FOOTBALL: Northwest sends 17 players to 70th East-West Shrine Game
BUTTE — Coming off one of the best seasons in school history, Whitefish football coach Chad Ross will lead a new challenge, leading the West team in the 70th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game on July 16 at Naranche Stadium in Butte.
Ross will have a lot of familiar faces on the squad, with six Whitefish Bulldogs dotting the West roster, the most participants of any school in the game. Glacier, Helena Capital and Class AA state champion Bozeman send five each. In total, there are 17 players from the Nortwest on the 41-man West roster, which will try to get back in the win column after a 19-14 loss in the 2015 contest.
Luke May leads the list of Bulldogs, after quarterbacking Whitefish to its first Class A state title since 1979. Safety Brian FauntLeRoy, wide receiver Jed Nagler, running back Chris Park, center Steven Quimby and defensive end Chaffin Ross join May and Chad Ross to help the West squad acclimate to the playbook.
Glacier will send quarterback Leif Ericksen, offensive tackle Nathan Hammer, wide receiver Caleb Jones, linebacker John Learn and all-state running back Thomas Trefney. Flathead sends safety C.J. Dugan and running back Josh McCracken.
Bigfork cornerback Adam Jordt and offensive tackle Austin Pacheco, Columbia Falls center Blake Arneson and Troy running back Troy Opland round out the group from the Northwest.
The East is led by five from Bozeman, inculding Gatorade state player of the year Balue Chapman. Four players from Class AA runner-up Billings Senior also add to the roster.
For the third straight year, a pair of players from Calgary will join the rosters, one for each team.
Players were nominated by their schools and coaches and selected as a “best of the best” to participate in the game. The East and West teams have alternated wins the last four years. The West looks to continue that trend this season, after losing a close game this summer.
70th Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game
July 16, 2016
Naranche Stadium, Butte
West Roster
Blake Arneson, Columbia Falls, C
Michael Banna, Big Sky, RB
Chase Barta, Manhattan, OG
Chase Benson, Helena, DE
Patrick Big Sam, Arlee, OLB
Brad Brazil, Arlee, OG
Michael Delaney, Charlo, SPEC
C.J. Dugan, Flathead, S
Tracen Eggers, Twin Bridges, WR
Leif Ericksen, Glacier, QB
Brian FauntLeRoy, Whitefish, S
Kyle Finch, Dillon, OLB
Nathan Hammer, Glacier, OT
Gus Herzog, Helena, OT
Will Hunthausen, Capital, WR
Caleb Jones, Glacier, WR
Adam Jordt, Bigfork, CB
Ted Kubongo, Calgary (Notre Dame), SPEC
Riley Lamb, Capital, OLB
Trevor Larson, Capital, ILB
John Learn, Glacier, ILB
Trace Letexier, Boulder, ILB
Jace Lewis, Townsend, OLB
Luke May, Whitefish, QB
Josh McCracken, Flathead, RB
Jake Michelotti, Butte Central, DL
Joe Mueller, Helena, CB
Jed Nagler, Whitefish, WR
Sean Opland, Troy, RB
Austin Pacheco, Bigfork, OT
Jared Padmos, Boulder, S
Chris Park, Whitefish, RB
David Peterson, Capital, DL
Steven Quimby, Whitefish, C
Jake Rebish, Sentinel, DL
Cole Rosling, Capital, DE
Chaffin Ross, Whitefish, DE
Kyle Schulte, Butte Central, DE
Nate Simkins, Dillon, WR
Thomas Trefney, Glacier, RB
Dustin Hwam, Ennis, OG
East Roster
Name School Pos.
Kelton Bailey Calgary (Wisewood) SPEC
Ed Baker Senior OLB
Joel Beck Fairfield DL
Matthew Blunt Miles City QB
Conner Bokma D-G-S RB
Trace Bradshaw Bozeman DL
Balue Champman Bozeman DE
Noah Danielson C.M. Russell OT
Matt Dey Sidney C
Tyger Frye Senior WR
Andrew Grinde C.M. Russell RB
Payton Guenther Bozeman DL
Jacob Hadley Billings Central WR
Ben Hardy Fairview WR
Jamison Herminson Great Falls SPEC
Michael Jobman Huntley Project OLB
Denver Krone Choteau OG
Jason Leinwand West ILB
Antonio Lopez Malta ILB
Connor Ludwig Laurel S
Dallas Mack Huntley Project S
Derek Marks Belgrade DE
Will Martel Bozeman S
Devin Maua Senior OG
Dustin May CJI WR
Tanner Mayer Fairfield S
Kelly Murnion Jordan CB
Payton O’Reilly Bozeman ILB
Matt Packer Baker C
Trent Schilling Sidney OLB
Micah Holt-Seavy Billings Central OG
Jaden Senger Miles City OT
Jake Sessions Colstrip OG
Sam Sparks Senior RB
Michael Stanton Billings Central CB
Levi Stovall West OT
Kaleb Tocco Skyview CB
Karl Tucker C.M. Russell WR
Dane Warp Havre QB
Luje Weber Forsyth OLB
Kevin Young Chinook DL
Alternates
West — Kordale Behner, Stevensville, OG; Jory Breen, Sentinel, OLB; Danny Burton, Capital, WR; Luke Channer, Corvallis, OG; Aidan Collins, Loyola, RB; Alex Draper, Hamilton, RB; Seth Gallagher, Anaconda, ILB; Wyatt Haldorson, Corvallis, RB; Cole Harper, Butte Central, WR; Trais Hoisington, Thompson Falls, WR; Brad Holland, Flint Creek, RB; Cal Hollow, Butte Central, S; Cody Howe, Flathead, DL; Nick Huber, Dillon, DE; Payton LaFrentz, Dillon, WR; Stephen Lindsey, Columbia Falls, DE; Seamus Lucostic, Big Sky, OLB; Robert McCarvel, Capital, TE; Quade McQueary, Townsend, WR; Alec Nehring, Manhattan, QB; Caleb Neth, Manhattan, CB; Mitchell Odden, Deer Lodge, DE; Grant Ozegovich, Bigfork, OT; Justin Petersen, Butte; Hudson Smith, Polson, WR; Mark Waldrup, Dillon, C; Jake Willich, Glacier, S; Logan Wilson, Flathead, ILB; Nick Winfield, Boulder, RB.
East — Alex Akina, Bozeman, C; Able Armitage, Roundup, TE; Bennett Askelson, Senior, OLB; Brock Behan, Bozeman, OLB; Jake Bloom, Simms, ILB; Tanner Campbell, Belgrade, S; Bridger Coffman, Sidney, RB; Tyson Carney, Malta, CB; Brandon Connolly, Laurel, DL; Jesse Dannels, Chinook, DE; Lane Giovabetti, Miles City, ILB; Riley Hagler, Savage, RB; Bennett Hostetler, Bozeman, S; Jarred Hurst, Gardiner, OG; Wyatt Lesh, Miles City, WR; Tucker Maxwell, Lewistown, DL; Ian McIntosh, Chinook, QB; Josh Noah, Bozeman, OG; Carsen Oakland, Glendive, CB; Tanner Osborne, Columbus, TE; Colter Peterson, Joliet, DL; Nate Rismon, Havre, WR; Chad Rossmiller, D-G-S, WR; Ramsey Rutschke, Skyview, OT; Hunter Severson, Sidney, ILB; Matt Smith, Belgrade, OG; Lane Torgerson, Colstrip, S.