MSU-N inks prep standouts

The college football recruiting season is under way, and the Montana State University-Northern football team is signing an outstanding high school class for 2010. On Thursday afternoon, MSUN head coach Mark Samson announced the signing of nine high school products, including Havre High senior C.J. Evans. Among the signees, Northern inked Arizona prep quarterback Travis Dean. Dean was the starting quarterback for Class 5A state champion Hamilton High School, which went undefeated this past season. Dean's team finished the season ranked as the No. 3 high school team in the country. The 6-0, 195-pound signal caller was all state and all region in Arizona and was the MVP of the state championship game. Kaimi Kanehailua, a 6-1 215-pound linebacker from Ewa Beach, Hawaii will also be coming to Northern. He led Lanakila Baptist High School in tackles with 199 and was a first-team allstate performer. The Lights also inked several other out-of-state recruits, including Gerard Ingallina (6-2, 255), a linemen from Hamilton High in Chandler, AZ, a teammate of Dean's. Ingallina was a firstteam all-state offensive lineman. Teammate Ethan Kipilli (6-0, 190) from Chandler will also play for the Lights. Kipilli was an all state and all region wide receiver at Chandler this past season. Derek Radden (5-9, 185), a running back from San Bernadino, Calif., will also join the MSU-N program as well J. Nusbaum (5-11, 170), a defensive back from Longview, Wash. Radden was first-team all region and the MVP of his conference in California, while racking up 1,200 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. Nusbaum was all state in Washington at both wide receiver and defensive back, and is slated to play corner for the Lights. Along with Evans, who was a quarterback and safety for the Havre, Samson also added Montana standouts Taylor Ratliff of Fairfield and Riley Winebrenner of Plains/Hot Springs. Ratliff (6- 0, 165) was an all state and all conference wide receiver and defensive back for the Eagles and was selected to play in the East/West Shrine Game. Winebrenner will play defensive back for Northern, and was an allstate quarterback for Plains/Hot Springs. "We are very excited to announce the signings of these great student athletes from the State of Montana and from the Western United States and even Hawaii," Samson said. "We were very fortunate to get three kids out of Hamilton H.S. in Arizona. We also have the chance to sign two more kids from their school in the next day or so. We have signed some very talented kids that not only are great athletes but great people as well." MSU-N expects to add four or five more players next week.