MSU-Northern Game Day ~ 9-14-2013

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Notebook: Lights hoping to pick up the offensive pace in home debut against Eastern Oregon ■ From Page 11 First it was Rocky Mountain College shocking defending Frontier champion Southern Oregon. Then it was UM-Western’s turn. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs roared back from a 34-24 deficit against the Red Raiders in Dillon, mainly behind the running of freshman tailback Sam Rutherford, who had 185 yards on the day. The Bulldogs overtook SOU with just over a minute to go, then held off one last drive by SOU quarterback Austin Dodge. It was a statement win for UM-Western head coach B.J. Robertson, as the Bulldogs piled up 404 yards of offense and overcame some major adversity as they saw a 24-12 first-half lead disappear, only to come back from 14 down

in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the loss was a devastating blow for the Raiders. Dodge did throw for nearly 400 yards, but SOU’s scoring efficiency has dipped way down this season, and defensively, the Raiders are struggling. And things don’t get any easier for SOU. This week, SOU plays up, visiting Sacramento State of the Big Sky, then traveling to arch rival EOU on Sept. 21. For Real It’s pretty much time to stop wondering if the Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears and quarterback Bryce Baker are for real. The Bears did exactly what they ere sup-

posed to do Saturday in their home-opener, which was dismantle Dickinson State. In a 56-23 win over the Blue Hawks Saturday in Billings, Baker went a remarkable 22-of-25 passing for 246 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. After three games, Baker ranks first in the NAIA in passing efficiency, total offense and total passing. Rocky’s Andre McCullough is also first in the country in receiving yards and receptions, while the RMC offense ranks first in every major passing category, and is even 11th in the country in rushing. Rocky gets a week off this week, then the first huge hurdle towards a coveted Frontier title comes when the Bears host Carroll College Sept. 21 in Billings. A season ago, Baker

engineered a thrilling win over Carroll in Billings, and if he, and the vaunted RMC offense can do it again in two weeks, the Bears will be a major step closer to a conference championship, and the NAIA playoffs. Famous Cousin When Eastern Oregon comes to Havre this Saturday for the Lights’ home opener, fans will see a familiar last name on the EOU roster. Starting offensive linemen Mana Victorino is a 6-0, 283-pound junior from Kent, Wash. He’s also the cousin of Boston Red Sox outfielder and Major League Baseball allstar Shane Victorino.

Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern junior quarterback Travis Dean played well in the Lights' 31-3 loss last Saturday at Carroll College. Dean, playing in place of the injured Derek Lear, was making his first start for the Lights since the 2010 season.

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He always wanted to be a Light UM-Western is the latest surprise MSU-Northern's Jordan Van Voast is living his dream — From Blue Pony to a Light George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com Growing up in Havre, and spending many days and nights inside Blue Pony Stadium, Jordan Van Voast knew he wanted to play defense for the Lights. In fact, it was all he really wanted to do. But only little did Van Voast know, just a year removed from a stellar career for the Havre Blue Ponies, that his dream of playing linebacker would happen a lot sooner than he ever thought. After a career with the Blue Ponies, which started just one year after Havre High’s magical 2004 state championship,

and included being both a Central A AllConference, and Class A All-State player, Van Voast made the choice to stay in Havre and keep playing games at Blue Pony Stadium – trading in the HHS Blue and White for the Northern Maroon and Gold. “Growing up here, I got to watch those great Northern defenses,” Van Voast said. “I got to watch guys like Dylan Saisbury and coach (Kennedy Anderson), who’s now my linebackers coach, play in Blue Pony Stadium, and right then, that’s really all I wanted to do. It was my dream to play defense for the Lights, and to keep playing football at Blue Pony Stadium. It’s such a great atmosphere, and whether it’s the Ponies or the Lights, Havre fans are so great. They’re always there for us and it’s an amazing experience to play in Blue Pony Stadium.” Van Voast, now a 6-1, 210-pound senior outside linebacker, chose to stay home and play for the Lights over opportunities to play at Montana State and other schools. In his mind, from what he saw growing up, and what he experienced as a Blue Pony, it

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

was a no-brainer. It was something he knew he wanted to do. But what Van Voast didn’t know, was that it wasn’t going to be long until he wasn’t just a young member of the Lights learning to play the game,. Instead, he was going to have to help the Lights win football games almost right away. Following a red-shirt season, Van Voast was thrust into action in the first game of the 2010 campaign, after an injury to Northern starting linebacker (). From there, he wound up playing in all 10 games his first season and totaled 70 tackles, which was third on the team and in the Top 10 in the Frontier. He also registered two sacks, had

We’re only two weeks into the Frontier Conference football season, but already, 2013 is shaping up to be as tumultuous as 2012 was. And just like in 2012, surprise teams are emerging. The Montana State UniversityNorthern Lights have aspirations to be one of those teams, and Saturday’s home-opener against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers will be telling. The Lights have played two games this season, with a win coming against 0-2 Dickinson State, as well as last Saturday’s loss to No. 12 Carroll College in Helena. So having played probably the team struggling the most in the Frontier, as well as the team picked to win the league on its home field, it’s still a little hard to gauge exactly where the Lights fit in the league.

