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Notebook: MSU-Northern closes with Rocky Mountain College on an emotional senior day ■ From Page 11 And in the too-little-too-late department, Eastern Oregon rebounded nicely from an 0-4 start. The Mounties have won five of their last six games, including last Saturday’s 38-37 triumph at SOU. And they are the only team to hand Carroll a loss this season. Yes, it’s been an interesting season, and it’s not over yet. From Carroll reclaiming the Frontier title, to Montana Tech sitting in seventh place in the league after being picked to win the conference for a second straight year, to Rocky playing for its playoff life on the last day of the season, and to Northern trying to get in the Bears’ way, once again, the Frontier has certainly had no shortage of drama in 2013.
The Winner’s Are It will be some time before the 2013 Frontier postseason awards are released, but here’s a look at the front runner’s in the major awards. The Offensive Player of the Year will no doubt be SOU quarterback Austin Dodge for a second straight season. Dodge has thrown for 4,172 yards and 45 touchdowns this season, and he leads the NAIA in both passing and to-
tal offense. Other candidates include Carroll running back Dustin Rinker and Rocky QB Bryce Baker, but Dodge’s numbers are just too gaudy to ignore. The Defensive Player of the Year award is a little more muddled, but at the top of the list is Carroll linebacker Shawn Blomquist. The junior OLB has 90 total tackles this season, while he leads the Frontier in tackles for loss. Blomquist has also scored several touchdowns, including on an interception return and a couple while playing fullback on offense. Others in the running include, Western linebacker Casey Griffith, EOU linebacker Gary Posten and RMC linebackers Josh Johnson and Travis Bertelsen. The Coach the Year nod could go in just about any direction. Of course, Carroll’s Mike Van Diest will be a favorite after quickly turning the Saints right back into a national title contender. But Rocky’s Brian Armstrong, UM-Western’s B.J. Robertson and Northern’s Mark Samson have all done an outstanding job with their respective programs this season too. Senior Day Saturday will be the home and regular sea-
son finale for the Lights, and there’s plenty to play for. Northern will say goodbye to a stellar season class including quarterback Derek Lear, wide receivers Orin Johnson and Brandt Montelius, linebackers Jordan Van Voast and David Arteaga, defensive end Tyler Phillips, cornerback Josh Baum and offensive linemen Rostyn Pace and Alex Cummings. But it won’t just be a sentimental goodbye in Havre. The Lights can get to the .500 mark with a win over Rocky, something that hasn’t happened in four years. Northern also has a three-game losing streak going against the Bears, and perhaps even more importantly, the Lights can essentially end any chance RMC has of making the NAIA playoffs with a win Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. So there’s plenty of motivation for the Lights heading into their senior day game. Northern lost a heartbreaker to RMC back in October in Billings, a game in which the Lights’ offense moved the ball well on a stout Rocky defense, but struggled with three turnovers. MSU-N’s defense also played well in the 23-13 loss at Herb Klindt Field. The Lights held the Bears to just 362 total yards in the game, which is over 100 yards below RMC’s season average, while Baker was lim-
ited to one of his least productive outings of the season. And while RMC and Northern have two of the top defenses in the Frontier, expect offensive fireworks Saturday. Rocky is fighting for its playoff life, and will likely pull out all the stops. Meanwhile, Northern will go out swinging too. The Lights have shown flashes of brilliance on offense all season long, and with playmakers like Johnson, Montelius, Dylan Woodhall, Jake Messerly and running back Zach McKinley, the Lights are more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard one more time. Coming Home A pair of former Hi-Line standouts will be in Blue Pony Stadium for Saturday’s finale between Northern and RMC. Former Havre Blue Pony Casey Schaub is an H-back for the Bears, and he’s seen action in eight games this season. Schaub is listed as having caught three passes for 14 yards on the season. Also, former Chester/J-I Bryant Ceynar is backup WR for RMC. Ceynar has seen action in two games this season and has one catch to his credit.
Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern senior Brandt Montelius drives for a catch during a Frontier Conference football game Nov. 2 at Blue Pony Stadium. Montelius and the rest of the Northern seniors will be honored before this Saturday's game against Rocky Mountain College.
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One more time for the quarterback Frontier season down to one day MSU-Northern's Derek Lear has set records and battled ups and downs in a special career Daniel Horton Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com It is hard to come up with a name that has become better known in the Frontier Conference then that of of Montana State University-Northern quarterback Derek Lear. And with a lot of NAIA schools bringing in junior college transfers to help propel a program, it is also getting harder and harder to find a four-year starter amongst from the Montana high school ranks. But after redshirting his freshman season, and winning the starting quarterback job outright the next season that is exactly what Lear has been for the Lights, a four-year starter with a long list
of big games, accomplishments, and records to go along with it. But Lear isn’t just one of the better quarterbacks to wear a Lights’ uniform in recent history, he was also a standout football and basketball player at Fairfield High School. And knowing he had a chance to continue either sport at the college level, getting a chance at the starting job at Northern played a major role in landing the quarterback who would eventually carve his name in the MSU-N record books.. “My biggest decision was going to be basketball or football,” Lear said. “And I guess knowing that there was a possibility of starting for four years up here, that was big in my decision. Also, Mickey Miller played up here and I played with him in high school. We pretty much decided to come up here and play where we would actually get a chance to play and play young instead of sitting on a bench somewhere else. “And we were always successful in high school, so that was in my mind coming up here,” Lear added about being able to find so much collegiate success. “I just wanted to be the best I could be, and I didn’t know I
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
would start for four years, but I knew that was a possibility and I think that made me push myself during my redshirt year.” After sitting out his first year in Havre as a redshirt, Lear got the opportunity to compete for the starting job against fellow recruit Matt Reyant. But Lear won the starting job outright, and has had turned in a lot of memorable performances ever since. But if you look hard enough at any athletes’ history, you will find some areas that turn heads for less than positive reasons. And while bright spots and big games mostly highlight Lear’s career, he too has had his share of rough patches. Facing Dickinson State on the road in the first game of the season Lear suffered a knee injury that
The Frontier Conference championship is settled. Carroll College kicker Connor Smith decided that when he booted a game-winning, 38-yard field goal against Rocky Mountain College Saturday afternoon at Nelson Stadium in Helena. In a wild affair, RMC went ahead 35-34 with just :55 left in Saturday’s contest, but the Saints methodically went down the field and got close enough for Smith to win the game and send Carroll to its 13th conference title in the last 14 seasons. After a one-year absence, Smith’s field goal also ensured the Saints of an NAIA playoff berth, something Carroll missed out on when the Saints went 7-4 a year ago. And Carroll’s dramatic win Saturday was indicative of the kind of season it’s been in the Frontier. The conference literally beat up
■ See Lear Page 6 Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Photo right: Montana State UniversityNorthern senior Derek Lear has set all kinds of passing records during a fouryear career with the Lights. Lear, a native of Fairfield, plays his final game Saturday.
MSU-Northern Lights vs Rocky Mountain College Montana State University-Northern
2012 record: 3-7 (3-7) Head coach: Mark Samson
Location: Havre, MT
Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium
Nickname: Lights
Streak: The Lights have lost four straight coming into Saturday's game but are 2-0 in their last two senior day games in Havre.
Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2013 record: 4-5 (4-5)
Saturday, November 16, 2013 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 12 pm Rocky Mountain College Location: Billings, MT. Nickname: Battlin' Bears Colors: Green and Gold 2013 record: 7-3 (6-3)
2012 record: 6-5 (5-5) Head coach: Brian Armstrong Stadium: Herb Klindt Field Streak: The Battlin' Bears have beaten Northern in three straight meetings, including in the 2012 season finale.
on each other all year long. Carroll was able to overcome a stunning fourth-quarter collapse at Eastern Oregon, winning three straight games, including two straight against nationallyranked opponents in Southern Oregon and RMC. Meanwhile, things have been even more dramatic for the Battlin’ Bears, who are still in a position to make the NAIA playoffs. Typically, three-loss teams from the Frontier don’t get at-large bids to the playoffs, but Rocky has only lost to Carroll on the field this season, by a combined total of nine points in two games. The Bears’ third loss comes by way a forfeit to Southern Oregon back on Aug. 30. And, Rocky didn’t drop dramatically in the NAIA Coaches Poll either. The
Bears enter Saturday’s season finale at Montana State UniversityNorthern ranked No. 11, and if RMC wins in Havre, a playoff berth is well within reach. History has shown that any team ranked among the Top 12 in the final NAIA Poll is in good shape for an at-large berth. Meanwhile, this season has seen a lot of playoff contenders in the Frontier, but now, in late November, most have fallen by the wayside. SOU stormed its way to a fivegame winning streak midseason and had a chance to share the league title with Carroll if the Raiders could win in Helena. But a Nov. 2 loss to the Saints, coupled with last Saturday’s meltdown against rival Eastern Oregon essentially ended any chance of SOU going to
Today in the Frontier Conference No. 11 Rocky Mountain College Bears (6-3, 7-3)
At Montana StateUniversity Northern Lights (4-5, 4-5) No. 3 Carroll College (8-1, 9-1) at Dickinson State (0-9, 1-9) In Dickinson, N.D. Eastern Oregon (5-4, 5-5) at UM-Western (4-5, 4-5)
in Dillon
Southern Oregon (6-3, 6-4) at Montana Tech (3-6, 3-6) in Butte
2013 Frontier Conference Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Carroll College 1. Montana Tech 3. Southern Oregon 4. Rocky Mountain College 5. MSU-Northern 6. Eastern Oregon 7. UM-Western 8. Dickinson State the playoffs for a second straight season. MSU-Northern and UM-Western looked the part of a contender at one time too. Northern reeled off three straight wins at one point, and rose to No. 18 in the NAIA Poll. However, the Lights haven’t won since a Sept. 29 victory at UM-Western, and now they play the role of
Havre Daily News Week 11 Frontier Conference Power Rankings
1. Carroll College 2. Rocky Mountain College 3. Southern Oregon 4. Eastern Oregon 5. MSU-Northern 6. UM-Western 7. Montana Tech 8. Dickinson State spoiler in Saturday’s home finale. Western was ranked No. 15 in the NAIA when the Lights stuffed the Bulldogs in Dillon. And they went reeling from there, losing a total of four straight before finally righting the ship last week against Montana Tech.
� See Notebook Page 12
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Rocky Mountain Numerical Roster No.Name Year 2 Jacob Barit SR 3 Jayc Van Zee FR 4 Andre McCullouch SO 5 Cole Cattelan JR 6 Chase White FR 7 Bryce Baker JR 8 Chris Music SR 9 Isaac McCreery JR 10 Jonathan Aiken SR 11 MacKenzie McGrathJR 12 Rodd Wohfeil SO 13 Jorden Payne JR 14 Tommy Walsh JR 15 Cole Jelinek FR 16 Kenneth HeinzerlingFR 17 Ryan Toner JR 18 Casey Schaub FR 19 Michael Robinson SO 20 Burke Burgess FR 21 Jorden Upton SO 22 Travis Bertelsen SR 23 Landon Willyerd FR 24 Josh Graham JR 25 Tucker Meyer FR 26 Nick Newbury JR 27 Clint Linthicum SR 28 Brett Hilde SR 29 Pete Anderson SR 30 Kyle Mai SO 31 Chase Kaufman SO 32 Jade Olson FR 33 Shane Corpening SO 34 Sam Jarecke FR 35 Wyatt Johnson JR 36 RJ Taylor JR 37 Austin ChamberlainJR 38 Nicholas LaFontaineSO 39 Daniel Chester SO 40 Jason Jorgensen FR 41 Tony Degel SO 42 Corey Bummer JR 43 Austin Feddersen JR 44 Austin Seidler FR 45 Jason Baker FR 46 Preston Pearson FR 47 Elu Lavea JR 48 Eric Johnson FR 49 Cody Lawson FR 50 Seth Swandal FR 51 Jeff Houser SR 53 Kyle Boos FR 54 Dylan Johnston SO 55 Sonny Ah Kui SR 59 Robert Pritchett FR 60 Zach Uskoski SO 61 Neal Coon SR 64 Adrian Oritz JR 65 Kyle Breschini JR 70 JayTee Tarpley SR 72 Corbin Kay SR 73 Matthew Hearn FR 75 Kyle Mericle SO 77 Cole Arnett FR 79 Jerry Hunter FR 80 Jordan Haynes SO 81 Joe Bartlett FR
Pos. LB WR WR WR QB QB LB RB WR WR WR RB QB LB QB WR RB WR DB DB LB DB DB DB DL RB LB LB DB DB RB DB DB DL DB LB DB DB RB LB DB LB RB DB DL DL LB RB DL OL LB OL OL LS DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL RB WR
Ht. 6-2 5-8 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-5 5-9 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-9 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-6 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-3 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-7 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-3 5-9 4-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-3 5-10 5-7
Wt. 240 195 195 185 200 205 220 230 225 160 190 225 185 210 195 205 210 205 200 190 210 205 195 175 240 210 210 230 185 185 175 205 180 240 185 225 210 200 185 200 200 220 2200 180 210 230 210 200 250 290 200 280 310 180 310 280 300 275 300 275 280 275 320 300 10 160
Hometown Waialua, Hawaii Billings, Mont. Riverside, Calif. Billings, Mont. Shelby, Mont. Fernley, Nev. Porcellville, Va. Buhl, Idaho Piper, Fla. Dillon, Mont. Huntley, Mont. Los Angeles, Calif. East Windser, N.J. Denton, Mont. Phoenix, Ariz. Billings, Mont. Havre, Mont. Joliet, Mont. Gillette, Wyo. Kennewick, Wash. Wibaux, Mont. Livingston, Mont. Big Timber, Mont. Fairfield, Mont. Miami, Fla. Poplar, Mont. Culbertson, Mont. Twin Bridges, Mont. Lewiston, Idaho Laurel, Mont. Malta, Mont. Kemmerer, Wyo. Billings, Mont. Boise, Idaho Malta, Mont. Malta, Mont. Silverdale, Wash. Baker, Mont. Baker, Mont. Twin Bridges, Mont. Laurel, Mont. El Reno, Okla. Boise, Idaho Billings, Mont. Helena, Mont. Hacienda, Calif. Billings, Mont. Forsyth, Mont. Wilsall, Mont. Downey, Calif. Malta, Mont. Cut Bank, Mont. Makewoa, HI Wasilla, Alaska Brush Prairie, Wash. Metaline Falls, Wash. Hesperia, Calif. Spring Creek, Nev. Dubois, Idaho Costa Mesa, Calif. Buena Park Calif. Fallbrook, Calif. Lovelock, Nev. Portland, Ore. Okinawa, Japan Dubois, Wyo.
No.Name Year 82 Blake Wofford FR 85 Bryant Ceynar SO 86 Cale Vukonich SO 88 Kalen Reed JR 89 Ryan Steska JR 90 Evan Morris SR 91 Brendon Johnson FR 92 DuShawn McDanielJR 93 Eli Moody FR 94 Josh Johnson SR 95 Collin Harrell SO 96 Chandler Mertens FR 97 Price Miller SO 98 Erwin Soto JR
Pos. DB WR TE WR P/K DL DL DL DL LB LB K/P DL DL
Ht. 5-9 6-0 6-4 6-5 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-3 5-9 5-9 6-2 6-2
Wt. 170 175 230 200 190 275 285 285 255 260 205 190 240 235
Hometown Yuma, Ariz. Chester, Mont. Columbia Falls, Mont. Kalispell, Mont. Mission Viejo, Calif. Baker, Mont. Anaheim, Calif. Sacramento, Calif. Lovell, Wyo. Tampa, Fla. Wibaux, Mont. Kennewick, Wash. Stevensville, Mont. Reno, Nev.
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Frontier Conference Standings Conf. WL Carroll College 8-1 Rocky Mountain 6-3 Southern Oregon 6-3 Eastern Oregon 5-4 MSU-Northern 4-5 UM-Western 4-5 Montana Tech 3-6 Dickinson State 0-9
Overall WL 9-1 7-3 6-4 5-5 4-5 4-5 3-6 1-9
Saturday, Nov. 9 Carroll College 37-, Rocky Mountain 35 Eastern Oregon 38, Southern Oregon 37 UM-Western 20, Montana Tech 14 Saturday, Nov. 16 MSU-Northern vs Rocky Mountain Carroll College at Dickinson State Eastern Oregon at UM-Western Southern Oregon at Montana Tech
NAIA Top 25 Rec. Pts 1. Cumberlands (Ky.) 2. Grand View (Iowa) (4) 3. Carroll (Mont.) 4. Baker (Kan.) 5. Morningside (Iowa) 6. Saint Francis (Ind.) 7. Missouri Valley 8. Ottawa (Kan.) 9. Benedictine (Kan.) 10. Faulkner (Ala.) 11. Rocky Mountain 12. Tabor (Kan.)
9-0 10-0 9-1 9-1 8-1 7-2 7-2 8-2 9-1 8-2 8-3 8-2
311 305 288 273 267 250 242 234 208 199 190 171
Rnk 2 3 5 6 1 8 10 9 4 12 7 t14
13. Northwestern (Iowa) 14. Georgetown (Ky.) 15. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 16. Sterling (Kan.) 17. St. Francis (Ill.) 17. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 19. Friends (Kan.) 19. Peru State (Neb.) 21. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 22. Dakota Wesleyan 23. Cumberland (Tenn.) 24. Langston (Okla.) 25. Bacone (Okla.)
7-2 6-3 8-2 8-2 7-3 6-3 7-3 7-3 6-4 7-3 6-4 5-4 7-3
168 166 159 140 119 119 87 87 84 66 24 19 13
19 t14 17 18 t20 11 16 13 23 NR NR NR 22
Others receiving votes: : Reinhardt (Ga.) 11; Marian (Ind.) 11; Eastern Oregon 9; Ave Maria (Fla.) 9; Southern Oregon 3.
Frontier Conference Individual Leaders For 2013
Passing: Austin Dodge, SOU, 417 ypg Receiving: Dylan Young ,SOU, 124 ypg Receptions: Ryan Retzlaff, SOU, 8 cpg Rushing: Dustin Rinker, CC, 144 ypg Tackles: Casey Grifftih, UM-W, 12 tpg Sacks: Phil Selin, UM-W, 9 sacks INT's: James Dowgin, CC, 6 INT's
Lights Coaching Staff
2013 Northern Football Staff Top row from left to right: Darold DeBolt, defensive line; Kennedy Anderson, linebackers; Jake Eldridge, defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning; Jorge Magana, student assistant and offensive line; Front row: Scott Leeds, wide receivers; Kyle Samson, offensive coordinator, QB's and recruiting; Mark Samson, head coach; Ron LaTray, defensive backs; Brandon O'Brien. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Christian Oberquell; Assistant Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Laramie Schwenke.
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MSU-Northern Offensive Starters
Rocky Mountain Defensive Starters
MSU-N Offensive Numbers
RMC Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 26 ppg, 5th in Frontier. Total offense: 460 ypg, 3rd in Frontier.
Scoring: 18 ppg, 2nd in Frontier Orin Johnson #4, 6-0, 200 Receiver
Josh Graham #24, 6-0, 200 Cornerback
Total defense: 389 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
Rushing: 227 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Ruhsing defense: 194 ypg, 4th in Frontier
Patrick Kiser #68, 6-3, 295 Left tackle Brandt Montelius #88, 6-1, 195 Reciever
Mark Samson MSU-N Head Coach Samson enters his 10th year at the helm of the Lights program. So far, he has complied a 51-54 record and led the Lights to five winning seasons and an NAIA playoff berth in 2006. Samson has also served as MSU-N's athletic director. As a head coach at Helena Capitol, he won several Class AA state titles.
