Lights add 13 for football

The Montana State University-Northern football team's recruiting class for 2011 just got bigger.

On Tuesday night, Northern announced the signing of 13 new players, including three Hi-Line standouts.

Joining the Lights from the area will be Chester/J-I wide receiver Ceddy Pogue, Chinook linebacker Chris Haider and former Havre High wide receiver Tyson Gruber. Pogue (6-3, 200) is a two-time Northern C All-Conference performer and has played running back, receiver and defensive back for the Hawks. Haider (5-11, 210) helped lead Chinook to the 2010 Class C state championship. Haider was also an all-state selection, while Gruber comes back to Havre after spending a year in the military.

The Lights also added a pair of players with existing ties to Northern. Great Falls High wide receiver Logan Schermele (6-1, 185), the younger brother of Skylight basketball star Samm Schermele signed with Northern, as did Boise, Idaho linebacker Butch Hyder (6-0, 190), the younger brother of Lights' offensive lineman Brock Hyder. He was a member of the 2010 4A Idaho state championship football team from Kelly Bishop High School in Boise, and is two-time all-conference and all-state performer. Hyder is also a standout wrestler in Idaho.

Other in-state signees include Marc Evans (6-1, 245), a defensive tackle and Hunter Chandler (5-9, 180) a safety, both from Class AA state champion Bozeman. Evans was first-team AA All-State, and Chandler was second-team all-state. MSU-N added two more Montana standouts in Scott Broere (6-0, 175), an all-conference wide receiver from Cut Bank and Logan Mayernik (6-0, 170), a wide receiver and defensive back from Centerville.

Three out-of-state offensive lineman have also been signed. Matthew McKeen (6-1, 240) a guard from Oakley, Calif., Brady Sheppard (6-2, 275) a center from Fruitland, Idaho and Travis Johnson (6-6, 255) a tackle from Boise, Idaho will also join the Lights next fall. McKeen was a All Bay selection this past fall in California, while Johnston was a second-team all-state selction at 5A Centennial High School in Boise. Sheppard was a 3A all-state selection in Idaho as well.

Rounding out the class is transfer Mike Carbone, a 6-3, 265-pound defensive lineman from Oakley, Calif. Carbone comes to Northern from Los Medanos Junior College where he was an all-conference performer and should have an immediate impact on the Lights' defense.

"We are very excited to announce the signings of these 13 student athletes," Northern head coach Mark Samson said. "I believe the thing that stands out about these young men is that we have signed a lot of "Champions". Three athletes from Montana and two from the state of Idaho were all a part of State Championship teams this year. All of them are great competitors and know what it takes to win. These are the types of our players that we want in our program. We have signed some very talented skill kids but even more important was the ability to get some great players in the trenches on the offensive and defensive lines. A Few of these players will have the ability to compete for a job right away next year and all of them will provide great depth at their positions.

"Mike Carbone has addressed an immediate need on our defensive front," he added. " My son Kyle, who is our recruiting coordinator, along with Jake Eldridge and Khalin Anderson have done a great job of recruiting these kids up here and getting them signed up. With these 13 recruits and our six transfers that are already here on campus, we have the makings of a very good recruiting class and are excited about the potential that these young men have.

The Lights should announce more signings next week.