Frontier Notebook: Frontier season is halfway home

There were two monumental games in the Frontier Conference last weekend. And one thing was made abundantly clear at the end of each. The two teams picked to vie for the Frontier title this season, are on a collision course to do just that.

In the game that was billed as the NAIA Game of the Week, the Montana Tech Orediggers dominated the UM-Western Bulldogs in a showdown last Saturday in Butte. The win was Tech's fourth straight after it lost its season-opener at Carroll College.

Offensively, the Orediggers were efficient and spectacular as they rolled up 485 yards, including 244 rushing on one of the best defenses in all of the NAIA.

Meanwhile, the Southern Oregon Raiders had to work a little hard to keep pace with rival Tech. In another game between nationally ranked foes, the Raiders won their fourth straight as well, coming back to beat Rocky Mountain College last Saturday in Billings. The Battlin' Bears had SOU on the ropes, leading 34-21 in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders scored 14 unanswered points, and stopped RMC twice on what would have been game-winning drives, to secure the huge road win.

So, what does all that mean? It means that provided Tech and SOU keep doing what they have been doing, then the Nov. 12 matchup in Ashland, Oregon, could still be for the outright Frontier championship.

Of course, other teams in the Frontier are still trying to prevent that, as both Eastern Oregon and RMC are still just a game behind the league leaders. Rocky gets another shot at Tech in two weeks, while EOU gets a chance to sweep SOU this Saturday when it travels to Ashland for a rematch with the Raiders. Western is now two games behind in the win column, and the Bulldogs' hopes of winning a Frontier title likely slipped away with their 35-20 loss last weekend in Butte.

Halfway Awards

The Frontier has reached the halfway point in the 2016 season, and as always, it's pertinent to look at who could win prestigious postseason awards.

As for the Offensive Player of the Year, the race is pretty wide open, but Tech's Nolan Saraceni has taken the lead in recent weeks, in an effort to repeat as the league's MVP. Tech quarterback Quinn McQueary, EOU quarterback Zach Bartlow and MSU-Northern running back Zach McKinley still have a chance to enter that discussion as the league progresses into the stretch run.

The Defensive MVP is also open to discussion. And while coming into the season, the likely candidates were either MSU-N's Tyler Craig or Western's Reno Ward, both dominant defensive ends, there are a host of linebackers making a case, too. EOU's Michael Arenas has been a tackling machine this season, as has Northern's Garet Fowler. Craig is still having a big season as well, while Tech's Luke Benz has come on strong. Also in the discussion is College of Idaho defensive back Nate Moore.

In the running for Coach of the Year would certainly be Tech's Chuck Morrell, who won the honor a season ago, but what Rocky's Jason Petrino has done with the Battlin' Bears in his first season in Billings would certainly have to be in the discussion.

Halfway Leaders

Offensively, Saraceni is once again leading the way in rushing in the Frontier. The Tech senior is averaging 103 yards per outing and has 517 yards on the year. McKinley is second at 88 yards per game and a total of 440 yards and a league-high seven touchdowns.

Through the air, EOU's Bartlow leads the way with 301 yards per game. He's thrown for 1, 504 yards and 13 TD's with just four picks. Bartlow also tops the Frontier in total offense, averaging 342 yards per game, with 1, 711 total yards on the season.

Carroll College's Connor Fohn is tops in receiving yards with 107 per outing. Fohn has 27 catches this year for 429 yards and averages 16 yards per catch. Montana Tech's Dion Williams is tops in that category, averaging a whopping 26 yards per reception, while SOU's Matt Retzlaff leads the league with nine catches per game and 34 total grabs on the season. C of I tight end Marcus Lenhardt also has 34 grabs. To no one's surprise, with his electrifying return game, and his big play abilities at WR, EOU's Calvin Connors leads the way in all-purpose yards with 161 yards per game and 804 on the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, EOU's Arenas and teammate Stanley Tucker both have 55 tackles and both average 11 tackles per outing. C of I's Moore has the most stops with 58, while Northern's Fowler is third in the Frontier with 9.2 tackles per contest. Sacks seem to be down this season, with Tech's Benz and Carroll's Alec Basterrechea tied atop the Frontier with 4.5. Rocky's Seth Swandal has four, while Northern senior Jordan Brusio has 3.5. Tech's Nic Amestoy is tops in the Frontier with nine tackles for loss, while Northern's Craig has 7.5. Tech's Gunnar Kayser, Western's Jay Owens and Zach Janis and Rocky's Jason Baker each have three interceptions to lead the league, while MSU-N's Logan Sprouse has two.

Northern kicker Tommy Langley is behind only RMC's Griff Aimes in field goals. Aimes has five on the year, while Langley has four. Langley is also a perfect 12-for-12 on PATs.