Pete Morales #77, 6-1, 285 Left guard
Wyatt Johnson #35, 6-0, 240 Defensive End
Travis Bertelsen #22, 5-10, 210 Linebacker Corey Bummer #42, 6-0, 205 Safety
Zach McKinley #24, 5-11, 210 Running Back
Derek Lear #5, 5-11, 190 Quarterback
Shomari Burton #70, 6-2, 300 Center
Dushawn McDaniel #92, 6-2, 285 Nose tackle
Jacob Barit #2, 6-2, 240 Linebacker Kyle Mai #30, 5-11, 190 Safety
Rostyn Pace #74, 6-3, 275 Right guard
Dylan Murphy #71, 6-6, 300 Right tackle
Austin Chamberlain #37, 6-3, 225 Defensive tackle
Josh Johnson #94, 6-4, 255 Linebacker
Brett Hilde #28, 6-0, 210 Linebacker
John Jansen #44, 6-3, 250 Tight end Jordan Rueschoff #14, 6-2, 185 Kicker
Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Punter
Dylan Woodhall #7, 5-9, 175 Receiver
R.J. Taylor #36, 5-10, 190 Cornerback
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MSU-Northern Numerical Roster No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 30 32 34 35 36 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 50 51 53 54 56 58 59 66 68
Name Trevor Baum Josh Baum Lavorick Williams Orin Johnson Derek Lear Nick Luoma Dylan Woodhall Travis Dean Tanner Varner Garrett Jericoff Trace Brady Butch Hyder Jordan Rueschhoff Austin Walker Jake Messerly James Erickson Dylan Barney Victor Fermin Mario Gabbato Jai Johnson Zach Mckinley David Arteaga Michael McCrary Austin Schroeder Justin Fritz Hunter Chandler Jesse Morales Jake Criner Jordon Van Voast Chance Nevarez Kaimi Kanehailua Tyler Phillips John Jansen Logan Nathe Karsten Peterson Jordan Brusio Marc Evans Zach Bangert Austin Rychner Owen Debruycker Josh Jones Adolfo Robles Chase Vestre Alex Cummings Patrick Kiser
Yr. JR SR SR SR SR JR FR SO SR FR FR JR JR FR FR FR FR JR FR JR FR SR JR FR FR JR FR JR SR JR JR SR JR SR FR FR SO SO FR FR SO FR FR SR JR
*Cut and take to the game!!
Pos. Ht. DB/P 6-1 DB 6-1 WR 6-1 WR 6-0 QB 5-11 WR 6-3 WR 5-9 QB 6-0 DB 5-10 DB 5-9 DB 5-11 DB 6-0 K 6-2 QB 6-2 WR 6-1 WR 6-0 DB 6-0 DB 6-0 RB 5-8 RB 5-9 RB 5-10 LB 5-11 DB 5-9 LB 6-1 FB/LB 6-1 DB 5-9 LB 6-1 TE 6-1 LB 6-1 FB 5-11 LB 6-1 DL 6-2 TE 6-3 DE 6-1 LB 6-2 DE 6-0 DL 6-1 OL 6-2 DL 5-10 LB 5-11 LB 5-10 OL 6-2 DL 6-2 OL 6-0 OL 6-2
Wt. 195 205 195 200 190 210 175 195 200 180 185 190 185 225 185 185 170 175 175 205 205 230 170 225 215 188 190 245 210 245 235 230 245 230 205 210 245 270 235 225 220 285 215 270 295
Hometown Susanville, CA Susanville, CA Odessa, TX Cut Bank, MT Fairfield, MT Stockett, MT Stanford, MT Gilbert, AZ Baker, MT Hilmar, CA Fairfield, MT Boise, ID Gillette, WY Choteau, MT Missoula, MT Idaho Falls, ID La Habra, CA Granada Hills, CA Blaine, WA Detroit, MI Great Falls, MT La Habra, CA Las Vegas, NV Emmett, ID Power, MT Bozeman, MT La Habra, CA Kalispell, MT Havre, MT Madera, CA Ewa, HI Renton, WA Broadview, MT Helena, MT Columbia Falls, MT Billings, MT Bozeman, MT Concord, CA Ekalaka, MT Choteau, MT Chinook, MT Bakersfield, CA Helena, MT Missoula, MT A. Canyon, CA
No. 70 71 74 75 77 78 80 88 90 91 92 94 95
Name Shomari Burton Dylan Murphy Rostyn Pace Wes Ostby Pete Morales Matthew Mckeen Logan Mayernick Brandt Montelius Patrick Barnett Tyler Craig Lane Urick Weston Mudge Will Devos
Yr. JR SO SR SO FR SO SO SR FR FR FR FR JR
Pos. OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR DL DL DL DL DL
Ht. 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1
Wt. 305 300 280 295 285 275 170 190 245 240 295 305 260
Hometown Bremerton, WA Gleichen, Alberta Sunburst, MT Deer Park, WA La Habra, CA Oakley, CA Centerville, MT Missoula, MT Billings, MT Great Falls, MT Great Falls, MT Bakersfield, CA Vale, OR
2013 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Mark Samson, Head Coach/Offensive Line; Kyle Samson, Offensive Coordinator, QB's, Asst. Head Coach; Jake Eldridge, Defensive Coordinator, Strength and Conditioning; Scott Leeds, Wide Receivers; Kennedy Anderson, Linebackers; Darold Debolt, Defensive Line; Ron LaTray, Defensive backs; Jorge Magana, Student Asst./Offensive Line; Brandon O'Brien. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Christian Oberquell; Assistant Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Laramie Schwenke
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MSU-Northern Rewind
Silent Night: Orediggers 32, Lights 31 George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com It was supposed to be the perfect ending to a magical day of football in Havre. It was supposed to be the night the Montana State University-Northern Lights put an end to a three-game losing streak against a tough, Frontier Conference rival. Instead, Saturday night’s game ended in a nightmarish way for the Lights, who watched Montana Tech score on a 36-yard, Hail Mary touchdown as time expired. Herman Tapley’s pass to Zack Kinney lifted the Orediggers to a 32-31 victory Saturday night at Blue Pony Stadium, and sent the Lights to their fourth straight loss. Tech (3-5, 3-5), which rallied from second-half deficits of 28-10 and 31-20, had two cracks at a final touchdown. The first, with just over :13 left was batted away by Northern defenders in the endzone. But that play left one second on the clock, and Tapley threw a high arcing pass that seemingly fell right into Kinney’s arms, completing what was an improbable Oredigger comeback. “This hurts, it feels really bad,” Northern senior captain Orin Johnson said following the devastating loss. “It feels like we beat them (Orediggers) in every aspect tonight. So to lose on a play like that, it’s a tough pill to swallow.” The Lights did seem to dominate for much of the game, especially offensively. Northern racked up 542 yards of offense and 31 first downs. And after the Lights broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter, they held the lead right up until Tapley’s bomb landed in Kinney’s arms and the Orediggers rushed the field in triumph. “I’m very proud of the way this team doesn’t quit,” Tech head coach Chuck Morrell said. “It has been a difficult season, but at no point has this team ever gotten down or given up. They just keep fighting and that’s what they did tonight. “All year, our goal has been to have a chance to win in the fourth quarter, and you work on plays like that all the time in practice,” he continued. “But rarely do you get the opportunity to execute one in a game. But because this team kept fighting, we had a chance tonight. And Zack went up and made a great play on the ball.” Tech’s final drive started with just over a minute left in the game, and Tapley completed a couple of deep sideline routes to get the ball up to midfield. He also scrambled for a big gain on third down, and the Orediggers benefitted from still having two timeouts left. Still, Northern’s defense
stood tall around the 40-yard-line, and when a Tapley pass to the right side went incomplete, there was time for only two more plays, and Tech was out of timeouts. Unfortunately for the Lights, the last play would give the Diggers’ a miracle win. “I thought (Tapley) played with a lot of composure tonight,” Morrell said. “He didn’t get rattled at all, he stayed focused on moving on to the next play even when things didn’t go our way. He gave our receivers some opportunities to run with the ball, and he got a lot of air under that last throw to give Zack a chance.” Like many night games before at Blue Pony Stadium, Saturday night’s affair featured plenty of exciting offense. After a quiet first quarter which saw the Lights score on a Zach McKinley touchdown run to lead 7-0, it was pure fireworks from there. Tech tied the game on a short Pat Hansen run early in the second, but Northern responded with two big strikes. On Northern’s first full possession of the second quarter, Travis Dean, who started in place of senior Derek Lear, hit on big pass plays to Jake Messerly and Orin Johnson, setting up a 14-yard McKinley TD run. And with just :37 left in the half, the Lights went up 21-7 when Dean threw a beautiful ball up the ride side, hitting Messerly in stride for a 29-yard score. However, Tech’s no-quit attitude was on display, because instead of going down by two TDs at the break, the Diggers drove down the field and got a Matt Berg field goal as time expired to cut into Northern’s lead at 21-10. But the Lights played at a high level on offense, and they answered Berg’s field goal early in the third quarter. McKinley ripped off a 28-yard run right through the middle of the Tech defense, and Johnson capped off the drive with a 13-yard run out of the “wildcat.” That left the score at 28-10, and Tech mustered only another Berg field goal the entire third quarter. However, the fourth quarter, and especially the final two minutes, belonged to the Diggers, who were certainly desperate and hungry for a win. Coming in, Tech, the defending Frontier champions, had lost five of their last six games, and they played like a team possessed in the final 15 minutes. The Diggers quickly cut the lead to 28-20 on the first of three fourth-quarter TD passes by Tapley. And with 14 minutes left in the game, the Diggers had plenty of time to play catch up. Northern’s defense stood tall for a good portion of the period. The Lights stuffed a Tech fourth-down try with just over 10 minutes to go, and a Tyler
Craig sack helped stall another Tech drive later on. MSU-N also tacked on a 31-yard Jordan Rueschhoff field goal at the 4-minute mark, making it 31-20 and a two-possession game. What ensued was a wild finish. The Orediggers’ chance to win the game was a result of another Tapley miracle in the endzone. With 2:20 left in the game, Tapley connected with James Roberts on a 30-yard TD pass, one that went right by the out-stretched arms of a Northern defender. And after Northern stopped Tech on a two-point conversion try, the score was left at 31-26. Brandt Montelius then recovered Tech’s onside kick attempt, and Northern did what it could to run the clock down on the ensuing possession, but eventually, the Lights had to give the ball back to Tapley, who wound up throwing for 364 yards on a staggering 51 attempts. “It feels awesome,” Morrell said. “Just to see the guys bounce back is something that’s really … my hat’s off to the young men in this program. They don’t know the word quit.” Dean, McKinley and the entire Northern offense certainly had their way with Tech’s defense Saturday night. Playing the entire way, Dean threw for 303 yards and a score, while McKinley rushed for 164 yards on 28 carries. Johnson finished with five catches for 59 yards and 40 yards rushing, while Messerly hauled in three passes for 89 yards and Dylan Woodhall had three catches for 80 yards. Montelius added three grabs for 54 yards. Not to be outdone though, Tech’s offense rolled up 536 yards, including 136 yards on 28 carries for Hansen. Kinney, one of the heroes, caught an astounding 12 passes for 143 yards. Defensively, the Lights got 11 tackles form Victor Fermin and another nine from Kaimi Kanehailua. Craig registered eight stops to go along with Northern’s lone sack, while Jordan Van Voast also had eight tackles. Northern didn’t come up with any turnovers Saturday night, while the MSU-N offense gave the ball away twice, though only one miscue led directly to Tech points. Still, the loss was painful for the Lights, who had aspirations of not only beating a rival Saturday night, but finishing the season with two straight wins at home. Now, Northern will have to spend its bye week regrouping, before closing the season against Rocky Mountain College Nov. 16. Meanwhile, Tech travels to UM-Western this Saturday. “It’s going to be tough to forget this one,” Johnson said. “But we have another game, we have to keep on playing. We’ll come back and fight against Rocky for sure.”
