Glacier, Flathead football players honored
Years from now, the 2009 football season will stand out in the history books at Glacier High School.
After two seasons with a combined record of 2-18, head coach Grady Bennett’s crew sprouted as a team to watch out for in Class AA. The excitement carried from the summer all the way through the season as the Wolfpack stunned a ranked opponent (at No. 3 Missoula Sentinel, 24-17) and finished tied for third out of 14 teams with a 7-3 record, which clinched the first playoff berth in program history.
The landmark season came to an end in a close game in the opening round of the playoffs, as No. 5-seed Glacier lost 28-14 to No. 4 Billings Skyview on Nov. 6 at Daylis Stadium in Billings.
After the season, a whopping 12 players were honored as all-state (five second-team selections and seven honorable mentions). Three players were named first-team all-conference in Western AA and nine others earned second-team honors.
Season awards were recently handed out and senior center Jake Criner, a second-team all-state selection, received the Alpha Dog Award, which is given to the team’s MVP. Senior running back Scott Sutherland earned the Wolf Award for being the most inspirational player and best teammate.
Offensive Player of the Year honors went to senior quarterback Shay Smithwick-Hann, who finished the season with 1,896 yards and nine touchdowns passing, and 724 yards and 13 scores rushing. Glacier had the fourth best offense in AA with 29.8 points per game and 356 yards per game averages.
Smithwick-Hann will graduate after three years at Glacier with 5,584 yards passing, 37 touchdowns and a 52 percent completion percentage (451-for-861). This season, he was also the second-best punter in the league by average (39.9 yards per punt) and was less than a yard away from being number one.
The Defensive Player of the Year Award went to senior defensive lineman Garrett Conners. Conners finished the season with 65 tackles and a team-high seven sacks.
AT FLATHEAD, the new-look Braves went through a baptism by fire of sorts. With 19 starters from the year before graduated, Flathead battled through inexperience and injuries in a highly competitive year in Class AA.
The Braves finished in 10th place with a 2-8 record after facing seven of the eight teams that made the playoffs. Flathead won its season opener 21-10 at Butte and triumphed over Missoula Hellgate 28-14 at home on Oct. 23.
Flathead still finished with the second best pass defense in the league (140.6 yards per game) and held opponents to 136 total first downs, the third best in AA.
The lone returning all-state player, Connor Thomas, provided the leadership along with a strong senior class of 12 players. Thomas, a junior, earned first-team all-state honors again as an offensive guard along with honorable mention at defensive tackle. He was named the team’s Defensive MVP at the Braves’ postseason banquet.
Senior Trevor Beaman, an honorable mention all-state inside linebacker, received the Warrior Award.
Senior Zach Diest, who was the fifth-best kick returner in AA with 404 yards on 28 returns, was named Special Teams MVP, and also shared the Brave Award with senior Josh Turner.
The Offensive MVP Award went to junior Mike VanArendonk, who started as the Braves’ quarterback before injuring his hand early in the season. VanArendonk came back under center later in the season and filled in for sophomore George Sherwood.
Sherwood, who played receiver when he wasn’t filling in at quarterback, shared the Offensive Award with junior running back Travis Ozegovich.
Junior receiver Ian Gillespie was named the Most Improved Offensive Player, and senior defensive back Dominic Eickert was named the Most Improved Defensive Player.
2009 Team Awards
Glacier
Alpha Dog Award - Jake Criner, senior, OL
Wolf Award - Scott Sutherland, senior, RB
Team Captains - Shay Smitwick-Hann, Connor Fuller, Jake Criner
Offensive Player of the Year - Shay Smithwick-Hann, senior, QB/P
Defensive Player of the Year - Garrett Conners, senior, DL
Special Teams Player of the Year - Stormy Day, junior
Offensive Service Player of the Year - Tyson Hubbard
Defensive Service Player of the Year - Dillon Matteson
Coaches Defensive Award - Connor Fuller, senior, LB
Coaches Offensive Award - Taylor Hart, senior, RB; Wiley Fusaro, senior, RB
Most Improved Offensive Player - Matt Russell, senior, OL
Most Improved Defensive Player - Justin Schenck, senior, DB
Weight Room MVP - Dan Gilbert, senior, OL; Wiley Fusaro
Flathead
Brave Award - Zach Diest, senior, RB/DB; Josh Turner, senior, WR/DB
Warrior Award - Trevor Beaman, senior, LB/RB
Offensive MVP - Mike VanArendonk, junior, QB/DB
Defensive MVP - Connor Thomas, junior, OL/DL
Special Teams MVP - Zach Diest
Offensive Award - Travis Ozegovich, junior, RB/DB; George Sherwood, sophomore, QB/WR/DB
Defensive Award - Connor Thomas
Most Improved on Offense - Ian Gillespie, junior, WR
Most Improved on Defense - Dominic Eickert, senior, WR/DB
Defensive Scout Player of the Year - Al Michael Olszewski, sophomore, LB
Offensive Scout Player of the Year - John Collins, sophomore, RB
Weight Room MVP - Luke Scholer, junior, OL/DL; Jeremy Grosswiler, senior, OL/DL