Page 60 - Flathead Beacon // 8.17.16

BATTLE IN THE BIG SKY
YOUNG AND HUNGRY GRIZZLIES POISED FOR PLAYOFF CONTENTION
BIGFORK NATIVE JOSH SANDRY READY TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN MAROON AND SILVER
PLAYERS TO WATCH
J osh Sandry had a simple list of personal goals this summer: bigger, faster,
stronger.
As Montana Grizzly
fans are about to nd out, the Bigfork native was successful.
Sandry, a redshirt freshman, is eager and ready to begin his tenure in maroon and silver. He won’t have to wait, either. The former all-state Viking is entering fall camp as a possible starter and de - nite backup at safety.
“I’m pretty happy with where I’m at and with where the team is at,” he said last week.
“All the hard work we put in in the summer and spring, I think it will pay o big time for us. We have a really tal- ented team.”
Sandry and the Griz football team are gearing up for the new football sea- son, set to kicko Sept. 3 at home under the lights against Saint Francis.
Montana enters the fall highly touted
once again, landing in a tie for second
in the Big Sky Conference preseason
coaches’ poll and 13th in the nation in the preseason FCS poll.
There is plenty to be excited about at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Senior quarterback Brady Gustafson is poised for a big year leading head coach Bob Stitt’s break-neck o ense and the Griz defense returns the conference’s preseason player of the year in Caleb Kidder.
But it’s emergent talent like Sandry’s that could put the Griz- zlies back into the playo s for an FCS-best 24th time. The Griz are looking for new, young players to ll several key holes. Stitt is working with a roster nearly half made up of new faces after Montana graduated several standouts like receivers Jamaal Jones and Ellis Henderson and defensive lineman Tyrone Holmes, who was named the top defender in the FCS a year ago.
“I loved the tempo of the practice,” Stitt said after the rst practice of the fall last week. “Everybody was upbeat and we were very, very sharp for being a rst day. We threw a lot of stu at the guys, especially on o ense, and we looked good. It looked like we’ve been practicing for 10 days. The kids have done a good job this summer, and these new guys have really, really worked on what we’re doing.”
Sandry can vouch for the summer preparation. A large group of players spent the last few months in Missoula training and preparing.
“We’ve been working all summer and we’ve had some good lifts,” Sandry said.
Sandry added over 10 pounds of muscle onto his 6-foot-1 frame in the last year, ready to hold his own at the next level.
“You can always improve in any area of the game. I’m just trying to get bigger, faster, stronger, and learn the playbook and where to go.”
It was a dream come true to land an opportunity to play for the Grizzlies, which was Sandry’s favorite childhood team. Now the chance is here and he’s ready to capitalize on it.
“It was very nerve-wracking at rst, but I’ve just been watch- ing a lot of lm and getting comfortable,” he said. “A lot of the older guys have been really helpful. They got con dence in me
MONTANA
Brady Gustafson fakes a hando .
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
“ALL THE HARD WORK WE PUT IN IN THE SUMMER AND SPRING, I THINK IT WILL PAY OFF BIG TIME FOR US. WE HAVE A REALLY TALENTED TEAM.” JOSH SANDRY, MONTANA RS FRESHMAN SAFETY
JOHN NGUYEN
#20 | Senior | 5-7, 186 lbs
Nguyen (pronounced “win”) is Montana leading returning rusher and punt returner. This speedy, versatile player developed into the Grizzlies’ go-to back last season, tallying 855 yards on 184 attempts and garnered honorable mention all-conference. He also had
31 receptions for 159 yards, fth most
on the team. His three biggest games were against top-tier teams — 102 yards against Eastern Washington; 134 against Montana State; and 107 against South Dakota State.
CALEB KIDDER
#37 | R-Junior | 6-5, 275 lbs
This Helena Capital product was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference and
was also tabbed to the STATS FCS All- America second team. Montana’s leading returning tackler from 2015 is moving to defensive end from the defensive tackle position, where he tallied 82 tackles
a year ago. The Grizzlies hope Kidder will be able to follow in the footsteps of Tyrone Holmes, who led the nation with 18 sacks last season and was named the FCS Defensive Player of the Year before graduating.
SAMMY AKEM
#19 | Freshman | 6-4, 188
Yes, he is only a freshman and could be designated a redshirt this fall, but Akem has all the ingredients of turning into the next great Griz receiver. Akem was a football star and track athlete — running the hurdles and sprints — at Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma. His older brother is a standout linebacker
at Oklahoma State. This budding talent could be a few years from breaking out in the Big Sky, but Montana has several holes to ll at receiver, so Akem’s time may arrive sooner than later.
MONTANA
GRIZZLIES
2016 SEASON
Date
SEPT. 3 SEPT. 10 SEPT. 24 OCT. 1 OCT. 8 OCT. 15 OCT. 22 OCT. 29 NOV. 5 NOV. 12 NOV. 19
Opponent
SAINT FRANCIS @NORTHERN IOWA
@ CAL POLY
SOUTHERN UTAH MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ST. SACRAMENTO ST.
@ NORTHERN ARIZONA @ EASTERN WASHINGTON IDAHO ST.
@ NORTHERN COLORADO MONTANA ST.
Time
7 P.M.
3 P.M.
1 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 2:30 P.M. 5 P.M. TBD
TBD NOON TBD
TV
ABC/FOX ABC/FOX ROOT SPORTS ABC/FOX* ABC/FOX ABC/FOX ABC/FOX ROOT SPORTS ROOT SPORTS ABC/FOX ROOT SPORTS
*HOMECOMING
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AUGUST 17, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM