Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Cory Richter, CJI Football

The Chester-Joplin-Inverness football team came into 2016 having undergone plenty of changes from last season. Yet, one of the few things that went unchanged is the presence of Cory Richter.

Richter, a senior, is the Hawks’ starting quarterback and after a shaky start to the season, he and CJI (4-3) are making a run at the Class C 8-Man playoffs. For the past few seasons, Richter was a wide receiver and backup quarterback to his brother Brandon. But now, the Hawks are Cory’s team, and right now, they are one of the hottest teams in 8-Man football.

Thanks to three consecutive wins, the Hawks are on the doorstep of the postseason for the second straight year. However, to punch its ticket, CJI will need to defeat Power-Dutton-Brady Friday night in Chester. The two teams are tied in the Northern C standings and the winner will clinch the fourth and final playoff berth from the Northern C.

Playing in big games may be new for some on the Hawks roster, but not for Richter, who was a starting wide receiver for CJI in 2015, playing a key role on a team that went 10-2 and made it the state quarterfinals.

“I definitely think that experience is going to help us,” Richter said of the PDB game. “We know what it’s like to play in a game with that atmosphere and that pressure.”

For a while this season, the Hawks didn’t look anything like a playoff contender. After losing All-State standout Justin May, along with Brandon Richter and Troy Harmon to graduation, CJI got off to a slow start, losing three of its first four games, including a 49-0 loss to Belt in the season opener. During the first three games, the offense struggled. The Hawks beat Hays-Lodge Pole, but managed just 30 points, then scored 26 in a loss the next week to Cascade. That meant through three games, CJI was averaging 18.6 points per game, nothing to write home about in Class C.

Yet, in a game against Great Falls Central on Sept. 16, something changed. The offense came alive — more accurately, Richter did.

The dual-threat quarterback exploded that night in Chester for an incredible performance that saw him rack up 515 total yards, 344 passing and 137 rushing. He also accounted for 10 total touchdowns, after throwing six and rushing for four more.

The Hawks didn’t win that night, in fact they lost to GFC 82-74. But the Mustangs are one of the best teams in the Northern C and playing the way the team did that night was a turning point for CJI.

The following week, the Hawks knocked off Simms, and Richter threw four touchdown strikes. Then came a 46-36 come-from-behind win over Chinook, one in which Richter had two scores and just last week, the Hawks grabbed another big win, defeating Centerville 40-28, thanks in part to Richter’s six touchdowns (four rushing, two passing).

The three-game winning streak took CJI from 1-3 to 4-3 and now with two games to go, the Hawks control their playoff destiny. Richter, who has 26 touchdowns (15 passing, 11 rushing), has been an essential part of the Hawks late-season surge and before CJI hosts PDB Friday, in what amounts to a playoff game, the Havre Daily News caught up with Richter for five questions.

HDN: What has been the key for you guys during this winning streak?

Richter: “I just think that we have been able to get better in every game and not just in games, but we are getting better every week in practice.”

HDN: What has been behind your success this season at quarterback?

Richter: “My teammates have been a big part of my success. I have some really good players all around me, at running back and receiver and on the offensive line and that really helps me.”

HDN: How did your background as a wide receiver help you at quarterback?

Richter: “I think playing receiver showed me how to read the defense, and I think that helped me out quite a bit playing quarterback.”

HDN: Do you have a favorite sport you like to watch and, if so, a favorite player?

Richter: “I like to watch football. I like watching Cam Newton. I just like how he is able to run around and make things happen.”

HDN: This game against PDB is essentially a playoff game. What will it mean for you guys to win and get back to the postseason?

Richter: “We lost a lot of guys from last year’s team and for us to rebound and get back into the playoffs, it would mean a lot for us.”