9 Glacier gridders first-team All-State
The Glacier Wolfpack, coming off their second straight trip to the state championship, had nine players named first-team All-State for Class AA football.
The All-State team, picked by the AA coaches earlier this week, is inclusive, as are the Western AA All-Conference teams.
Glacier, which went 10-2 and fell to Helena Capital 34-21 in the AA title game on Nov. 22, saw senior Bridger Smith honored at both receiver and cornerback. The Montana Grizzlies signee caught 63 passes for 1,015 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
He was joined on the first-team offense by junior quarterback Jackson Presley, senior running back Kobe Dorcheus and senior tackle Ben Winters. Winters signed to play with Montana State on Wednesday.
Dorcheus set the school record with 1,726 rushing yards this fall, breaking the old mark of 1,666 by Drew Turner in 2017. Dorcheus is headed to Montana Tech. Presley, who has committed to Boise State, threw for 2,669 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.
Making first team on defense for the Wolfpack were: juniors Wayne Cox (defensive end), Maverick Diede (defensive tackle) and Asher Knopik (special teams); and seniors Mark Ahner (inside linebacker) and Carson Baker (nickelback).
Diede and Knopik were second-team All-State selections as well, at offensive tackle and outside linebacker; teammates joining them on the second team were sophomore Jesse Baines (guard), senior Trever Cockerill (punter) and senior Easton Kauffman (punt returner).
Merek Mihelish, the quarterback for Helena Capital who committed to the Grizzlies in the summer but signed with Montana Tech this week, shared first-team honors with Presley, was the offensive MVP.
He threw for 2,862 yards and 34 touchdowns with just three interceptions; on Friday he was named Montana’s Gatorade Player of the Year for football.
Mihelish’s Bruins teammate Cole Graham, a pass-rushing end, was the MVP on defense.
The All-Western AA teams include more players from Glacier and crosstown rival Flathead. For Glacier, Cox was second-team all-league at guard, as was junior Will Astle at center and defensive end, sophomore Cooper Pelc at receiver, Ahner at H-back, Baker at kick returner and Kauffman at cornerback.
Flathead had several players named second-team all-Western A: Junior Nolan Campbell at inside linebacker; senior Lane Chivers at nickel; senior Cameron Wells at cornerback; sophomore Kohen Rilley at center; and junior Will Hollensteiner at kicker.
The complete all-Western AA teams are below. All-State selections are denoted with * (first team) and ** (second team).
All-Western AA
First Team
Offense
Tight end Hudson Leudtke, 6-2, 180, jr., Butte*
Evan Pyron, 6-4, 230, jr., Hellgate**
Tackle Maverick Diede, 6-4, 282, jr., Glacier**
Ben Winters, 6-5, 315, sr., Glacier*
Vaughn Wirkus, 6-5, 255, sr., Capital*
Guard Jack Gollehon, 6-4, 250, sr., Capital*
Derek Opitz, 6-2, 240, jr., Capital*
Jesse Baines, 6-0, 247, so., Glacier**
Center Spencer Tripp, 5-10, 260, sr., Big Sky**
Noah Blom, 6-2, 235, jr., Capital*
Receiver Mason Fulford, 5-8, 152, sr., Big Sky**
Sam Sampson, 6-3, 180, sr., Butte*
Bridger Smith, 6-1, 180, sr., Glacier*
Dylan Almquist, 6-0, 175, sr., Capital*
Jaxon Leiberg, 6-3, 190, sr. Helena*
Fullback Cole Graham, 5-10, 195, sr., Capital**
H-back Conor Toivonen, 6-0, 185, sr., Capital*
Easton Reimers, 6-2, 215, sr., Sentinel**
Running back Kobe Dorcheus, 5-10, 205, sr., Glacier*
Trygve Braun, 6-0, 210, sr., Helena*
Quarterback Jackson Presley, 6-2, 190, jr., Glacier*
Merek Mihelish, 6-1, 185, sr., Capital*
Punter Trever Cockerill, 5-10, 205, sr., Glacier**
Kicker Jake Zeeman, 6-6, 250, sr., Capital*
All-purpose Drew Almquist, 6-1, 175, so., Capital*
Jace Koshatka, 5-10, 185, sr., Sentinel**
Long snapper Sam Sampson, 6-3, 180, sr., Butte**
MVP Merek Mihelish, Capital
Defense
End Wayne Cox, 5-11, 205, jr., Glacier*
Cole Graham, 5-10, 195, sr., Capital*
Titus Newman, 6-1, 185, jr., Big Sky**
Lineman Tyler Crum, 5-10, 185, sr., Capital*
Cole Flugge, 6-2, 255, sr., Helena**
Maverick Diede, Glacier, 6-4, 282, jr., Glacier*
Inside LB Britt Linder, 6-3, 208, jr., Capital*
Trygve Braun, 6-0, 210, sr., Helena**
Mark Ahner, 6-1, 180, sr., Glacier*
Asher Knopik, 6-0, 185, jr., Glacier**
Outside LB Colter Jensen, 5-9, 155, sr., Big Sky*
Alex Swenson, 6-1, 195, sr., Helena**
Jackson McCauley, 5-7, 160, sr., Capital**
Nickel Carson Baker, 5-11, 180, sr., Glacier*
Ryan Haidle, 5-8, 180, sr., Sentinel**
Brady Swenson, 6-1, 180, sr., Helena*
Safety Cormack Batt, 6-3, 158, jr., Big Sky**
Jackson McMillan, 5-11, 180, sr., Capital**
Carter Petre, 5-9, 160, sr., Helena**
Cornerback Bridger Smith, 6-1, 180, sr., Glacier*
Jaxon Allery, 5-9, 165, sr., Sentinel**
Dylan Almquist, 6-0, 175, sr., Capital*
Mason Fulford, 5-8, 152, sr., Big Sky*
Punt returner Easton Kauffman, 5-10, 150, sr., Glacier**
Kick returner Walker DesRosier, 5-7, 145, sr., Capital**
Special teams Asher Knopik, 6-0, 185, jr., Glacier*
All-purpose Cole Ziegler, 6-1, 205, sr., Hellgate
MVP Cole Graham, Capital
Second Team
Offense
Tight end — Kade Robinson, 6-5, 205, jr., Sentinel.