■ See Van Voast Page 6 Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Photo right: Montana State UniversityNorthern senior linebacker Jordan Van Voast is a home grown product, having played for the Havre Blue Ponies, and grew up dreaming of playing for the Lights.

MSU-Northern Lights vs Eastern Oregon Mountaineers Montana State University Northern Location: Havre, MT Nickname: Lights Colors: Maroon and Yellow 2013 record: 1-1 (1-1)

2012 record: 3-7 (3-7) Head coach: Mark Samson Stadium: Blue Pony Stadium Streak: The Lights have

won at least two more home games in September the last four seasons.

Saturday, September 14, 2013 Blue Pony Stadium ~ 1 pm Eastern Oregon University Location: LaGrande, Ore. Nickname: Mounties Colors: Navy Blue and Gold 2013 record: 0-2 (0-1)

2012 record: 4-6 (4-6)

But one thing is for certain, Northern knows it has to pick up the pace offensively. The Lights enter Saturday’s title with EOU (0-2) averaging just seven points per game, which is last in the Frontier. Northern is also gaining just 269 yards of offense which is seventh in the league standings after two games. Perhaps more importantly, the Lights are really struggling once they cross their opponents 50. In a win over DSU, MSU-N marched into Blue Hawk territory on six different possessions, but only scored twice. And last week against Carroll, the Lights came away with just three points in five trips into Saints’ territory. Still, the Lights return to Blue Pony Stadium with a defense playing at a high level. MSU-N is allow-

ing just 14 points per game, and is third in the Frontier in total defense, as well as pass and rush defense. And with an offense that has all the weapons it needs, and back-toback home games against winless squads, the Lights appear poised to really break out. Meanwhile, EOU is kind of a mystery as well. The Mounties played up to open the season, losing badly at Big Sky Conference power Portland State, then lost 23-7 in their home opener to No. 7 Montana Tech. EOU’s offense returns just three starters from a year ago, and it’s shown as it averages just eight points per contest so far. For the second straight year, the Mounties also appear to have not settled on

Today in the Frontier Conference Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers (0-2, 0-1)

At Montana StateUniversity Northern Lights (1-1, 1-1)

Head coach: Tim Camp Stadium: Community Stadium Streak: The Mountaineers have beaten the Lights four straight times dating back to the 2011 season.

No. 7 Montana Tech (1-0, 1-0) at No. 12 Carroll (2-0, 1-0) in Helena, MT

in Dickinson, N.D.

UM-Western (1-0, 10-0) at Dickinson State (0-2, 0-2)

14 Southern Oregon (0-2, 0-2) have bye

Rocky Mountain College (3-0, 3-0) and No. weeks.

2012 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 a starting quarterback, with both red-shirt freshman Zach Bartlow and sophomore T.J. Esekielu seeing nearly equal reps in their first two games. And while EOU has struggled on both offense and defense to start the season, one thing the Mounties continue to excel at is on special teams. Return specialists Kedrick

Havre Daily News Week Three Frontier Conference Power Rankings

1. Carroll College 2. Rocky Mountain College 3. Montana Tech 4. MSU-Northern 5. UM-Western 6. Southern Oregon 7. Eastern Oregon 8. Dickinson State Starr and Chris McGinnis-Parker are a threat to return kicks the distance every time they touch the ball, while EOU already has the leading place kicker and punter in the Frontier. Bulldog Bite