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MSU-Northern Defensive Starters
Rocky Mountain Offensive Starters RMC Offensive Numbers
MSU-N Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 35 ppg, 2nd in Frontier
Scoring: 28 ppg, 4th in Frontier Total defense: 364 ypg, 2nd in Frontier.
Tanner Varner #10, 5-11, 195 Cornerback
Andre McCullouch #4, 6-1, 195 Receiver
Total offense: 476 ypg, 2nd in Frontier Passing: 330 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Rushing: 227 ypg, 2nd in the Frontier
Kyle Breschini #56, 6-5, 295 Offensive line
Tyler Craig #91, 6-1, 240 Defensive end David Arteaga
#21, 5-11, 225 Linebacker Josh Baum #2, 6-1, 205 Free Safety
Logan Nathe #45, 6-1, 230 Defensive tackle KamiKanehailua #42, 6-1, 235 Linebacker
Hunter Chandler #34, 5-9, 188 Strong Safety
Weston Mudge #94, 6-1, 310 Nose tackle Jordan Van Voast
#40, 6-1, 220 Linebacker
Tyler Phillips #43, 6-2, 230 Defensive end
Brian Armstrong RMC Head Coach
Sonny Ah Kui #55, 6-3, 310 Offensive line
Neal Coon #61, 6-1, 280 Offensive line
Bryce Baker #7, 6-3, 215 Quarterback
Clint Linthicum #27, 5-9, 200 Running back
Dylan Johnston #54, 6-2, 290 Offensive line
JayTee Tarpley #70, 6-5, 300 Offensive line Zach Wohlfeil #12, 6-3, 2190 Receiver
Cale Vukonich #86, 6-4, 250 Tight end
Ryan Steska
Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Corner
Cole Cattelon #5, 6-1, 195 Receiver
#89, 5-9, 190 Kicker/Punter
Armstrong enters his sixth season at Rocky Mountain College and fourth season as the head coach. In 2010, Armstrong was also recognized as the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year. Before becoming the head football coach, Armstrong was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He will be coaching the quarterbacks, as well as calling the plays this season. While at RMC, Armstrong has produced a nationally ranked offense.
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Lear: Fairfield native holds majority of MSU-N passing records
Lear: Tough senior year doesn't overshadow accomplishments
■ From Page 2
■ From Page 6
sidelined him for the following road game against Carroll College. To make things worse, he has also been fighting an injury in this throwing arm all season long, that causes more problems during practice than in games. But it hasn’t just been the injuries this season, Lear will be the first to admit that he has had some tough times on the field as well. His ups and downs resulted in watching Travis Dean take hold of the offense two weeks ago against Montana Tech, as well as limited playing time against Carroll three weeks ago and against Southern Oregon nearly a month ago. But something that has made Lear so successful over the years is his work ethic and ability to overcome adversity. His on the field issues could always be fixed, and to him it was worse having to sit back and watch his teammates practice and play after his injuries.
“It is tough to go through a season without an injury, but if you do, you are at practice getting in on every rep,” Lear said. “But there were times at practice this year where I was standing on the sideline watching everybody else practice. It takes time coming back from injury to get back on track with your receivers, and that is the biggest thing I have tried to overcome this season with my injuries. “And after an interception,” Lear added. “It is one of those things where you have to forget about it and move on. But after the game and after some of the weeks go by, you have to look back at what you did wrong and know why those were wrong, as well as look at the positives and know why those were positives. That is what I have been trying to figure out this season as things seem to not be going as well as other years, I have been going back to film and trying to
understand why some of those things are happening.” Even with some ups and downs this year, there is nothing that can overshadow what Lear has been able to accomplish in his career at Northern. In 2012 he was named Second-Team All-Conference and in 2011 he was named First-Team All-Conference. And to go along with his accolades, Lear also has quite the list of school records. Lear’s records include 32 completions in a game (2011/Eastern Oregon and 2012/Western), 205 completions in a season (2012), 538 completions in a career (not including 2013), 532 passing yards in a game (2012/Western), 2,798 passing yards in a season (2012), 7,125 passing yards in a career (not including 2013), a completion percentage of 84 percent in one game (2011/RMC), 64 percent
■ See Lear Page 7
Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern quarterback Derek Lear throws a pass during a September win over the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers at Blue Pony Stadium. Lear came to MSU-N from Fairfield, and out of high school, he could have chosen to play college basketball. However, the chance to start for the Lights at an early age appealed to Lear and he did just that, winning the starting job in his red-shirt freshman season. By the end of his junior year, Lear was already the all-time passing leader at Northern.
completion in a season (2011), 62 percent completion in a career (not including 2013), seven touchdown passes in one game (2012/Western), 26 touchdown passes in a season (2012), and 65 touchdown passes in a career (not including 2013). It may be hard to narrow it down to one memorable moment, but Lear will definitely remember seven touchdown passes in one game against Western. “No matter what we tried it was working,” He said. “It seemed like everything slowed down, and the only thing I can refer it to was one of my best games in high school basketball. It seemed like the hoop was extra big and everything I put up was going in. And that is how that game was against Western, any ball I put in the air the receivers were there and making a catch.” Lear has a lot of skills and abilities, but his work ethic got him farther than many athletes would ever imagine. Whether it was his offseason workouts, or his dedication to watch-
ing game film, there is no doubt he bettered himself by taking advantage of any and every opportunity. But being a modest player, Lear knows exactly who to credit with not only his success, but the success of the program over the years. “It is a family up here,” Lear said about playing for the Lights. “Some of our win-loss records haven’t been quite where we would have liked them to be, but the bond that I have had with all of the coaches and players and community was big. And coach Kyle Samson constantly pushed me. Even when I was young he always told me that my time here was going to fly by and asked me how I wanted to be remembered. He pushed me every day to get me to where I am, and I give him and the rest of the coaches all of the credit for earning all of those records and finding success up here. They have been a huge part of that success. “He’s my guy,” said Orin Johnson, a Northern senior WR who came in with Lear in the same recruiting
Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown Montana State University-Northern senior quarterback Derek Lear, right, runs with the ball during a Frontier Conference football game last month in Havre. Lear will leave the MSU-Northern program with 12 different school records for passing, and he broke most of them before the end of his junior season. In 2013, Lear has battled injuries and interception problems, but none of that can overshadow the career he's had, which includes being selected as a two-time Frontier All-Conference performer. Lear plays his final game Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium.
class. “We’ve always had a great bond, but playing together here, it’s grown even stronger. We have great chemistry. We know what the other is going to do. He’s a great quarterback. We’ve known each other for a long time. It’s been a great bond on and off the field.” Lear’s success was never easy, and he didn’t take any of it for granted. His Lights never made a run into the postseason, and they never won any conference titles along the way. But if there is one thing that will make this the perfect ending to a great career, it would be a win on Saturday in Lear’s career finale against Rocky Mountain College in Havre. “The biggest thing is a win,” Lear said. “It would be nice to get all of us seniors on offense a touchdown and that is one of our individual goals. But whether that happens or not, the win is the biggest thing and I would love to end my career on a positive note by knocking Rocky out of the playoff race.”
