Local talent ready to make a Shrine Game impact

Before we know it, the 2016 high school football season will be upon us. Yet, until that day comes, there is one final game to cap last year’s season and that’s the annual Montana East-West Shrine Game.

This year’s edition of the shrine game will be the 70th in its storied history. Kickoff for the Shrine Game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday. The game will be held in Butte on the campus of Montana Tech.

The Shrine Game, which is the most prestigious high school all-star game in the state, is one of the longest running games of its kind in the country. The first game was played back in 1947 and over the past six years, it has raised more than $400,000 in donations for the Shriner’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington.

Of course, Havre High and the surrounding Hi-Line area has a strong tradition of having players selected to play in the game and this year was no different. Havre, which finished the season with an 8-3 overall record, actually had two players picked to play in the game. One was quarterback Dane Warp and the other was wide receiver Nate Rismon.

Yet, after previously participating in the Mon-Dak all-star game, as well as the Montana-Wyoming basketball series, Warp decided to withdraw from the Shrine Game, instead deciding to focus on his upcoming season of basketball at Carroll College.

“I’m just using this month to stay in shape and really focus on basketball,” Warp said.

However, even with the record-setting quarterback not in attendance, Rismon will still represent HHS in the game, following a spectacular Class A All-State season that saw him catch 47 passes for 1,002 yards, while also scoring a total of 16 touchdowns, 12 receiving, three rushing and one on a kickoff return.

While the Blue Ponies saw two of their own players get selected, a number of other Hi-Line standouts are on the team, including Justin May of Chester-Joplin-Inverness and Kevin Young of Chinook.

For his part, May was one of the most prolific athletes and football players in 8-Man football and with his dazzling play at running back, wide receiver, defensive back and a returner, the Hawks made it to the state quarterfinals. May, who recently won an individual state title in the long jump in track, will play football for Montana Tech starting this fall.

May might be all about making big plays, but Young is just an old-school, hard-nosed player and was a key cog on both sides of the ball for the Sugarbeeters, as he helped Chinook capture the Class C 8-Man state championship. Young also finished as Chinook’s all-time leader in sacks. And although he will be the only Chinook player in the game Saturday as of right now, Ian McIntosh, who quarterbacked the Beeters to the last two state title games, was also named as an alternate.

The late Jesse Dannels, who tragically died back in February, is also listed as an alternate, following his selection last winter

Rismon, Young and May will all play on the East squad and they will be coached by Mike Ludwig of the Laurel Locomotives. The West team will be headed up by Whitefish head coach Chad Ross.

The 2016 Shrine Game will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Coliseum in Butte. The game will be broadcast statewide on all Cowles Media affiliates.

2016 Shrine Game Rosters

East team

Ben Askelson, Billings Senior; Kelton Bailey, Canada; Ed Baker, Billing Senior; Joel Beck, Fairfield; Matthew Blunt, Miles City; Conner Bokma, Denton-Geyser-Stanford; Trace Bradshaw, Bozeman; Tanner Campbell, Belgrade; Tyson Carney, Malta; Noah Danielson, Great Falls CMR; Matthew Dey, Sidney; Tyger Frye, Billings Senior; Payton Guenther, Bozeman; Jacob Hadley, Billings Central; Riley Hagler, Savage; Ben Hardy, Fairview; Jamison Hermanson, Great Falls High; Micah Holt-Seavy, Billings Central; Michael Jobman, Huntley Project; Denver Krone, Choteau; Jayson Leinwand, Billings West; Antonio Lopez, Malta; Connor Ludwig, Laurel; Dallas Mack, Huntley Project; Derek Marks, Belgrade; Will Martel, Bozeman; Devin Maua, Billings Senior; Tucker Maxwell, Lewistown; Justin May, Chester-Joplin-Inverness; Tanner Mayer, Fairfield; Kelley Murnion, Jordan; Matt Packer, Baker; Trent Schilling, Sidney; Jaden Senger, Miles City; Jake Sessions, Colstrip; Sam Sparks, Billings Senior; Michael Stanton, Billings Central; Levi Stovall, Billings West; Kaleb Tocco, Billings Skyview; Nate Rismon, Havre; Lane Torgerson, Colstrip; Kevin Young, Chinook.

West team

Wyatt Haldorson, Corvallis; Will Hunthausen, Helena Capital; Brian FauntLeRoy, Whitefish; Alec Steele, Missoula Sentinel; Riley Lamb, Helena Capital; John Learn, Kalispell Glacier; Cole Harper, Butte Central; Thomas Trefney, Kalispell Glacier; Joe Mueller, Helena High; Leif Ericksen, Kalispell Glacier; Nate Simkins, Dillon; Jered Padmos, Jefferson; Michael Delaney, Charlo; Luke May, Whitefish; Nick Winfield, Jefferson; Adam Jordt, Bigfork; Cole Rosling, Helena Capital; Tracen Eggers; Twin Bridges; Caleb Jones, Kalispell Glacier; Kyle Schulte, Butte Central; CJ Dugan, Kalispell Flathead; Quade McQueary, Townsend; Jace Lewis; Townsend; Sean Opland, Troy; Trevor Larson, Helena Capital; Sean Gallagher, Anaconda; Nathan Hammer, Kalispell Glacier; Trase LeTexier, Jefferson; Kyle Finch, Dillon; Jake Michelotti, Butte Central; Chase Barta, Manhattan; Gus Herzog, Helena High; David Petersen, Helena Capital; Luke Channer, Corvallis; Blake Arneson, Columbia Falls; Chafin Ross, Whitefish; Dustin Wham, Ennis; Steven Quimby, Whitefish; Jake Rebish, Missoula Sentinel; Austin Pacheco, Bigfork.