� See Notebook Page 12

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MSU-Northern Rewind

Fighting Saints run away from the Lights George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com HELENA — For 15 minutes, the Montana State University-Northern Lights shut out the mighty Carroll College Fighting Saints. For a half, the Lights were locked in a great defensive battle with another great defensive team. But college football games are a full 60 minutes, and the Saints proved a little too much for Northern in the second act of Saturday’s game at Nelson Stadium. Northern led No. 12 Carroll 3-0 at the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s Frontier Conference game in Helena, but from there, the Saints scored 31 unanswered points on their way to a 31-3 win in front of a big crowd for what was Carroll’s home opener. It was also the Saints’ 16th straight win over the Lights dating back to November of 2006. And while the Saints scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the margin much bigger than it really was, Northern battled hard, especially defensively. MSU-N was still very much in the contest down 17-3 late in the third quarter, but an interception of MSU-N junior Travis Dean, who played the entire game in place of injured starter Derek Lear, ended MSUN’s chance to really make a game of it heading into the fourth quarter. “I’m not ashamed of our effort whatsoever,” MSU-N head coach Mark Samson said. “We played as hard as we could the entire game. And we did some really good things. I was really proud of our defensive effort. I thought Travis Dean did a good job today. Again, the kids played extremely hard against a very solid football team.” The MSU-N defense was the story early on, as the Lights continually stuffed the Carroll running game in the first half. Meanwhile, Dean and the Lights’ offense had the Carroll defense on its heels some in the first 15 minutes. The Lights put together a great second drive, though it stalled out inside the Carroll 20. Junior kicker Jordan Reuschoff broke the ice, though, with a 38-yard field goal to give MSU-N an early 3-0 lead. But the story of the day wound up being missed opportunities to get points for the Lights’ offense. On its third possession of the game, the Lights again marched down the field and into the second quarter, only to have a couple of false-start penalties back things up. Rueschoff would miss a 44-yard attempt, and on Carroll’s ensuing drive, the Saints finally started to move. Carroll chewed up nearly six minutes of the second-quarter clock, but a sack by Weston Mudge and good

stops on Carroll star running back Dustin Rinker forced the Saints to settle for a 38-yard field goal of their own and a 3-3 tie. However, the Saints didn’t wait until the second half to break that tie. Rinker busted off the longest run of the day, a 27-yard scamper, and Carroll senior Dakota Stonehouse started to heat up in the passing game. And when he found freshman wide receiver Kyle Griffith on a corner route from 17 yards out, the Saints had seemingly wrestled all of Northern’s momentum away, taking a 10-3 lead into halftime. “Our defense did a really good job of stopping the run for most of the game,” Samson said. “We got some good penetration and I thought we got a pretty good pass rush early on. But Carroll made some nice adjustments, and Stonehouse threw the ball really well. But all-in-all, I thought we got a great defensive effort today, and I think we’ll learn a lot from this game.” Big, but Northern was nowhere near out of the game. The Lights immediately stopped Carroll’s first two possessions of the second half, but the Saints defense was playing equally as good. And then, late in the third quarter, Stonehouse fired the shot that would put Northern almost too far behind. With MSU-N really bottling up Rinker, Stonehouse looked to the air and found Anthony Clarke streaking up the right side for what would be a 56-yard touchdown and a 17-3 Carroll lead. Down 14 points, Northern had to have an answer and the Lights nearly did. With 5:05 left in the third period, Dean calmly marched the Lights on a great drive which was set up by a long kickoff return by Dylan Woodhall. Dean hit Brandt Montelius on a key third-down conversion for 12 yards, while Orin Johnson ripped off a 15-yard run on a direct snap. Later, two big Jai Johnson runs had Northern with a goal-to-goal situation inside the Saints’ 10-yard-line. However, that drive was thwarted by a James Dowgin interception on the goal line, the first of two disheartening picks against the Lights in the second half. And Carroll made Northern pay for both mistakes. The Saints quickly scored to start the fourth quarter as Rinker broke loose on a 17-yard run to go up 24-3. Then, after a second interception of Dean in the endzone ended another long drive by the Lights, the Saints milked the clock for nearly seven minutes and put the game on ice with an 11-yard TD run by Colter Rood. “The biggest thing that hurt us today was not scoring when we had those opportunities,” Samson said. “I said coming in, you have to score

points against really good teams, and we didn’t do that today. And we had chances. But we made some mistakes in the redzone, and you can’t do that against Carroll. We had some opportunities to put points on the board, we just missed on getting a couple of interceptions of our own, and we had a few too many penalties that were costly. “But we’ll learn from those mistakes and be a better football team going forward. I really believe that.” Offensively, Carroll out-gained Northern 404-287, but most of the Saints’ yardage came in the final 30 minutes. Making his first start in nearly three years, Dean, who has battled injury problems for much of his career, went 18-of-38 for 209 yards and two INT’s. Montelius had five catches for 67 yards, while Orin Johnson added five catches for 55 yards. Lavorick Williams also had four grabs on the day. Northern was effective running the ball early on, but Carroll wound up allowing the Lights just 78 yards on the ground. Zach McKinley had 37 yards and Jai Johnson added 26 yards. “Offensively, we did some things well,” Samson said. “I don’t think we ran the ball well enough, and in the second half, their pressure started to get to us because we had to throw more. But I thought Travis did a good job and our receivers made some nice plays today.” The Saints wound up totaling 192 yards rushing, though the Lights held Rinker to just 68 yards on 18 carries. Rinker rushed for nearly 300 yards in two games against the Lights last season, including 234 yards in a 35-7 Carroll win last October in Helena. Stonehouse had his second straight strong game, going 15-of-23 for 212 yards, two TD’s and no turnovers. He didn’t hurt the Lights with his feet on Saturday, but he made enough big plays to help his team pull away. Mudge had a breakout day for the MSU-N defense. Up against a huge Carroll offensive line, he totaled five tackles and two sacks. Senior Logan Nathe, a Helena native, totaled a game-high eight tackles, while Josh Baum had six. Both Josh and Trevor Baum each had key pass deflections, while Trevor also had an outstanding day punting. The Lights fell to 1-1 in the Frontier, but will finally make their longawaited home debut Saturday against Eastern Oregon. “This was a great test to see where we’re at and where we need to be,” Samson said. “Carroll is a very good football team, and for much of the game, we played pretty darn well. So again, I’m not worried about us at all. I think we’ll learn from this, and we will be a better football team."