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Lear: Fairfield native holds majority of MSU-N passing records
Lear: Tough senior year doesn't overshadow accomplishments
■ From Page 2
■ From Page 6
sidelined him for the following road game against Carroll College. To make things worse, he has also been fighting an injury in this throwing arm all season long, that causes more problems during practice than in games. But it hasn’t just been the injuries this season, Lear will be the first to admit that he has had some tough times on the field as well. His ups and downs resulted in watching Travis Dean take hold of the offense two weeks ago against Montana Tech, as well as limited playing time against Carroll three weeks ago and against Southern Oregon nearly a month ago. But something that has made Lear so successful over the years is his work ethic and ability to overcome adversity. His on the field issues could always be fixed, and to him it was worse having to sit back and watch his teammates practice and play after his injuries.
“It is tough to go through a season without an injury, but if you do, you are at practice getting in on every rep,” Lear said. “But there were times at practice this year where I was standing on the sideline watching everybody else practice. It takes time coming back from injury to get back on track with your receivers, and that is the biggest thing I have tried to overcome this season with my injuries. “And after an interception,” Lear added. “It is one of those things where you have to forget about it and move on. But after the game and after some of the weeks go by, you have to look back at what you did wrong and know why those were wrong, as well as look at the positives and know why those were positives. That is what I have been trying to figure out this season as things seem to not be going as well as other years, I have been going back to film and trying to
understand why some of those things are happening.” Even with some ups and downs this year, there is nothing that can overshadow what Lear has been able to accomplish in his career at Northern. In 2012 he was named Second-Team All-Conference and in 2011 he was named First-Team All-Conference. And to go along with his accolades, Lear also has quite the list of school records. Lear’s records include 32 completions in a game (2011/Eastern Oregon and 2012/Western), 205 completions in a season (2012), 538 completions in a career (not including 2013), 532 passing yards in a game (2012/Western), 2,798 passing yards in a season (2012), 7,125 passing yards in a career (not including 2013), a completion percentage of 84 percent in one game (2011/RMC), 64 percent
■ See Lear Page 7
Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern quarterback Derek Lear throws a pass during a September win over the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers at Blue Pony Stadium. Lear came to MSU-N from Fairfield, and out of high school, he could have chosen to play college basketball. However, the chance to start for the Lights at an early age appealed to Lear and he did just that, winning the starting job in his red-shirt freshman season. By the end of his junior year, Lear was already the all-time passing leader at Northern.
completion in a season (2011), 62 percent completion in a career (not including 2013), seven touchdown passes in one game (2012/Western), 26 touchdown passes in a season (2012), and 65 touchdown passes in a career (not including 2013). It may be hard to narrow it down to one memorable moment, but Lear will definitely remember seven touchdown passes in one game against Western. “No matter what we tried it was working,” He said. “It seemed like everything slowed down, and the only thing I can refer it to was one of my best games in high school basketball. It seemed like the hoop was extra big and everything I put up was going in. And that is how that game was against Western, any ball I put in the air the receivers were there and making a catch.” Lear has a lot of skills and abilities, but his work ethic got him farther than many athletes would ever imagine. Whether it was his offseason workouts, or his dedication to watch-
ing game film, there is no doubt he bettered himself by taking advantage of any and every opportunity. But being a modest player, Lear knows exactly who to credit with not only his success, but the success of the program over the years. “It is a family up here,” Lear said about playing for the Lights. “Some of our win-loss records haven’t been quite where we would have liked them to be, but the bond that I have had with all of the coaches and players and community was big. And coach Kyle Samson constantly pushed me. Even when I was young he always told me that my time here was going to fly by and asked me how I wanted to be remembered. He pushed me every day to get me to where I am, and I give him and the rest of the coaches all of the credit for earning all of those records and finding success up here. They have been a huge part of that success. “He’s my guy,” said Orin Johnson, a Northern senior WR who came in with Lear in the same recruiting
Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown Montana State University-Northern senior quarterback Derek Lear, right, runs with the ball during a Frontier Conference football game last month in Havre. Lear will leave the MSU-Northern program with 12 different school records for passing, and he broke most of them before the end of his junior season. In 2013, Lear has battled injuries and interception problems, but none of that can overshadow the career he's had, which includes being selected as a two-time Frontier All-Conference performer. Lear plays his final game Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium.
class. “We’ve always had a great bond, but playing together here, it’s grown even stronger. We have great chemistry. We know what the other is going to do. He’s a great quarterback. We’ve known each other for a long time. It’s been a great bond on and off the field.” Lear’s success was never easy, and he didn’t take any of it for granted. His Lights never made a run into the postseason, and they never won any conference titles along the way. But if there is one thing that will make this the perfect ending to a great career, it would be a win on Saturday in Lear’s career finale against Rocky Mountain College in Havre. “The biggest thing is a win,” Lear said. “It would be nice to get all of us seniors on offense a touchdown and that is one of our individual goals. But whether that happens or not, the win is the biggest thing and I would love to end my career on a positive note by knocking Rocky out of the playoff race.”
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MSU-Northern Rewind
Silent Night: Orediggers 32, Lights 31 George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com It was supposed to be the perfect ending to a magical day of football in Havre. It was supposed to be the night the Montana State University-Northern Lights put an end to a three-game losing streak against a tough, Frontier Conference rival. Instead, Saturday night’s game ended in a nightmarish way for the Lights, who watched Montana Tech score on a 36-yard, Hail Mary touchdown as time expired. Herman Tapley’s pass to Zack Kinney lifted the Orediggers to a 32-31 victory Saturday night at Blue Pony Stadium, and sent the Lights to their fourth straight loss. Tech (3-5, 3-5), which rallied from second-half deficits of 28-10 and 31-20, had two cracks at a final touchdown. The first, with just over :13 left was batted away by Northern defenders in the endzone. But that play left one second on the clock, and Tapley threw a high arcing pass that seemingly fell right into Kinney’s arms, completing what was an improbable Oredigger comeback. “This hurts, it feels really bad,” Northern senior captain Orin Johnson said following the devastating loss. “It feels like we beat them (Orediggers) in every aspect tonight. So to lose on a play like that, it’s a tough pill to swallow.” The Lights did seem to dominate for much of the game, especially offensively. Northern racked up 542 yards of offense and 31 first downs. And after the Lights broke a 7-7 tie in the second quarter, they held the lead right up until Tapley’s bomb landed in Kinney’s arms and the Orediggers rushed the field in triumph. “I’m very proud of the way this team doesn’t quit,” Tech head coach Chuck Morrell said. “It has been a difficult season, but at no point has this team ever gotten down or given up. They just keep fighting and that’s what they did tonight. “All year, our goal has been to have a chance to win in the fourth quarter, and you work on plays like that all the time in practice,” he continued. “But rarely do you get the opportunity to execute one in a game. But because this team kept fighting, we had a chance tonight. And Zack went up and made a great play on the ball.” Tech’s final drive started with just over a minute left in the game, and Tapley completed a couple of deep sideline routes to get the ball up to midfield. He also scrambled for a big gain on third down, and the Orediggers benefitted from still having two timeouts left. Still, Northern’s defense
stood tall around the 40-yard-line, and when a Tapley pass to the right side went incomplete, there was time for only two more plays, and Tech was out of timeouts. Unfortunately for the Lights, the last play would give the Diggers’ a miracle win. “I thought (Tapley) played with a lot of composure tonight,” Morrell said. “He didn’t get rattled at all, he stayed focused on moving on to the next play even when things didn’t go our way. He gave our receivers some opportunities to run with the ball, and he got a lot of air under that last throw to give Zack a chance.” Like many night games before at Blue Pony Stadium, Saturday night’s affair featured plenty of exciting offense. After a quiet first quarter which saw the Lights score on a Zach McKinley touchdown run to lead 7-0, it was pure fireworks from there. Tech tied the game on a short Pat Hansen run early in the second, but Northern responded with two big strikes. On Northern’s first full possession of the second quarter, Travis Dean, who started in place of senior Derek Lear, hit on big pass plays to Jake Messerly and Orin Johnson, setting up a 14-yard McKinley TD run. And with just :37 left in the half, the Lights went up 21-7 when Dean threw a beautiful ball up the ride side, hitting Messerly in stride for a 29-yard score. However, Tech’s no-quit attitude was on display, because instead of going down by two TDs at the break, the Diggers drove down the field and got a Matt Berg field goal as time expired to cut into Northern’s lead at 21-10. But the Lights played at a high level on offense, and they answered Berg’s field goal early in the third quarter. McKinley ripped off a 28-yard run right through the middle of the Tech defense, and Johnson capped off the drive with a 13-yard run out of the “wildcat.” That left the score at 28-10, and Tech mustered only another Berg field goal the entire third quarter. However, the fourth quarter, and especially the final two minutes, belonged to the Diggers, who were certainly desperate and hungry for a win. Coming in, Tech, the defending Frontier champions, had lost five of their last six games, and they played like a team possessed in the final 15 minutes. The Diggers quickly cut the lead to 28-20 on the first of three fourth-quarter TD passes by Tapley. And with 14 minutes left in the game, the Diggers had plenty of time to play catch up. Northern’s defense stood tall for a good portion of the period. The Lights stuffed a Tech fourth-down try with just over 10 minutes to go, and a Tyler
Craig sack helped stall another Tech drive later on. MSU-N also tacked on a 31-yard Jordan Rueschhoff field goal at the 4-minute mark, making it 31-20 and a two-possession game. What ensued was a wild finish. The Orediggers’ chance to win the game was a result of another Tapley miracle in the endzone. With 2:20 left in the game, Tapley connected with James Roberts on a 30-yard TD pass, one that went right by the out-stretched arms of a Northern defender. And after Northern stopped Tech on a two-point conversion try, the score was left at 31-26. Brandt Montelius then recovered Tech’s onside kick attempt, and Northern did what it could to run the clock down on the ensuing possession, but eventually, the Lights had to give the ball back to Tapley, who wound up throwing for 364 yards on a staggering 51 attempts. “It feels awesome,” Morrell said. “Just to see the guys bounce back is something that’s really … my hat’s off to the young men in this program. They don’t know the word quit.” Dean, McKinley and the entire Northern offense certainly had their way with Tech’s defense Saturday night. Playing the entire way, Dean threw for 303 yards and a score, while McKinley rushed for 164 yards on 28 carries. Johnson finished with five catches for 59 yards and 40 yards rushing, while Messerly hauled in three passes for 89 yards and Dylan Woodhall had three catches for 80 yards. Montelius added three grabs for 54 yards. Not to be outdone though, Tech’s offense rolled up 536 yards, including 136 yards on 28 carries for Hansen. Kinney, one of the heroes, caught an astounding 12 passes for 143 yards. Defensively, the Lights got 11 tackles form Victor Fermin and another nine from Kaimi Kanehailua. Craig registered eight stops to go along with Northern’s lone sack, while Jordan Van Voast also had eight tackles. Northern didn’t come up with any turnovers Saturday night, while the MSU-N offense gave the ball away twice, though only one miscue led directly to Tech points. Still, the loss was painful for the Lights, who had aspirations of not only beating a rival Saturday night, but finishing the season with two straight wins at home. Now, Northern will have to spend its bye week regrouping, before closing the season against Rocky Mountain College Nov. 16. Meanwhile, Tech travels to UM-Western this Saturday. “It’s going to be tough to forget this one,” Johnson said. “But we have another game, we have to keep on playing. We’ll come back and fight against Rocky for sure.”
