed) MT – Quinn McQueary 9 run (Matt Berg kick) MT – Rial Gunlikson 18 yard return of blocked punt (Berg kick) MT – Tyler Sanders 63 interception return (Berg kick) MT – Dion Williams recovered fumble in end zone (kick blocked) MT – Clay Cavender 67 run (Berg kick)
Rushing: MSN – Zach McKinley 29-132, Mario Gobbato 6-13; MT – Cavender 12-137, Hunter Gappmeyer 13-49. Passing: MSN – Jess Krahn 14-35-3-101, Holden Maxi 1-2-0-7; MT – McQueary 9-20-1-154, Cavender 0-1-0-0. Receiving: MSN – Gobbato 4-49, Qwaundre Yance 6-40; MT – Alec Bray 2-38, Kolby Kansala 1-34.
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EOU, Carroll trending the wrong way George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com If there is a surprise team in the Frontier Conference this season, it has to be the Montana Tech Orediggers. After all, Tech won just one game all of last season. But while Tech’s rise to the top of the league standings may be a pleasant surprise to some, there’s two teams that have caught the league by surprise. But, it’s for the wrong reason. One team that sits at 3-3 halfway through the season is Carroll College. The Fighting Saints were picked to win the Frontier title this season, but offensive woes and close losses have cost the Saints a legitimate shot at the conference crown. Carroll is averaging just 23 points and 333 yards of total offense per game, which ranks seventh in the Frontier. But what’s really
shocking is the fact that the Saints are averaging a mere 87 yards rushing per outing, which is dead last in the conference. For nearly two decades, Carroll has made a living on ball control and running it right at Frontier defense, who have always been powerless to stop it. But last spring, the Saints saw all-time leading rusher Dustin Rinker graduate, and the result is a running game that can’t find its way. Close losses have also crushed the Saints this season, and another one happened just last Saturday in Ashland, Oregon. In overtime against Southern Oregon, Carroll head coach Mike Van Diest went for the win, trying a two-point conversion that would have ended the game, and kept Carroll near the
top of the league standings. But the Saints didn’t get it, and instead, are now looking up at SOU, Tech and Western in the conference title hunt. The other team that is a surprise in the Frontier standings is coming to Blue Pony Stadium on Saturday to face the winless Montana State UniversityNorthern Lights. The Eastern Oregon Mountaineers finished 8-3 a year ago, and started the 2015 season ranked No. 13 in the NAIA. But an opening day loss to College of Idaho sent the Mounties spiraling, and, as they make their first appearance in Havre since a 2013 come-from-behind win over the Lights, they sit at just 2-4 in league play and 2-5 overall – all but out of the title chase and the NAIA playoff picture.
Today in the Frontier Conference Eastern Oregon University Mounties (2-4, 2-5)
At Montana State UniversityNorthern Lights (0-6, 0-7) No. 12 Montana Tech (5-1, 5-1 at No. 18 Carroll College (3-3, 3-3) in Helena, Mont. Rocky Mountain College (2-4, 3-4) at No. 17 UM-Western (4-2, 4-2) in Dillon, Mont.
College of Idaho (3-3, 3-4) at No. 2 Southern Oregon (5-1, 5-1) in Ashland, Ore.
2015 Frontier Conference Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Carroll College 2. Southern Oregon 3. Eastern Oregon 4. Rocky Moutain 5. UM-Western 6. College of Idaho 7. Montana Tech 8.MSU-Northern
EOU is a tough team to figure out. Head coach Tim Camp’s team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. On offense, the Mounties have an experienced quarterback in Zach Bartlow, and one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the league in Jase Billingsley. Yet, EOU is in the bottom half of the conference in scoring and
Havre Daily News Week Eight Frontier Power Rankings 1. Southern Oregon 2. Montana Tech 3. Carroll College 4. UM-Western 5. College of Idaho 6. Eastern Oregon 7. Rocky Mountain 8. MSU-Northern total yards. Defensively, EOU is equally talented. The Mounties have a veteran defense led by linebacker Gary Posten, who is on pace to lead the Frontier in tackles for the second straight season. Add to that a star defensive linemen in Kyle Lanoue,
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Notebook: Plenty of monumental games left in the Frontier Conference n From Page 11 a wealth of experience at linebacker, and one of the best cover men in league in corner Byron Benson, and the Mounties have a starstudded defense. But even with all that, EOU is seventh in the Frontier in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense, so, all of that talent just hasn’t clicked for the Mounties this season. Big Games Left With SOU and Tech tied atop the Frontier standings, the conference championship could come down to a Nov. 7 meeting when the Raiders and Orediggers square off at SOU. But, both teams have a long way to go to get there. The Orediggers have to travel to Carroll this Saturday, and though Tech beat Carroll last month in Butte, Saturday’s game at Nel-
son Stadium won’t be easy, as Carroll fights to save its season against its most hated rival. Tech also has a season finale showdown with UM-Western Nov. 14, and if the Bulldogs can win out until then, they too will be a part of the final conference picture. On the flip side, SOU has gotten most of its biggest challenges out of the way. The Raiders have already played Carroll twice, and also one at UM-Western. But, the Raiders will have to beat College of Idaho at home and Rocky Mountain College on the road to set up a potential title-deciding game with the Orediggers next month. Piling Up It would be a special feat for MSU-Northern junior defensive end Tyler Craig to lead the Frontier in sacks two years in a row. And,
despite the Lights’ struggles this season, Craig is still dominating opposing offensive lines like no other player in the league. In last week’s 40-0 loss to Montana Tech, Craig registered a sack on Tech quarterback Quinn McQueary, and also had two more tackles for loss. That upped Craig’s sack total to seven this season, and he also has 9.5 tackles for loss. Now, over the last two years, Craig has 17 sacks for the Lights, and he has four games left to keep that total rising. Craig has also been more active away from the line of scrimmage this season too. He has 53 total tackles on the season, including 31 solo stops, which already surpassed his total tackles from his sophomore season. Honors
College of Idaho sophomore tight end
Marcus Lenhardt was named this week’s Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Week. In College of Idaho’s 38-17 home conference win over Rocky Mountain College, Lenhardt caught eight passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. EOU linebacker Gary Posten was named the Defensive Player of the Week. In Eastern Oregon’s 23-30 conference loss to then No. 22 Montana Western, Posten recorded 11 unassisted tackles and two assisted tackles. UM-Western linebacker Dakota Wainwright was named Special Team’s Player of the Week. In then No. 22 Montana Western’s 30-23 conference road win over Eastern Oregon, with two minutes remaining and Western trailing 23-22, Wainwright blocked a Mountaineer punt and returned it 36 yards for the winning touchdown in Western's exciting victory.
Havre Daily News/Roger Miller MSU-Northern's Trevor Frandsen, left, brings down a College of Idaho ball carrier during a Frontier Conference football game earlier this month in Havre. The Northern defense will prepare for a dynamic Eastern Oregon offense this Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.