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Frontier Conference Standings Conf. WL Rocky Mountain 2-0 Carroll College 1-0 Montana Tech 1-0 UM-Western 1-0 MSU-Northern 1-1 Eastern Oregon 0-1 Dickinson State 0-2 Southern Oregon 0-2

Overall WL 3-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-1 0-2 0-2 0-2

Saturday, Sept. 7 Carroll College 31, MSU-Northern 3 Rocky Mountain 56, Dickinson State 23 UM-Western 38, Southern Oregon 34 Montana Tech 23, Eastern Oregon 7 Saturday, Sept. 14 MSU-Northern vs Eastern Oregon Carroll College vs Montana Tech Dickinson State vs UM-Western

NAIA Top 25 1. Morningside (Iowa) (4) 2. Marian (Ind.) (8) 2. Missouri Valley (1) 4. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 5. Saint Francis (Ind.) 6. Georgetown (Ky.) 7. Montana Tech 8. Cumberlands (Ky.) 9. Bethel (Tenn.) 10. MidAmerica Nazarene 11. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 12. Carroll (Mont.)

2012Pts 13-1 280 12-1 267 12-1 267 11-2 260 9-3 239 10-1 231 8-3 230 10-2 216 9-4 181 8-3 176 9-2 170 7-4 169

Rnk 2 1 3 4 6 8 11 7 9 12 10 18

13. Northwestern (Iowa) 14. Southern Oregon 15. Baker (Kan.) 16. William Penn (Iowa) 17. Tabor (Kan.) 18. Ottawa (Kan.) 19. Grand View (Iowa) 20. Doane (Neb.) 21. Belhaven (Miss.) 22. Evangel (Mo.) 23. Langston (Okla.) 24. Benedictine (Kan.) 25. Cumberland (Tenn.)

9-3 9-3 8-3 9-3 8-2 8-3 8-3 7-3 6-5 7-4 6-4 7-4 8-3

161 151 138 129 115 92 88 61 56 46 34 26 24

13 5 14 15 19 16 17 21 -23 -22 20

Others receiving votes: : St. Francis (Ill.) 17; Robert Morris (Ill.) 16; Bacone (Okla.) 16; Valley City State (N.D.) 15; Friends (Kan.) 9; Kentucky Christian 9; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 3; Nebraska Wesleyan 3.

Frontier Conference Individual Leaders For 2013

Passing: Bryce Baker, RMC, 343 ypg Receiving: A. McCullough,RMC, 121 ypg Receptions: A. McCullough, RMC, 18 Rushing: Sam Rutherford, UM-W, 185 ypg Tackles: Kasey Griffith, UM-W, 17 tpg Sacks: Three tied with 2 (Nathe & Mudge) INT's: James Dowgin, CC, 3 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

Eastern Oregon Defensive Starters

MSU-N Offensive Numbers

EOU Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 7 ppg, Last in Frontier. Total offense: 269 ypg, 6th in Frontier.

Orin Johnson #4, 6-0, 200 Receiver

Karsen Garcia #23, 5-8, 180 Cornerback

Rushing: 129 ypg, 3rd in Frontier

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MSU-Northern Defensive Starters

Eastern Oregon Offensive Starters EOU Offensive Numbers

MSU-N Defensive Numbers

Scoring: 40 ppg, Last in Frontier

Scoring: 14 ppg, 3rd in Frontier

Total defense: 542 ypg, Last in Frontier

Total defense: 265 ypg, 3rd in Frontier.

