Badlands Bowl selects 4 local players
Bryan Chery and Joel Horn of Glacier High School, Travis Knoll of Bigfork and Kaleb Johnson from Columbia Falls have been selected to play for the Montana team in the 2011 Badlands Bowl football game.
Chery, 5-foot-9, 160-pound defensive back, and Horn, 6-5, 260 offensive lineman, were both Class AA all-state performers their senior season for the Wolfpack.
Knoll, 6-0, 175 running back, and Johnson, 6-4, 190 wide receiver, were Class B and Class A all-state selections.
Class A all-state running back Nate Thompson of Columbia Falls was one of 23 alternates named to the Montana squad for the bowl.
The Badlands Bowl annual pits graduating seniors from Montana against those from North Dakota. This year's game is scheduled for June 18 in Miles City.
Chery, Horn, Knoll and Thompson were selected in December to play for the West team in the 65th annual East-West Shrine Football Game next summer.
Johnson is an alternate for that game, which will be played July 16th in Laurel.
Badlands Bowl
Montana Team
Offense
Quarterbacks - Cole Moller, Billings Central, 6-1, 195; Matt Berg, Butte, 5-9, 185
Running backs - Travis Knoll, Bigfork, 6-0, 175; Justin Pierson, Bozeman, 6-0, 195; Tyler Molyneaux, Chinook, 6-1, 195.
Wide receivers - Jake Olsen, Great Falls, 6-2, 205; Chase Ballantyne, Shelby, 6-1, 180; Dunk Abbott, Butte, 6-1, 165; Kaleb Johnson, Columbia Falls, 6-4, 190.
Center - Ryan Armstrong, Miles City, 6-3, 265
Linemen - Joel Horn, Glacier, 6-5, 260; John Schmaing, Billings Senior, 6-6, 250; Kyle Godecke, Dillon, 6-5, 275; Ben Gleason, Billings West, 6-3, 250; David Swecker, Laurel, 6-2, 225; John Werner, Billings Central, 6-3, 225.
Tight end - Kyle Stanton, Miles City, 6-3, 220
Defense
Linemen/ends - Jesse Ginn, Missoula Hellgate, 6-5, 285; Marc Evans, Bozeman, 6-1, 240; Nate Bignell, Drummond, 6-2, 235; Heath Hunter, Bozeman, 6-2, 210; Dylan Donahue, Billings West, 6-3, 220; David Meis, Helena High, 6-4, 205.
Linebackers - Trey Spirlin, Helena Capital, 6-3, 220; Sean Blomquist, Helena, 5-11, 205; Gavin Hagfors, C.M. Russell, 6-1, 210; Max Tolstadt, Billings Central, 6-0, 200; Jonathan Richards, Butte Central, 6-3, 205.
Defensive backs - Shane Cooley, Miles City, 5-9, 160; Connor Lebsock, Billings Skyview, 6-2, 195; Brad Nordahl, Frenchtown, 5-11, 175; Zach Gratton, Billings Senior, 6-0, 185; Matt Patterson, Fairfield, 5-10, 175; Bryan Chery, Glacier, 5-9, 160.
Alternates - Chase White, Shelby; Jacob Grover, Helena Capital; Ryan Guelff, Billings Skyview; Matt McCoy, Plentywood; Ethan Albert, Laurel; Dan Thatcher, Butte Central; Mike Huth, Townsend; John Weidenaar, Manhattan; Brian Mannix, Drummond; Nate Thompson, Columbia Falls; Trevor Bolton, Great Falls; Trevor Shellenberg, Bozeman; Graham Bogumill, Helena High; Layne Johnson, Miles City; Brock Calvi, Cut Bank; Chris Kurkowski, Miles City; Zane Foster, St. Ignatius; Brandon Hansard, Glasgow; Nate Hinrichs, Helena High; Chico Stipe, Charlo; Adam Debruycker, Choteau; Levi Cade, Belgrade; Tanner Gambill, Forsyth.