A pair of local quarterbacks are among the Flathead Valley players leading the West all-stars at next summer’s Montana Shrine Game.

Glacier senior Leif Ericksen and Whitefish senior Luke May were named the quarterbacks for the West all-stars.

The 70th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game, the state’s annual all-star football game, is July 16 in Butte.

Rosters for the game were announced Dec. 25.

Whitefish head coach Chad Ross was named the head coach for the West. Ross has been with the Whitefish program for 17 years and as head coach for the last seven, leading the Bulldogs to their first gridiron title since 1979. Chad played his college football at University of Arizona from 1990 to 1994, helping his team to a Pac-10 championship and a Fiesta bowl win over Miami in 1994.

Ross guided Whitefish to the Class A state championship this season, the Bulldogs first since 1979.

Joining Ross and May on the Shrine all-stars are running back Chris Park, wide receiver Jed Nagler; safety Brian FauntLeRoy and defensive end Chaffin Ross.

Other local athletes to be selected are Glacier running back Thomas Trefney; Flathead running back Josh McCracken, Troy running back Sean Opland; Glacier wide receiver Caleb Jones; Glacier offensive lineman Nathan Hammer; Glacier linebacker John Learn; Bigfork defensive back Adam Jordt; Flathead safety CJ Dugan; Columbia Falls lineman Blake Arneson; and Whitefish lineman Steven Quimby.

Players were nominated by their schools and coaches across the state.

Montana’s Shrine game is one of the oldest high school all-star football games in the U.S. Every year since 1947, Montana high schools’ finest players have been selected to compete in a game to raise money and to help make the public aware of the expert orthopedic and burn care available at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Spokane, Washington. In recent years, the Montana game has become one of the top Shrine Games in the nation for hospital donations. The Montana Shrine Game has raised over $400,000 the past six years.

The East Team will be coached by Mike Ludwig from Laurel. Ludwig has been with the Laurel program since 1993 and head coach since 2002 and has been a perennial playoff team in Class A, winning the championship in 2002. Prior to returning to his home town, he was the assistant coach at Butte Central from 1993 to 1997. This is Ludwig’s first opportunity to be at the helm of the East team after assistant coaching the game twice. He will have the chance to coach his son, Connor, an all-state safety who was unanimously selected for the game.

The East all-stars defeated the West 19-14 in last year’s game.

Montana East/West Shrine Roster

West

Offense

QB – Leif, Ericksen, Glacier; Luke May, Whitefish

RB – Michael Banna, Big Sky; Josh McCracken, Flathead; Sean Opland, Troy; Chris Park, Whitefish; Thomas Trefney, Glacier

WR – Tracen Eggers, Twin Bridges; Wil Hunthausen, Helena Capital; Caleb Jones, Glacier; Jed Nagler, Whitefish; Nate Simkins, Dillon

OL – Chase Barta, Manhattan; Brad Brazil, Arlee; Nathan Hammer, Glacier; Gus Herzog, Helena; Austin Pacheco, Bigfork; Dustin Hwam, Ennis; Blake Arneson, Columbia Falls; Steven Quimby, Whitefish

Defense

DL – Jake Michelotti, Butte Central; David Petersen, Capital; Jake Rebish, Sentinel

DE – Chase Benson, Helena; Cole Rosling, Helena Capital; Chaffin Ross, Whitefish; Kyle Schulte, Butte Central

LB – Patrick Bigsam, Arlee; Kyle Finch, Dillon; Riley Lamb, Capital; Trevor Larson, Capital; John Learn, Glacier; Trace Letexier, Boulder; Jace Lewis, Townsend;

DB – Adam Jort, Bigfork; Joe Mueller, Helena;

S – CJ Dugan, Flathead; Brian Fauntleroy, Whitefish; Jared Padmos, Boulder

Spec – Michael Delaney, Charlo; Ted Kubongo, Notre Dame, Calgary

East

Offense

QB – Matthew Blunt, Mile City; Dane Warp, Havre

RB – Conner Bokma, DGS; Andrew Grinde, Great Falls CMR; Sam Sparks, Billings Senior;

WR – Tyger Frye, Billings Senior; Jacob Hadley, Billing Central; Justin May, CJI; Karl Tucker, CMR

TE – Ben Hardy, Fairview

OL– Noah Danielson, Great Falls CMR; Denver Krone, Choteau; Devin Maua, Billings Senior; Matt Packer, Baker; Micah Holt-Seavy, Billings Senior; Jaden Senger, Miles City; Jake Sessions, Colstrip; Levi Stovall, Billings West

Defense

DL – Joel Beck, Fairfield; Trace Bradshaw, Bozeman; Balue Chapman, Bozeman; Payton Guenther, Bozeman; Derek Marks, Belgrade; Kevin Young, Chinook

LB – Ed Baker, Billings Senior; Micahel Jobman, Huntley Project; Jason Leinwand, Billings West; Antonio Lopez, Malta; Payton O’Reilly, Bozeman; Trent Schillings, Sidney; Luke Webber, Forsyth

DB – Kelly Murnion, Jordan; Michael Stanton, Billings Central; Kaleb Tocco, Billings Skyview

S – Connor Ludwig, Laurel; Dallas Mack, Hutnley Project; Will Martel, Bozeman; Tanner Mayer, Fairfield

Spec – Kelton Bailey, Henry Wisewood, Calgary; Jamison Hermanson, Great Falls