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MSU-Northern Defensive Starters
Rocky Mountain Offensive Starters RMC Offensive Numbers
MSU-N Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 35 ppg, 2nd in Frontier
Scoring: 28 ppg, 4th in Frontier Total defense: 364 ypg, 2nd in Frontier.
Tanner Varner #10, 5-11, 195 Cornerback
Andre McCullouch #4, 6-1, 195 Receiver
Total offense: 476 ypg, 2nd in Frontier Passing: 330 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Rushing: 227 ypg, 2nd in the Frontier
Kyle Breschini #56, 6-5, 295 Offensive line
Tyler Craig #91, 6-1, 240 Defensive end David Arteaga
#21, 5-11, 225 Linebacker Josh Baum #2, 6-1, 205 Free Safety
Logan Nathe #45, 6-1, 230 Defensive tackle KamiKanehailua #42, 6-1, 235 Linebacker
Hunter Chandler #34, 5-9, 188 Strong Safety
Weston Mudge #94, 6-1, 310 Nose tackle Jordan Van Voast
#40, 6-1, 220 Linebacker
Tyler Phillips #43, 6-2, 230 Defensive end
Brian Armstrong RMC Head Coach
Sonny Ah Kui #55, 6-3, 310 Offensive line
Neal Coon #61, 6-1, 280 Offensive line
Bryce Baker #7, 6-3, 215 Quarterback
Clint Linthicum #27, 5-9, 200 Running back
Dylan Johnston #54, 6-2, 290 Offensive line
JayTee Tarpley #70, 6-5, 300 Offensive line Zach Wohlfeil #12, 6-3, 2190 Receiver
Cale Vukonich #86, 6-4, 250 Tight end
Ryan Steska
Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Corner
Cole Cattelon #5, 6-1, 195 Receiver
#89, 5-9, 190 Kicker/Punter
Armstrong enters his sixth season at Rocky Mountain College and fourth season as the head coach. In 2010, Armstrong was also recognized as the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year. Before becoming the head football coach, Armstrong was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He will be coaching the quarterbacks, as well as calling the plays this season. While at RMC, Armstrong has produced a nationally ranked offense.
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MSU-Northern Offensive Starters
Rocky Mountain Defensive Starters
MSU-N Offensive Numbers
RMC Defensive Numbers
Scoring: 26 ppg, 5th in Frontier. Total offense: 460 ypg, 3rd in Frontier.
Scoring: 18 ppg, 2nd in Frontier Orin Johnson #4, 6-0, 200 Receiver
Josh Graham #24, 6-0, 200 Cornerback
Total defense: 389 ypg, 3rd in Frontier
Rushing: 227 ypg, 2nd in Frontier
Ruhsing defense: 194 ypg, 4th in Frontier
Patrick Kiser #68, 6-3, 295 Left tackle Brandt Montelius #88, 6-1, 195 Reciever
Mark Samson MSU-N Head Coach Samson enters his 10th year at the helm of the Lights program. So far, he has complied a 51-54 record and led the Lights to five winning seasons and an NAIA playoff berth in 2006. Samson has also served as MSU-N's athletic director. As a head coach at Helena Capitol, he won several Class AA state titles.
Pete Morales #77, 6-1, 285 Left guard
Wyatt Johnson #35, 6-0, 240 Defensive End
Travis Bertelsen #22, 5-10, 210 Linebacker Corey Bummer #42, 6-0, 205 Safety
Zach McKinley #24, 5-11, 210 Running Back
Derek Lear #5, 5-11, 190 Quarterback
Shomari Burton #70, 6-2, 300 Center
Dushawn McDaniel #92, 6-2, 285 Nose tackle
Jacob Barit #2, 6-2, 240 Linebacker Kyle Mai #30, 5-11, 190 Safety
Rostyn Pace #74, 6-3, 275 Right guard
Dylan Murphy #71, 6-6, 300 Right tackle
Austin Chamberlain #37, 6-3, 225 Defensive tackle
Josh Johnson #94, 6-4, 255 Linebacker
Brett Hilde #28, 6-0, 210 Linebacker
John Jansen #44, 6-3, 250 Tight end Jordan Rueschoff #14, 6-2, 185 Kicker
Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Punter
Dylan Woodhall #7, 5-9, 175 Receiver
R.J. Taylor #36, 5-10, 190 Cornerback
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MSU-Northern Numerical Roster No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 30 32 34 35 36 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 50 51 53 54 56 58 59 66 68
Name Trevor Baum Josh Baum Lavorick Williams Orin Johnson Derek Lear Nick Luoma Dylan Woodhall Travis Dean Tanner Varner Garrett Jericoff Trace Brady Butch Hyder Jordan Rueschhoff Austin Walker Jake Messerly James Erickson Dylan Barney Victor Fermin Mario Gabbato Jai Johnson Zach Mckinley David Arteaga Michael McCrary Austin Schroeder Justin Fritz Hunter Chandler Jesse Morales Jake Criner Jordon Van Voast Chance Nevarez Kaimi Kanehailua Tyler Phillips John Jansen Logan Nathe Karsten Peterson Jordan Brusio Marc Evans Zach Bangert Austin Rychner Owen Debruycker Josh Jones Adolfo Robles Chase Vestre Alex Cummings Patrick Kiser
Yr. JR SR SR SR SR JR FR SO SR FR FR JR JR FR FR FR FR JR FR JR FR SR JR FR FR JR FR JR SR JR JR SR JR SR FR FR SO SO FR FR SO FR FR SR JR
*Cut and take to the game!!