Rush defense: 300 ypg, Last in Frontier

Rushing: 129 ypg, 3rd in the Frontier

Scoring: 12 ppg, 6th in Frontier Tanner Varner #10, 5-11, 195 Cornerback

Jace Billingsley

#7, 5-9, 185 Receiver

Total offense: 330 ypg, 6th in Frontier Passing: 196 ypg, 3rd in Frontier

Mana Victorino #65, 6-0, 283 Offensive line

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 48-50 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

Kyle Petheram #56, 6-1, 243 Defensive end

Tyler Craig #91, 6-1, 240 Defensive end Mat Gaymen #44, 6-1, 225 Linebacker

David Arteaga

#21, 5-11, 225 Linebacker Adam Bese #29, 6-0, 190 Safety

Zach McKinley #24, 5-11, 210 Running Back

Derek Lear #5, 5-11, 190 Quarterback

Shomari Burton #70, 6-2, 300 Center

Parker Lawson #93, 6-3, 271 Nose tackle

Dylan Murphy #71, 6-6, 300 Right tackle

Kyle Lanoue #92, 6-1, 260 Defensive tackle

Gary Poston #49, 6-1, 210 Linebacker

Logan Nathe #45, 6-1, 230 Defensive tackle KamiKanehailua #42, 6-1, 235 Linebacker

Ryan Watson #32, 5-11, 215 Linebacker Ronnie Flowers #30, 5-9, 170 Safety

Rostyn Pace #74, 6-3, 275 Right guard

Josh Baum #2, 6-1, 205 Free Safety

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

Justin McKague #91, 6-1, 225 Defensive end

Tim Camp EOU Head Coach

Emory Jones #68, 5-11, 270 Offensive line

Garek Stuart #74, 6-0, 270 Offensive line

Zach Bartlow #4, 6-0, 195 Quarterback

Chris McGinnis-Parker

#10, 5-7, 185 Running back

Nick Huelter #66, 6-2, 285 Offensive line

Komo Thiara #54, 6-6, 270 Offensive line

Justin Hernandez #19, 6-0, 190 Receiver Andrew Woody #82, 6-0, 220 Tight end

John Jansen #44, 6-3, 250 Tight end Jordan Rueschoff #14, 6-2, 185 Kicker

Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Punter

Lavorick Williams #3, 6-2, 195 Receiver

Camp enters his fifth season at EOU. Camp's collegiate coaching career began in the fall of 1996 at Western Oregon University, where he coached the offensive line, tight ends and special teams. Sewanee, Tenn. In 2000, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Coach Camp served on the EOU staff for two seasons prior to becoming the head coach.

Marc David

Nick Magrone #9, 5-10, 185 Cornerback

Trevor Baum #1, 6-1, 200 Corner

Joshua Richards #21, 5-10, 170 Receiver

#43, 6-0, 180 Kicker

Paul Blakely

#98, 6-0, 210 Punter

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Eastern Oregon Numerical Roster No.Name Pos. 1 Kedrick Starr WR 2 Luis Ortiz WR 4 Zach Bartlow QB 5 Alexander Miles WR 6 Dominique Blackman 7 Jace Billingsley WR 8 TJ Esekielu QB 9 Nick Magrone DB 10 Chris McGinnis-Parker 11 Ray Walser QB 12 Dalton Estes DB 13 Marcus Hamlin LB 14 Jared Berry WR 15 Steffin Church QB 16 Ryan Fassler QB 17 Austin Foteff DB 18 John Payne DB 19 Justin Hernandez WR 20 Matt Stone RB 21 Joshua Richards WR 22 Mahonri Bostrom RB 23 Karsen Garcia DB 24 A.J. Prom RB 25 Justin Robie RB 26 JT Capers LB 27 Byron Benson DB 28 Jesus Retano DB 29 Adam Bese DB 30 Ronnie Flowers DB 31 Nick Thompson DB 32 Matt Gayman LB 33 Vincent Wagner DB 34 Frank Lopez RB 35 Ryan Watson LB 36 Dillon Sabados K 37 Jared Jensen LB 38 Cameron Robak DB 39 Kody Bartlett LB 40 Dalton Morgan LB 41 Tyson Fernstrom DB 42 Patrick Stanley DB 43 Anthony Lyngar LB 44 Kalliy Ceesay LB 45 Jacob Batke LB 46 Luis Aguilar LB 47 Tucker Stanley LB 48 Marc David K 49 Gary Posten LB 50 Kristopher Welch LB 51 Michal Arenas LB 52 Tito Mose LB 53 Jake Evans LB 54 Komo Thiara OL 55 Kaleb Schrank LB 56 Kyle Petheram DL 57 Morris Capers DL 58 Dustin Spencer LB 59 Michael Krafsig OL 60 Kyle Hall DL 61 Kevin Lusk DL 62 Tyler McCurdy OL 63 Mitch Staeffler OL 64 Chris Lees OL 65 Manaokalani Victorino 66 Nick Huelter OL 67 Travis Jones DL

