Page 67 - Flathead Beacon // 8.13.14

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BATTLE IN THE BIG SKY / 8/13/14 / 67
BATTLE
IN THE
BIG SKY
Montana
quarterback Shay
Smithwick-Hann
TODD GOODRICH | COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
BY THE NUMBERS
14
Returning starters for Montana
13
Returning starters for Montana State
15
Big Sky Conference championships won or shared by the Griz since 1993
26-6
The Bobcats’ conference record the last four seasons
24
Consecutive games won by North Dakota State, the three-time defending FCS champions
13
Returning starters for Eastern Washington, the two-time Big Sky Conference champions and 2010 national champions; conference coaches picked the Eagles to win their school-record third straight Big Sky title thanks to a strong group of returnees, including Buck Buchanan nominee and senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin
55
Touchdown passes thrown by Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams last season; the junior quarterback is back as the runner-up finisher for the 2013 Walter Payton Award, which goes to the most outstanding player in the FCS
16
Rushing touchdowns for Montana running back Jordan Canada last season; the senior is the top returning RB in the Big Sky in terms of scoring and among the top five overall rushers.
10.5
Sacks by Southern Utah’s James Cowser last season; the junior defensive end is one of the top returning defenders in the Big Sky and a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Montana State quarterback Jake Bleskin. COURTESY MONTANA STATE
UNIVERSITY
GRIZ FROM PAGE 68
most prolific running backs in school history. Canada enters
his final season ranked fourth in both career rushing yards with 2,228 and career touchdowns with 29.
Along with Canada, senior Travon Van and sophomore John Nguyen both return as solid, athletic backups. There’s also talented redshirt freshman Treshawn Favors, who could surprise fans even with limited minutes.
Johnson also has a few talented weapons at his disposal. Ellis Henderson has garnered a lot of attention leading up to the season as a potential breakout player. The 6-0, 185-pound junior wide receiver and return specialist is one of Johnson’s two favorites targets back for Montana, along with junior Ja- maal Jones. The duo combined for 85 catches, 1,768 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
On defense, Wagenmann is earning praise as one of the best defensive ends in the nation. The 6-3, 255-pound Missou- la native was named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which recognizes the best defenders in the nation. Wagen- mann will start for his third season and serve as a co-captain along senior nose tackle Tonga Takai. Tyrone Holmes is back at the other end, providing Montana one of the best defensive fronts in the conference.
“Our defensive line is as good as anybody in the country. I think they’re the strength of our team,” said Smithwick-Hann. Montana does have a few holes on the offensive line. Three all-league linemen — Danny Kistler Jr. (right tackle), Kjelby Oiland (center), and William Poehls (right guard) —graduat- ed, and the replacements will play a large factor in Johnson’s
success.
“From top to bottom, offense and defense, I think we are
right where we need to be,” head coach Mick Delaney said. “We’ve got to develop some young offensive linemen who have not really had an opportunity to be on the field for the Griz, but they are ready to step up and prove that they can play at this level.”
A few local players are suiting up for Montana, including redshirt junior Derek Crittenden, a defensive end from White- fish. He is the team’s third leading returning tackler. There’s also Jackson Thiebes, a sophomore from Kalispell who was moved from tight end to offensive line this spring. Two incom- ing freshmen, Sean Foley of Whitefish and Evan Epperly of Kalispell are joining the ranks.
BOBCATS FROM PAGE 68
it could see a Kalispell product emerge. Joel Horn, a junior and
former Glacier High School standout, is vying for the key role on the offensive line. He played in all 12 games last year on spe- cial teams and was a reserve lineman.
Barth, who played quarterback and linebacker in high school, has transitioned to tight end and is vying for more minutes on the field this season. He’s also doing long snapping duties as well.
“It’s definitely a lot different than high school,” he said.
Barth said this year’s team is focusing on responding to change and adversity.
“It’s good to see guys step up. Obviously we have some big names to fill in but it’s good to see some people step up to the challenge,” Barth said.
It was apparent during the first week of camp that this year’s Bobcats team will be well conditioned. During the spring and summer, Ash and his staff revamped the physical conditioning program with the goal of ramping up the team’s tempo on the field.
“We’d love to play at a very fast tempo,” Ash said. “We want to play at the tempo that allows us to operate at our best, but being able to play fast is an intriguing option that’s available to us partly because of our physical condition.”
With that in mind, attention is already swirling around speedy running back Shawn Johnson to have a breakout year. Also, Ash is expecting big things from talented wide receiver Brian Flotkoetter.
Kalispell’s Noah James, a former Glacier standout, is play- ing for the Bobcats as a freshman this fall. He joins a roster featuring other local talent, including fellow Glacier alum Luke Halliburton, a sophomore backup defensive lineman; Dillon Fraley of Bigfork, a sophomore reserve offensive line- man; Eric Williamson, a redshirt freshman defensive lineman from Polson; Devin Jeffries, a redshirt freshman backup de- fensive lineman from Kalispell; and Connor Thomas, a sopho- more defensive tackle from Kalispell.
Last year’s squad ended the season on a three-game skid, including a 28-14 loss to rival Montana in the regular-season finale.
This year’s schedule features four-straight home games in the first five weeks, including a matchup with two-time con- ference champ Eastern Washington on Sept. 20.
But as always, the regular season concludes with the most prominent football game in the state of Montana. The 114th Brawl of the Wild is in Missoula on Nov. 22.