Pos. Ht. DB/P 6-1 DB 6-1 WR 6-1 WR 6-0 QB 5-11 WR 6-3 WR 5-9 QB 6-0 DB 5-10 DB 5-9 DB 5-11 DB 6-0 K 6-2 QB 6-2 WR 6-1 WR 6-0 DB 6-0 DB 6-0 RB 5-8 RB 5-9 RB 5-10 LB 5-11 DB 5-9 LB 6-1 FB/LB 6-1 DB 5-9 LB 6-1 TE 6-1 LB 6-1 FB 5-11 LB 6-1 DL 6-2 TE 6-3 DE 6-1 LB 6-2 DE 6-0 DL 6-1 OL 6-2 DL 5-10 LB 5-11 LB 5-10 OL 6-2 DL 6-2 OL 6-0 OL 6-2
Wt. 195 205 195 200 190 210 175 195 200 180 185 190 185 225 185 185 170 175 175 205 205 230 170 225 215 188 190 245 210 245 235 230 245 230 205 210 245 270 235 225 220 285 215 270 295
Hometown Susanville, CA Susanville, CA Odessa, TX Cut Bank, MT Fairfield, MT Stockett, MT Stanford, MT Gilbert, AZ Baker, MT Hilmar, CA Fairfield, MT Boise, ID Gillette, WY Choteau, MT Missoula, MT Idaho Falls, ID La Habra, CA Granada Hills, CA Blaine, WA Detroit, MI Great Falls, MT La Habra, CA Las Vegas, NV Emmett, ID Power, MT Bozeman, MT La Habra, CA Kalispell, MT Havre, MT Madera, CA Ewa, HI Renton, WA Broadview, MT Helena, MT Columbia Falls, MT Billings, MT Bozeman, MT Concord, CA Ekalaka, MT Choteau, MT Chinook, MT Bakersfield, CA Helena, MT Missoula, MT A. Canyon, CA
No. 70 71 74 75 77 78 80 88 90 91 92 94 95
Name Shomari Burton Dylan Murphy Rostyn Pace Wes Ostby Pete Morales Matthew Mckeen Logan Mayernick Brandt Montelius Patrick Barnett Tyler Craig Lane Urick Weston Mudge Will Devos
Yr. JR SO SR SO FR SO SO SR FR FR FR FR JR
Pos. OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR DL DL DL DL DL
Ht. 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1
Wt. 305 300 280 295 285 275 170 190 245 240 295 305 260
Hometown Bremerton, WA Gleichen, Alberta Sunburst, MT Deer Park, WA La Habra, CA Oakley, CA Centerville, MT Missoula, MT Billings, MT Great Falls, MT Great Falls, MT Bakersfield, CA Vale, OR
2013 Montana State University-Northern Football Staff Mark Samson, Head Coach/Offensive Line; Kyle Samson, Offensive Coordinator, QB's, Asst. Head Coach; Jake Eldridge, Defensive Coordinator, Strength and Conditioning; Scott Leeds, Wide Receivers; Kennedy Anderson, Linebackers; Darold Debolt, Defensive Line; Ron LaTray, Defensive backs; Jorge Magana, Student Asst./Offensive Line; Brandon O'Brien. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Christian Oberquell; Assistant Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Laramie Schwenke
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Rocky Mountain Numerical Roster No.Name Year 2 Jacob Barit SR 3 Jayc Van Zee FR 4 Andre McCullouch SO 5 Cole Cattelan JR 6 Chase White FR 7 Bryce Baker JR 8 Chris Music SR 9 Isaac McCreery JR 10 Jonathan Aiken SR 11 MacKenzie McGrathJR 12 Rodd Wohfeil SO 13 Jorden Payne JR 14 Tommy Walsh JR 15 Cole Jelinek FR 16 Kenneth HeinzerlingFR 17 Ryan Toner JR 18 Casey Schaub FR 19 Michael Robinson SO 20 Burke Burgess FR 21 Jorden Upton SO 22 Travis Bertelsen SR 23 Landon Willyerd FR 24 Josh Graham JR 25 Tucker Meyer FR 26 Nick Newbury JR 27 Clint Linthicum SR 28 Brett Hilde SR 29 Pete Anderson SR 30 Kyle Mai SO 31 Chase Kaufman SO 32 Jade Olson FR 33 Shane Corpening SO 34 Sam Jarecke FR 35 Wyatt Johnson JR 36 RJ Taylor JR 37 Austin ChamberlainJR 38 Nicholas LaFontaineSO 39 Daniel Chester SO 40 Jason Jorgensen FR 41 Tony Degel SO 42 Corey Bummer JR 43 Austin Feddersen JR 44 Austin Seidler FR 45 Jason Baker FR 46 Preston Pearson FR 47 Elu Lavea JR 48 Eric Johnson FR 49 Cody Lawson FR 50 Seth Swandal FR 51 Jeff Houser SR 53 Kyle Boos FR 54 Dylan Johnston SO 55 Sonny Ah Kui SR 59 Robert Pritchett FR 60 Zach Uskoski SO 61 Neal Coon SR 64 Adrian Oritz JR 65 Kyle Breschini JR 70 JayTee Tarpley SR 72 Corbin Kay SR 73 Matthew Hearn FR 75 Kyle Mericle SO 77 Cole Arnett FR 79 Jerry Hunter FR 80 Jordan Haynes SO 81 Joe Bartlett FR
Pos. LB WR WR WR QB QB LB RB WR WR WR RB QB LB QB WR RB WR DB DB LB DB DB DB DL RB LB LB DB DB RB DB DB DL DB LB DB DB RB LB DB LB RB DB DL DL LB RB DL OL LB OL OL LS DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL RB WR
Ht. 6-2 5-8 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-5 5-9 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-9 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-6 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-3 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-7 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-3 5-9 4-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-3 5-10 5-7
Wt. 240 195 195 185 200 205 220 230 225 160 190 225 185 210 195 205 210 205 200 190 210 205 195 175 240 210 210 230 185 185 175 205 180 240 185 225 210 200 185 200 200 220 2200 180 210 230 210 200 250 290 200 280 310 180 310 280 300 275 300 275 280 275 320 300 10 160
Hometown Waialua, Hawaii Billings, Mont. Riverside, Calif. Billings, Mont. Shelby, Mont. Fernley, Nev. Porcellville, Va. Buhl, Idaho Piper, Fla. Dillon, Mont. Huntley, Mont. Los Angeles, Calif. East Windser, N.J. Denton, Mont. Phoenix, Ariz. Billings, Mont. Havre, Mont. Joliet, Mont. Gillette, Wyo. Kennewick, Wash. Wibaux, Mont. Livingston, Mont. Big Timber, Mont. Fairfield, Mont. Miami, Fla. Poplar, Mont. Culbertson, Mont. Twin Bridges, Mont. Lewiston, Idaho Laurel, Mont. Malta, Mont. Kemmerer, Wyo. Billings, Mont. Boise, Idaho Malta, Mont. Malta, Mont. Silverdale, Wash. Baker, Mont. Baker, Mont. Twin Bridges, Mont. Laurel, Mont. El Reno, Okla. Boise, Idaho Billings, Mont. Helena, Mont. Hacienda, Calif. Billings, Mont. Forsyth, Mont. Wilsall, Mont. Downey, Calif. Malta, Mont. Cut Bank, Mont. Makewoa, HI Wasilla, Alaska Brush Prairie, Wash. Metaline Falls, Wash. Hesperia, Calif. Spring Creek, Nev. Dubois, Idaho Costa Mesa, Calif. Buena Park Calif. Fallbrook, Calif. Lovelock, Nev. Portland, Ore. Okinawa, Japan Dubois, Wyo.
No.Name Year 82 Blake Wofford FR 85 Bryant Ceynar SO 86 Cale Vukonich SO 88 Kalen Reed JR 89 Ryan Steska JR 90 Evan Morris SR 91 Brendon Johnson FR 92 DuShawn McDanielJR 93 Eli Moody FR 94 Josh Johnson SR 95 Collin Harrell SO 96 Chandler Mertens FR 97 Price Miller SO 98 Erwin Soto JR
Pos. DB WR TE WR P/K DL DL DL DL LB LB K/P DL DL
Ht. 5-9 6-0 6-4 6-5 5-9 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-3 5-9 5-9 6-2 6-2
Wt. 170 175 230 200 190 275 285 285 255 260 205 190 240 235
Hometown Yuma, Ariz. Chester, Mont. Columbia Falls, Mont. Kalispell, Mont. Mission Viejo, Calif. Baker, Mont. Anaheim, Calif. Sacramento, Calif. Lovell, Wyo. Tampa, Fla. Wibaux, Mont. Kennewick, Wash. Stevensville, Mont. Reno, Nev.
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Frontier Conference Standings Conf. WL Carroll College 8-1 Rocky Mountain 6-3 Southern Oregon 6-3 Eastern Oregon 5-4 MSU-Northern 4-5 UM-Western 4-5 Montana Tech 3-6 Dickinson State 0-9
Overall WL 9-1 7-3 6-4 5-5 4-5 4-5 3-6 1-9
Saturday, Nov. 9 Carroll College 37-, Rocky Mountain 35 Eastern Oregon 38, Southern Oregon 37 UM-Western 20, Montana Tech 14 Saturday, Nov. 16 MSU-Northern vs Rocky Mountain Carroll College at Dickinson State Eastern Oregon at UM-Western Southern Oregon at Montana Tech
NAIA Top 25 Rec. Pts 1. Cumberlands (Ky.) 2. Grand View (Iowa) (4) 3. Carroll (Mont.) 4. Baker (Kan.) 5. Morningside (Iowa) 6. Saint Francis (Ind.) 7. Missouri Valley 8. Ottawa (Kan.) 9. Benedictine (Kan.) 10. Faulkner (Ala.) 11. Rocky Mountain 12. Tabor (Kan.)
9-0 10-0 9-1 9-1 8-1 7-2 7-2 8-2 9-1 8-2 8-3 8-2
311 305 288 273 267 250 242 234 208 199 190 171
Rnk 2 3 5 6 1 8 10 9 4 12 7 t14
13. Northwestern (Iowa) 14. Georgetown (Ky.) 15. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 16. Sterling (Kan.) 17. St. Francis (Ill.) 17. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 19. Friends (Kan.) 19. Peru State (Neb.) 21. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 22. Dakota Wesleyan 23. Cumberland (Tenn.) 24. Langston (Okla.) 25. Bacone (Okla.)
7-2 6-3 8-2 8-2 7-3 6-3 7-3 7-3 6-4 7-3 6-4 5-4 7-3
168 166 159 140 119 119 87 87 84 66 24 19 13
19 t14 17 18 t20 11 16 13 23 NR NR NR 22
Others receiving votes: : Reinhardt (Ga.) 11; Marian (Ind.) 11; Eastern Oregon 9; Ave Maria (Fla.) 9; Southern Oregon 3.
Frontier Conference Individual Leaders For 2013
Passing: Austin Dodge, SOU, 417 ypg Receiving: Dylan Young ,SOU, 124 ypg Receptions: Ryan Retzlaff, SOU, 8 cpg Rushing: Dustin Rinker, CC, 144 ypg Tackles: Casey Grifftih, UM-W, 12 tpg Sacks: Phil Selin, UM-W, 9 sacks INT's: James Dowgin, CC, 6 INT's
Lights Coaching Staff
2013 Northern Football Staff Top row from left to right: Darold DeBolt, defensive line; Kennedy Anderson, linebackers; Jake Eldridge, defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning; Jorge Magana, student assistant and offensive line; Front row: Scott Leeds, wide receivers; Kyle Samson, offensive coordinator, QB's and recruiting; Mark Samson, head coach; Ron LaTray, defensive backs; Brandon O'Brien. Athletic Director: Christian Oberquell; Certified Athletic Trainer: Christian Oberquell; Assistant Athletic Trainer: Nichole Borst; Sports Information: Laramie Schwenke.