Tackle — Lincoln Green, 6-1, 215, sr., Sentinel; Jake Zeeman, 6-6, 250, sr., Capital; Nick Kantorowicz, 6-4, 240, jr., Helena; Ezra Meyer, 6-6, 250, sr., Big Sky**.
Guard — Cole Flugge, 6-2, 255, sr., Helena; Kade Williams, 5-11, 220, jr., Big Sky; Wayne Cox, 5-11, 205, jr., Glacier.
Center — Matt Marcille, 6-1, 250, sr., Helena; Will Astle, 6-1, 230, jr., Glacier; Kohen Rilley, 6-0, 211, so., Flathead; Brett Polich, 5-10, 250, sr., Butte.
Receiver — Jaxon Allery, 5-9, 165, sr., Sentinel; Cooper Pelc, 6-3, 170, so., Glacier; Daniel Larson, 6-2, 190, sr., Capital**.
Fullback — Tanner Davis, 5-10, 185, sr., Big Sky
H-back — Mark Ahner, 6-1, 180, sr., Glacier**
Running back — Karson Pumnea, 5-7, 165, sr., Butte; Ryan Haidle, 5-8, 180, sr., Sentinel**.
Quarterback — Mac Lundstrom, 6-0, 180, sr., Helena; Avery Omlid, 6-0, 170, jr., Big Sky; Colton Shea, 5-10, 180, sr., Butte.
Punter — Jake Zeeman, 6-6, 250, sr., Capital.
Kicker — Blaise Olsen, 5-8, 140, so., Sentinel; Will Hollensteiner, 6-0, 170, jr., Flathead.
All-purpose — Cole Zeigler, 6-1, 205, sr., Hellgate; Dylan Mosness, 6-3, 190, sr., Helena.
Long snapper — Kade Wallace, 5-9, 150, sr., Sentinel; Caleb Hood, 6-1, 160, sr., Big Sky.
Defense
End — Will Astle, 6-1, 230, jr., Glacier; Kai Benson, 6-3, 195, sr., Sentinel; Braydon Pierce, 5-10, 190, sr., Butte.
Lineman — Easton Reimers, 6-2, 215, sr., Sentinel; Jack Gollehan, 6-4, 250, sr., Capital; Garrett Henson, 5-8, 200, sr., Butte.
Inside LB — Nolan Campbell, 5-11, 185, jr., Flathead; Tanner Davis, 5-10, 185, sr., Big Sky; Eli Smith, 5-10, 180, sr., Butte.
Outside LB — CJ Hayhurst, 6-1, 190, sr., Sentinel
Nickel — Lane Chivers, 5-11, 170, sr., Flathead; Cal Marceau, 5-10, 170, jr., Big Sky; Mitch Verlanic, 5-10, 170, jr., Butte.
Safety — Blake Williams, 5-9, 160, jr, Big Sky; Will Stepan, 5-9, 170, sr., Butte; Alex Lynn, 6-0, 180, sr., Sentinel; Ryan Martinie, 6-0, 180, jr., Capital; Parker Link, 5-11, 180, jr., Hellgate.
Corner — Torre Tempel, 5-11, 170, sr., Butte; Easton Kauffman, 5-10, 150, sr., Glacier; Drew Almquist, 6-1, 175, so., Capital; Jaxan Leiberg, 6-3, 190, sr., Helena; Cameron Wells, 5-10, 145, sr., Flathead.
Punt returner — Carter Petre, 5-98, 160, sr., Helena.
Kick returner — Carson Baker, 5-11, 180, sr., Glacier; Augustus Goeble, 5-8, 160, jr., Big Sky.
Special teams — Mason Leber, 5-7, 160, sr., Butte; Walker DesRosier, 5-7, 145, sr., Capital.**
All-purpose — Dylan Mosness, 6-3, 190, sr., Helena**; Carter Taylor, 6-0, 180, sr., Sentinel.