Year SR JR R-FR SO QB SO R-JR SR RB SR R-FR SO FR FR FR SR R-FR JR FR R-FR JR SR FR FR R-SO SO R-FR R-SO JR SR SR JR SO JR R-FR FR JR FR R-FR SO SO R-FR FR FR JR FR SO R-SO R-SO FR FR R-FR R-SO FR SR FR FR SR FR JR FR FR SR OL R-SO FR

Ht. 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-10 JR 5-9 5-10 5-10 SR 6-3 5-9 5-11 5-9 6-1 5-11 5-9 5-8 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-9 5-8 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-11 5-7 5-9 6-0 5-7 5-8 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-6 5-8 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 JR 6-2 5-11

Wt. 175 174 195 183 6-5 185 205 185 5-7 215 170 215 165 205 175 180 170 190 180 170 190 180 190 195 187 165 177 195 170 163 215 167 190 220 150 190 190 180 229 195 185 225 212 200 215 200 180 210 220 205 215 215 270 205 243 200 220 276 270 265 250 277 300 6-0 285 230

Hometown Meridian, Idaho Meridian HS Hermiston, Ore. Hermiston HS Waitsburg, Wash. Waitsburg Meridian, Idaho Mountain View HS 257 Los Angeles, Calif. Carson HS Winnemucca, Nev. Lowry HS Federal Way, Wash. Todd Beamer Portland, Ore. Parkrose HS 185 Stockton, Calif. Chavez HS Mount Vernon, Wash. Mount Ver Prescott, Wash. Waitsburg HS Seattle, Wash. West Seattle HS Bothell, Wash. Bothell HS Covington, Wash. Kentlake Prosser, Wash. Prosser HS Gladstone, Ore. Gladstone HS Camas, Wash. Camas HS Lapwai, Idaho Lapwai HS Bainbridge Island, Wash. Bainbridge Tacoma, Wash. Southridge HS Nampa, Idaho Nampa HS Placentia, Calif. Valencia HS Portland, Ore. Gladstone HS Grangeville, Idaho Grangeville Bellevue, Wash. Interlake HS Kent, Wash. Kentridge HS Culver, Ore. Culver HS Kent, Wash. Kentwood HS Kent, Wash. Kentwood HS Imbler, Ore. Imbler HS Auburn, Wash. Mountain View HS Kent, Wash. Auburn Mountain View Ontario, Ore. Ontario HS Yakima, Wash. Eisenhower HS Eagle, Idaho Eagle HS Lovelock, Nev. Pershing County HS Tacoma, Wash. Stadium HS Finley, Wash. Riverview HS Benton City, Wash. Kiona-Benton Hillsboro, Ore. Hillsboro HS Kuna, Idaho Kuna HS Meridian, Idaho Mountain View HS Seattle, Wash. Roosevelt HS Hillsboro, Ore. Liberty HS Truckee, Calif. Truckee HS Napavine, Wash. Napavine HS Spokane, Wash. Mead HS Emmett, Idaho Emmett HS Finley, Wash. River View HS Winnemucca, Nev. Lowry HS Seattle, Wash. Auburn Mountainview Boise, Idaho Centennial HS Kent, Wash. Kentwood HS Yakima, Wash. East Valley HS Bainbridge Island, Wash. Bainbridge Bellevue, Wash. Interlake HS Sandy, Ore. Sandy HS Vancouver, Wash. Mountain Kennewick, Wash. Riverview Battle Ground, Wash. Battle Boise, Idaho Borah HS Rainier, Ore. Rainier HS Agoura Hills, Calif. Agoura HS 283 Kent, Wash. Kentwood Rainier, Ore. Rainier HS Stanwood, Wash. Stanwood

No.Name Pos. 68 Emory Jones OL 70 Bennett Muasau DL 71 Daniel Porter Benavides OL 72 Tyler Deskins OL 74 Garek Stuart OL 75 Jordan Runkel OL 76 Daniel Powell DL 77 Loren Endsley OL 78 Tim Olmsted OL 80 Josh Bostrom WR 81 Damond Coles WR 82 Andrew Woody TE 83 Logan Deroin TE 84 Rian Miller WR 86 Deacon Starr WR 87 Brandon Wynne WR 88 Marquelle Henderson 89 Geoff Petties WR 90 Reece Stanley DL 91 Justin McKague DL 92 Kyle Lanoue DL 93 Parker Lawson DL 94 Logan Reardon DL 95 Ricardo Castillo DL 96 Mike Wood DL

Year SR FR FR FR JR JR FR JR JR R-FR FR JR R-FR JR SO JR TE JR R-FR SR SO JR FR FR JR

Ht. 5-11 5-9 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-2 5-4 6-0 5-9 SR 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-3