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One more time for the quarterback Frontier season down to one day MSU-Northern's Derek Lear has set records and battled ups and downs in a special career Daniel Horton Havre Daily News sports writer gferguson@havredailynews.com It is hard to come up with a name that has become better known in the Frontier Conference then that of of Montana State University-Northern quarterback Derek Lear. And with a lot of NAIA schools bringing in junior college transfers to help propel a program, it is also getting harder and harder to find a four-year starter amongst from the Montana high school ranks. But after redshirting his freshman season, and winning the starting quarterback job outright the next season that is exactly what Lear has been for the Lights, a four-year starter with a long list
of big games, accomplishments, and records to go along with it. But Lear isn’t just one of the better quarterbacks to wear a Lights’ uniform in recent history, he was also a standout football and basketball player at Fairfield High School. And knowing he had a chance to continue either sport at the college level, getting a chance at the starting job at Northern played a major role in landing the quarterback who would eventually carve his name in the MSU-N record books.. “My biggest decision was going to be basketball or football,” Lear said. “And I guess knowing that there was a possibility of starting for four years up here, that was big in my decision. Also, Mickey Miller played up here and I played with him in high school. We pretty much decided to come up here and play where we would actually get a chance to play and play young instead of sitting on a bench somewhere else. “And we were always successful in high school, so that was in my mind coming up here,” Lear added about being able to find so much collegiate success. “I just wanted to be the best I could be, and I didn’t know I
George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
would start for four years, but I knew that was a possibility and I think that made me push myself during my redshirt year.” After sitting out his first year in Havre as a redshirt, Lear got the opportunity to compete for the starting job against fellow recruit Matt Reyant. But Lear won the starting job outright, and has had turned in a lot of memorable performances ever since. But if you look hard enough at any athletes’ history, you will find some areas that turn heads for less than positive reasons. And while bright spots and big games mostly highlight Lear’s career, he too has had his share of rough patches. Facing Dickinson State on the road in the first game of the season Lear suffered a knee injury that
The Frontier Conference championship is settled. Carroll College kicker Connor Smith decided that when he booted a game-winning, 38-yard field goal against Rocky Mountain College Saturday afternoon at Nelson Stadium in Helena. In a wild affair, RMC went ahead 35-34 with just :55 left in Saturday’s contest, but the Saints methodically went down the field and got close enough for Smith to win the game and send Carroll to its 13th conference title in the last 14 seasons. After a one-year absence, Smith’s field goal also ensured the Saints of an NAIA playoff berth, something Carroll missed out on when the Saints went 7-4 a year ago. And Carroll’s dramatic win Saturday was indicative of the kind of season it’s been in the Frontier. The conference literally beat up
■ See Lear Page 6 Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Photo right: Montana State UniversityNorthern senior Derek Lear has set all kinds of passing records during a fouryear career with the Lights. Lear, a native of Fairfield, plays his final game Saturday.
MSU-Northern Lights vs Rocky Mountain College Montana State University-Northern
2012 record: 3-7 (3-7) Head coach: Mark Samson
Location: Havre, MT
Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium
Nickname: Lights
Streak: The Lights have lost four straight coming into Saturday's game but are 2-0 in their last two senior day games in Havre.
Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2013 record: 4-5 (4-5)
Saturday, November 16, 2013 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 12 pm Rocky Mountain College Location: Billings, MT. Nickname: Battlin' Bears Colors: Green and Gold 2013 record: 7-3 (6-3)
2012 record: 6-5 (5-5) Head coach: Brian Armstrong Stadium: Herb Klindt Field Streak: The Battlin' Bears have beaten Northern in three straight meetings, including in the 2012 season finale.
on each other all year long. Carroll was able to overcome a stunning fourth-quarter collapse at Eastern Oregon, winning three straight games, including two straight against nationallyranked opponents in Southern Oregon and RMC. Meanwhile, things have been even more dramatic for the Battlin’ Bears, who are still in a position to make the NAIA playoffs. Typically, three-loss teams from the Frontier don’t get at-large bids to the playoffs, but Rocky has only lost to Carroll on the field this season, by a combined total of nine points in two games. The Bears’ third loss comes by way a forfeit to Southern Oregon back on Aug. 30. And, Rocky didn’t drop dramatically in the NAIA Coaches Poll either. The
Bears enter Saturday’s season finale at Montana State UniversityNorthern ranked No. 11, and if RMC wins in Havre, a playoff berth is well within reach. History has shown that any team ranked among the Top 12 in the final NAIA Poll is in good shape for an at-large berth. Meanwhile, this season has seen a lot of playoff contenders in the Frontier, but now, in late November, most have fallen by the wayside. SOU stormed its way to a fivegame winning streak midseason and had a chance to share the league title with Carroll if the Raiders could win in Helena. But a Nov. 2 loss to the Saints, coupled with last Saturday’s meltdown against rival Eastern Oregon essentially ended any chance of SOU going to
Today in the Frontier Conference No. 11 Rocky Mountain College Bears (6-3, 7-3)
At Montana StateUniversity Northern Lights (4-5, 4-5) No. 3 Carroll College (8-1, 9-1) at Dickinson State (0-9, 1-9) In Dickinson, N.D. Eastern Oregon (5-4, 5-5) at UM-Western (4-5, 4-5)
in Dillon
Southern Oregon (6-3, 6-4) at Montana Tech (3-6, 3-6) in Butte
2013 Frontier Conference Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Carroll College 1. Montana Tech 3. Southern Oregon 4. Rocky Mountain College 5. MSU-Northern 6. Eastern Oregon 7. UM-Western 8. Dickinson State the playoffs for a second straight season. MSU-Northern and UM-Western looked the part of a contender at one time too. Northern reeled off three straight wins at one point, and rose to No. 18 in the NAIA Poll. However, the Lights haven’t won since a Sept. 29 victory at UM-Western, and now they play the role of
Havre Daily News Week 11 Frontier Conference Power Rankings
1. Carroll College 2. Rocky Mountain College 3. Southern Oregon 4. Eastern Oregon 5. MSU-Northern 6. UM-Western 7. Montana Tech 8. Dickinson State spoiler in Saturday’s home finale. Western was ranked No. 15 in the NAIA when the Lights stuffed the Bulldogs in Dillon. And they went reeling from there, losing a total of four straight before finally righting the ship last week against Montana Tech.
� See Notebook Page 12
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Notebook: MSU-Northern closes with Rocky Mountain College on an emotional senior day ■ From Page 11 And in the too-little-too-late department, Eastern Oregon rebounded nicely from an 0-4 start. The Mounties have won five of their last six games, including last Saturday’s 38-37 triumph at SOU. And they are the only team to hand Carroll a loss this season. Yes, it’s been an interesting season, and it’s not over yet. From Carroll reclaiming the Frontier title, to Montana Tech sitting in seventh place in the league after being picked to win the conference for a second straight year, to Rocky playing for its playoff life on the last day of the season, and to Northern trying to get in the Bears’ way, once again, the Frontier has certainly had no shortage of drama in 2013.
The Winner’s Are It will be some time before the 2013 Frontier postseason awards are released, but here’s a look at the front runner’s in the major awards. The Offensive Player of the Year will no doubt be SOU quarterback Austin Dodge for a second straight season. Dodge has thrown for 4,172 yards and 45 touchdowns this season, and he leads the NAIA in both passing and to-
tal offense. Other candidates include Carroll running back Dustin Rinker and Rocky QB Bryce Baker, but Dodge’s numbers are just too gaudy to ignore. The Defensive Player of the Year award is a little more muddled, but at the top of the list is Carroll linebacker Shawn Blomquist. The junior OLB has 90 total tackles this season, while he leads the Frontier in tackles for loss. Blomquist has also scored several touchdowns, including on an interception return and a couple while playing fullback on offense. Others in the running include, Western linebacker Casey Griffith, EOU linebacker Gary Posten and RMC linebackers Josh Johnson and Travis Bertelsen. The Coach the Year nod could go in just about any direction. Of course, Carroll’s Mike Van Diest will be a favorite after quickly turning the Saints right back into a national title contender. But Rocky’s Brian Armstrong, UM-Western’s B.J. Robertson and Northern’s Mark Samson have all done an outstanding job with their respective programs this season too. Senior Day Saturday will be the home and regular sea-
son finale for the Lights, and there’s plenty to play for. Northern will say goodbye to a stellar season class including quarterback Derek Lear, wide receivers Orin Johnson and Brandt Montelius, linebackers Jordan Van Voast and David Arteaga, defensive end Tyler Phillips, cornerback Josh Baum and offensive linemen Rostyn Pace and Alex Cummings. But it won’t just be a sentimental goodbye in Havre. The Lights can get to the .500 mark with a win over Rocky, something that hasn’t happened in four years. Northern also has a three-game losing streak going against the Bears, and perhaps even more importantly, the Lights can essentially end any chance RMC has of making the NAIA playoffs with a win Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. So there’s plenty of motivation for the Lights heading into their senior day game. Northern lost a heartbreaker to RMC back in October in Billings, a game in which the Lights’ offense moved the ball well on a stout Rocky defense, but struggled with three turnovers. MSU-N’s defense also played well in the 23-13 loss at Herb Klindt Field. The Lights held the Bears to just 362 total yards in the game, which is over 100 yards below RMC’s season average, while Baker was lim-
ited to one of his least productive outings of the season. And while RMC and Northern have two of the top defenses in the Frontier, expect offensive fireworks Saturday. Rocky is fighting for its playoff life, and will likely pull out all the stops. Meanwhile, Northern will go out swinging too. The Lights have shown flashes of brilliance on offense all season long, and with playmakers like Johnson, Montelius, Dylan Woodhall, Jake Messerly and running back Zach McKinley, the Lights are more than capable of lighting up the scoreboard one more time. Coming Home A pair of former Hi-Line standouts will be in Blue Pony Stadium for Saturday’s finale between Northern and RMC. Former Havre Blue Pony Casey Schaub is an H-back for the Bears, and he’s seen action in eight games this season. Schaub is listed as having caught three passes for 14 yards on the season. Also, former Chester/J-I Bryant Ceynar is backup WR for RMC. Ceynar has seen action in two games this season and has one catch to his credit.
Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern senior Brandt Montelius drives for a catch during a Frontier Conference football game Nov. 2 at Blue Pony Stadium. Montelius and the rest of the Northern seniors will be honored before this Saturday's game against Rocky Mountain College.