Montana East-West Shrine Game Rosters Announced

BUTTE — Head coach Grady Bennett of State AA football champion Kalispell Glacier will be aiming to lead the West to its sixth-straight Montana East-West Shrine Game victory this coming summer.

Rosters for the annual game, which will be the 79th version of the contest, are traditionally announced on Christmas Day.

Kickoff is set for Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Naranche Stadium in Butte.

While Bennett will be guiding the West team, Hunter Chandler of Bozeman Gallatin will lead the East squad. Bennett played in the Shrine Game in 1986, was an assistant coach for the West in 1997 and 2007 and was the head coach for the West in 2012 per a news release announcing the all-star selections. 

During the 2025 contest in Great Falls, the West earned a 14-7 triumph for its fifth-straight win in the series. The East leads the all-time series 41-37. 

Annually, the game, which according to the press release announcing the rosters is one of the oldest high school all-star football games in the United States, is a fundraiser for the Shriners Children’s hospital in Spokane, Washington.

Overall, 40 of Montana’s best graduating senior football players are selected to compete on each squad and two players from Canada will join them; one for the East and another for the West.

Players making up the East and West squads were nominated by their schools and coaches before being selected to play in the game. 

79th Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game

Saturday, June 20, 2026, 7 p.m.

Naranche Stadium, Butte

East Roster

C: Max Spangler, Havre; Ty Steinmetz, Bozeman.

G: Tommy Lewis, Havre; Kingston Oe, Laurel; Andrew Linder, Glasgow.

T: Carson Ross, Bozeman Gallatin; Tyton Larsen, Billings Central; Brandon Schoenen, Great Falls; Bradon Healy Jr., Havre.

TE: Logan Humphrey, Bozeman; Merrick Fisher, Billings Skyview.

WR: Wesley Ehret, Belgrade; Elias Bonner, Billings West; William Snell, Billings Central; Drew Etcheberry, Great Falls CMR; Grady Neilson, Glasgow.

RB: Curtis Fox, Laurel; Aiden Salter, Billings Central.

QB: Howie Martin, Billings Central.

DT: Peyton Fenner, Great Falls CMR; Parker Warner, Billings Senior; Darwin Spotted, Bozeman Gallatin.

DE: Colter Devoss, Great Falls; Jace Bantz, Grass Range; Deisel Zallar, Bozeman Gallatin; Cooper Axtman, Scobey.

ILB: Hunter Lee, Great Falls CMR; Layne Alexander, Billings Central; Charles Beach, Calgary, Alberta.

OLB: Sam Talbot, Bozeman Gallatin; Peyton Cicero, Billings West.

CB: Evan Hughen, Bozeman; Bobby Gutzman, Bozeman Gallatin; Gavin Schwend, Billings West; Deagan Lehfeldt, Billings Senior.

S: Dawson Hammond, Malta; Kougar Kappel, Red Lodge; Rylan Jennings, Billings Senior; Kyhe Gamas, Glasgow.

P: McKay Shobe, Lewistown.

K: Tanner Vick, Power-Dutton-Brady.

Alternates: Damen Furthmyre, Great Falls; Aiden Burke, Billings West; Jace Pardee, Ekalaka; Rhett Comes, Lewistown; Fin Schultz, Bozeman Gallatin; Trey Daly, Lockwood; Trapper Kinamon, Conrad; Lane Bradley, Billings Senior; Lincoln Senter, Great Falls CMR; Mason Swanson, Red Lodge; Corey Polkowske, Absarokee; Cooper Streit, Chester-Joplin-Inverness; Jet Lafontaine, Billings Central; Nate Davis IV, Lockwood; Wyatt Sugg, Glasgow; Keegan Skjogas, Fairview; Layne Wallace, Fort Benton; Braedden Matthews, Bozeman Gallatin; Trey St. John, Great Falls; Nolan Kammerman, Melstone; Ryland St. John, Chester-Joplin-Inverness; Travis Cartwright, Fairfield; Isaiah Burt, Laurel; Jake Phalen, Miles City; Duke Williamson, Circle; Pierce Caton, Red Lodge; Truman Giese, Fort Benton; Reed Von Stein, Fairfield; Kooper Beard, Huntley Project; Bladen Madel, Great Falls; Kael Aldrich, Billings Central; Krew Hunter, Laurel; CJ Johnson, Billings West; Caleb Taylor, Great Falls CMR.

Head coach: Hunter Chandler, Bozeman Gallatin.

West Roster

C: William Astle, Kalispell Glacier; Everett Stumpf, Hamilton.

G: Sam Akey, Whitefish; Bode Templeton, Missoula Sentinel; Derek Opitz, Helena Capital.

T: Maverick Diede, Kalispell Glacier; Brody Bulette, Polson; Brayden Ricci, Frenchtown.

TE: Cooper Dighans, East Helena; Kade Robinson, Missoula Sentinel.

WR: Hudson Luedtke, Butte; Brody Duchein, Florence; Brody Galle, Anaconda; Easton Brooks, Columbia Falls; Parker Link, Missoula Hellgate.

RB: Asher Knopick, Kalispell Glacier; Cole Moses, Whitefish; Peyton Lorenz, Helena.

QB: Jackson Presley, Kalispell Glacier; Ryan Peoples, Butte Central.

Athlete: Vince Paffhausen, Missoula Hellgate; McCoy Townsend, Darby.

DT: Brady Toner, Manhattan: Holland Jantzen, Bigfork.

DE: Evan Pyron, Missoula Hellgate; Henry Griffin, Frenchtown; Bridger Alexander, Florence.

ILB: Brit Linder, Helena Capital; Aaron Anderson, Whitefish; Konnor Klimpel, Frenchtown.

OLB: Jack Robinson, Kalispell Glacier; Treker Hickey, Bigfork; Blake Williams, Missoula Big Sky; Cole McInnis, Calgary, Alberta.

CB: Brady Williams, Missoula Big Sky; Cameron LeProwse, Missoula Sentinel; Riley Shulte, Helena.

S: Rudy Hess, Missoula Sentinel; Mitch Verlanic, Butte; Cormack Batt, Missoula Big Sky; Cal Marceau, Missoula Big Sky.

Alternates: Derek Brovold, Seeley-Swan; Noah Blom, Helena Capital; Trenton Moreni, Dillon; Nick Kantorowicz, Helena; Wyt Oliver, Three Forks; Barrett Bessette, St. Regis; Jace Wiseman, Three Forks; Holden Emerson, Polson; Bailey Corette, Frenchtown; Owen Felton, Missoula Loyola; Kyler Kossman, Kalispell Flathead; Wayne Cox, Kalispell Glacier; Carson Pesek, Missoula Big Sky; Travis Dye, Anaconda; Adam Guajardo, Missoula Big Sky; Rogan Lytle, Eureka; Joe Grunow, Missula Loyola; Kyler Bailey, Manhattan; Hank Hagenbarth, Dillon; Kolten Zurmuehlen, Seeley-Swan; Sam Cohea, Missoula Hellgate; Drew Esponda, Helena; Ethan Kastelitz, Kalispell Glacier; Levi Winters, Florence; Hagen Paddock, East Helena.

Head coach: Grady Bennett, Kalispell Glacier. 

This story originally appeared at 406mtsports.com.