Wt. 270 310 295 275 270 300 270 300 250 180 175 220 186 150 190 165 6-1 173 245 225 260 271 250 185 215

Hometown Boise, Idaho Borah HS Vancouver, Wash. Mountain Walla Walla, Wash. Black Diamond, Wash. Kent Lake HS Lake Stevens, Wash. Lake Stevens Everett, Wash. Cascade HS Vancouver, Wash. Columbia Coeur d' Alene, Idaho Lake City HS Nampa, Idaho Nampa High School Nampa, Idaho Nampa HS Tukwila, Wash. Foster HS Green River Springfield, Ore. Thurston HS Meridian, Idaho Mountain View HS Auburn, Wash. Federal Way HS Meridian, Idaho Meridian HS Pittsburg, Calif. Dublin HS 235 Twin Falls, Idaho Birmingham Linden, Calif. Linden HS Napavine, Wash. Napavine HS Boise, Idaho Borah HS Bremerton, Wash. Central Friday Harbor, Wash. Friday Har Walla Walla, Wash. Walla Walla Finley, Wash. Riverview HS Thompson Falls, Mont. Thompson

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MSU-Northern Numerical Roster No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. 1 Trevor Baum JR DB/P 6-1 2 Josh Baum SR DB 6-1 3 Lavorick Williams SR WR 6-1 4 Orin Johnson SR WR 6-0 5 Derek Lear SR QB 5-11 6 Nick Luoma JR WR 6-3 7 Dylan Woodhall FR WR 5-9 8 Travis Dean SO QB 6-0 10 Tanner Varner SR DB 5-10 11 Garrett Jericoff FR DB 5-9 12 Trace Brady FR DB 5-11 13 Butch Hyder JR DB 6-0 14 Jordan Rueschhoff JR K 6-2 16 Austin Walker FR QB 6-2 17 Jake Messerly FR WR 6-1 18 James Erickson FR WR 6-0 19 Dylan Barney FR DB 6-0 21 Victor Fermin JR DB 6-0 22 Mario Gabbato FR RB 5-8 23 Jai Johnson JR RB 5-9 24 Zach Mckinley FR RB 5-10 25 David Arteaga SR LB 5-11 26 Michael McCrary JR DB 5-9 30 Austin Schroeder FR LB 6-1 32 Justin Fritz FR FB/LB 6-1 34 Hunter Chandler JR DB 5-9 35 Jesse Morales FR LB 6-1 36 Jake Criner JR TE 6-1 40 Jordon Van Voast SR LB 6-1 41 Chance Nevarez JR FB 5-11 42 Kaimi Kanehailua JR LB 6-1 43 Tyler Phillips SR DL 6-2 44 John Jansen JR TE 6-3 45 Logan Nathe SR DE 6-1 46 Karsten Peterson FR LB 6-2 47 Jordan Brusio FR DE 6-0 50 Marc Evans SO DL 6-1 51 Zach Bangert SO OL 6-2 53 Austin Rychner FR DL 5-10 54 Owen Debruycker FR LB 5-11 56 Josh Jones SO LB 5-10 58 Adolfo Robles FR OL 6-2 59 Chase Vestre FR DL 6-2 66 Alex Cummings SR OL 6-0 68 Patrick Kiser JR OL 6-2 70 Shomari Burton JR OL 6-2

Wt. 195 205 195 200 190 210 175 195 200 180 185 190 185 225 185 185 170 175 175 205 205 230 170 225 215 188 190 245 210 245 235 230 245 230 205 210 245 270 235 225 220 285 215 270 295 305

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 Bremerton, WA

No. Name 71 Dylan Murphy 74 Rostyn Pace 75 Wes Ostby 77 Pete Morales 78 Matthew Mckeen 80 Logan Mayernick 88 Brandt Montelius 90 Patrick Barnett 91 Tyler Craig 92 Lane Urick 94 Weston Mudge 95 Will Devos

Yr. Pos. Ht. SO OL 6-6 SR OL 6-3 SO OL 6-2 FR OL 6-1 SO OL 6-1 SO WR 5-11 SR WR 6-2 FR DL 6-3 FR DL 6-1 FR DL 6-0 FR DL 6-1 JR DL 6-1

Wt. 300 280 295 285 275 170 190 245 240 295 305 260

Hometown 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

2012 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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Sept. 13, 2013

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Sept. 13, 2013

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Van Voast: Former Blue Pony racking up tackles for the Lights

