Page 69 - Flathead Beacon // 8.20.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
FLATHEAD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW
AUGUST 20, 2014 | 69
Bigfork Bustling with Talent,Athleticism
WITH A PLAYMAKER QB AND LOADS OF SKILL, THE VIKINGS REMAIN A PERENNIAL PLAYOFF CONTENDER
T odd Emslie shies away from predictions. But one thing he’s not afraid of declaring is that this year’s Bigfork Vi-
kings will be fun to watch. With an athletic and agile quarterback in Josh Sandry, and a team full of state champion basketball players and track
standouts, it’s not hard to imagine.
Bigfork is back on the field with high hopes and plenty of enthusiasm as anoth- er fall season approaches. The team’s first
game is Sept. 5 at home against Choteau. A year ago, Bigfork
achieved its first unde- feated regular season in 25 years and finished 9-1 after falling in the quarterfinal round of the Class B state playoffs.
Then in the winter, the boys basketball team won the state champion- ship, the program’s first.
Spring had its fair share of successes, too.
The widespread suc- cess should carry over to yet another exciting foot- ball season.
“I’m excited. We’re
ready to roll,” Emslie, the head coach, said. “Our expectations are that No. 1 it stays fun and No. 2 that we are able to compete in every football game. We’ve been able to do that the last few years. There are some good kids on this team, and if we stay healthy, these kids will be competitive in all of their games. They’ll be a fun team to watch.”
What stands out most about this Vi- kings squad is its athleticism.
“From our linemen to the running backs and linebackers, they’re very athlet- ic,” Emslie said. “They’ll be flying around the ball.”
Sandry is a multi-sport athlete who stepped into the starting quarterback role a year ago and shined immediately. Now
he’s a senior with experience and is coming off a spring track season where he won the Class B high jump state title. He spent the offseason bulking up even more and pre- paring for his final year, which should be a great one.
Last week Sandry verbally committed to play at the University of Montana next fall, according to the Missoulian.
Sandry will have lots of talented receiv- ers at his disposal, including a few basket- ball teammates: Adam Jordt, Jon Landon and Isaac Martel. Vinny Quirk will lead
the rushing attack with a strong line opening up the holes.
“We’ve had kids that have been really good in the weight room this summer,” Emslie said.
Bigfork has devel- oped into a perennial contender in Class B. Since 2010, the team has an overall record of 36-7.
Most of the losses have come in the playoffs against the top teams from the East. Last year, Bigfork scored 22 sec- ond-half points to de-
feat Townsend in the opening round of the playoffs. But in the quarterfinals, Baker came to town and edged out a victory, 34- 28.
Baker went on to play for the champi- onship but lost to Missoula Loyola, which capped another undefeated season with the title, winning 30-13.
Loyola could be a contender once again, along with Fairfield, Conrad, Choteau and Shelby. In the West, Bigfork will try to hold its own among Eureka and Deer Lodge, two teams that could have strong seasons.
ABOVE: Bigfork football head coach Todd Emslie works with players during practice. BEACON FILE PHOTO
HEAD COACH
Todd Emslie (6th season, 40-11)
2013 SEASON
9-1 overall (lost in Class B state quarterfinals to Baker, 34-28)
RETURNING
2014 SCHEDULE
SEPT. 5 SEPT. 12 SEPT. 19 SEPT. 26 OCT. 3 OCT. 10 OCT. 17 OCT. 24
BIGFORK VIKINGS
7P.M. CHOTEAU
7P.M. AT FLORENCE-CARLTON 7P.M. AT RONAN
7P.M. SHELBY
7P.M. AT TROY
7P.M. PLAINS*
7P.M. AT EUREKA
7P.M. THOMPSON FALLS
*HOMECOMING
STANDOUTS
Josh Sandry, Sr., QB/DB; Vinny Quirk, Sr., RB; Tyler Iverson, Sr., OL; Adam Jordt, Sr., WR/DB; Jon Landon, Sr., WR/DB; Logan Mejak, Sr., DE
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