Van Voast: MSU-Northern LB got thrown into the mix early on

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one interception, a forced fumble and recorded three pass breakups. It was a whirlwind of a season, one in which he never thought would happen that soon. But once it did, things took off for the former Blue Pony and he never looked back. “When I got to Northern, I was really nervous, and luckily I red-shirted that first season, because I found out pretty quickly, I wasn’t ready to play at this level,” Van Voast said. “But that next year, when I got called into that game, everything just clicked, and it was because of that red-shirt season, and because of everything I learned that year. I was nervous that first game, but once I made a few tackles, and I realized I understood what was going on, things slowed down for me, and I felt comfortable with it pretty quick. “I was ready because I got a chance to learn so much my first year,” he added. “Stetson Kauffman took me under his wing that season, and I

traveled to the away games with the team. So I was right there all season, and I was really able to absorb a lot.” But learning as a red-shirt isn’t the same as playing against the likes of Carroll College, Montana Tech or, at the time, offensive juggernauts like Eastern Oregon and Rocky Mountain College. But that’s exactly the type of offenses Van Voast faced in what turned out to be a remarkable first season as linebacker for the Lights. “I didn’t expect to play that early,” Van Voast said. “This program has always been deep at linebacker. But I made sure, and the coaches made sure I was ready if I had to, and it turned out that I did have to. And from there, I just ran with it. I never looked back. Once I got in the game, I just kept going, kept working hard and I wanted to be the best player I could be.” Van Voast did indeed run with his chance to shine for the Lights.

After his breakout freshman season, he turned things up a notch in his sophomore campaign. That season, he was fifth in the Frontier in total tackles with 74, to go along with two sacks and two INT’s. He played alongside the great Landry See again that year, a year Northern went 5-5. That season, Van Voast was named Frontier All-Conference for his efforts. As a junior, Van Voast really blossomed into a leader of the Northern defense, where he racked up a career-high 83 tackles to go along with two more sacks. “I think playing so much so early really helped me,” Van Voast said. “I was able to just keep learning and keep improving. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I thought I probably wouldn’t play until my third year here, which would have been my sophomore year. But when I had to go in in that first game, reality really hit me, and it’s

just been a great ride ever since.” A ride Van Voast takes pride in for many reasons. As a senior, he’s looking forward to ending his career on a high note. He wants to help the Lights’ defense, and the entire team atone for

a dismal 2012 season, a season which started with high expectations. He also takes pride in the career he’s cultivated at Northern, one in which he’s now started 31 straight games and racked up 237 total tack-

■ See Van Voast Page 7

Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern linebacker Jordan Van Voast, right, hits an Eastern Oregon ball carrier during the 2011 season in Havre. Van Voast earned First-Team Frontier All-Conference honors that season, and has been among the Frontier leaders in total tackles in each of the last two seasons. Van Voast and the Lights play their first home game of the season, against the Mountaineers Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. For full coverage of MSU-N football games, see the Weekend Sports Roundup in Monday's Havre Daily News.

Havre Daily News/Daniel Horton Montana State University-Northern linebacker Jordan Van Voast, right, hits an Eastern Oregon ball carrier during the 2011 season in Havre. Van Voast will play his first of his final five games at Blue Pony Stadium Saturday against Eastern Oregon. He's been playing football game at Blue Pony Stadium for the better part of a decade now, having played for Havre Middle School, Havre High and now MSU-Northern. For full coverage of MSU-N football games, see the Weekend Sports Roundup in Monday's Havre Daily News.

les. It’s a career which has allowed him to put his name on the list of stout and stellar linebackers to have played before him. “I’ve watched a lot of great linebackers play for Northern growing up, and I’ve gotten the chance to play with many too, guys like Landry See, and last year with James Chandless, and so many guys over my time here. So it feels good to know that I’ve accomplished some good things, and have gotten to learn from so many great players and coaches. “And this year has started off really well for us as a defense,” he added. “I feel like we had a great spring and it carried right over to fall camp. We didn’t miss a step. And we’re improving every day. We know what we have to do and there is no hesitation with anybody on this defense. We have five seniors on this defense and we want to go out with a great season. We want to make up for what happened to us last year. So that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re just trying to all get better every day, and do our jobs and help this football team win.” And having a veteran linebacker like Van Voast will certainly help catapult the Lights’ defense in 2013. And if Northern plays defense all season like it has in its first two games, there’s no question Van Voast, and the rest of the MSU-N defense will have something to be very proud of come November. But even before he plays his last game of a storybook career, there’s one more thing Van Voast is reflective and proud of about his Northern career. He’s proud that he’s been able to carry the Havre torch for the Lights the last five seasons. And he’s proud of all that he’s done inside Blue Pony Stadium. “It’s been great,” Van Voast said. “Playing in Havre, playing at Blue Pony Stadium, it’s a great experience. This community is so supportive, the fans are awesome. The crowds at out games are amazing. They are into it. And then to get to play with all my family right here, it’s just been a great experience. I’m really lucky to have gotten play football in Havre for as long as I have. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”