Havre, Hi-Line, Lights once again a part of the Shrine Game

The new high school football season is just a little a month away already. But for about 70 athletes Saturday night will mark the end of their high school gridiron days.

The 2017 Montana East-West Shrine Game will be played Saturday night in Billings, marking the end of the summer all-star circuit and the last time the players, on both the East and West teams, will play high school football.

That includes a pair of Hi-Line athletes, who will play together in Saturday night’s game, which will take place inside Herb Kilndt Field at Rocky Mountain College.

Havre High’s Jase Stokes, a two-time Class A All-State selection, will play inside linebacker for the East Team Saturday night. Stokes was a First-Team All-Conference linebacker for the Blue Ponies this past fall, and is headed to Montana Tech to start his collegiate career this fall.

Joining Stokes on the East is Harlem’s Reece Hutton. The 6-2, 235-pound Hutton is slated to play defensive tack in Saturday night’s game. Like Stokes, Hutton is an All-State performer, earning Class B honors on both the defensive and offensive lines for the Wildcats last fall. Also like Stokes, Hutton had a brilliant wrestling career for Harlem, and he capped his final school year by winning the Class B state championship in the shot put this past spring.

The East, coached by Billings Senior head coach Chris Murdock, will also feature a host of incoming Montana State University-Northern recruits as well. Cut Bank’s Justin Pfeifer and Peter Hamilton are both coming to the Lights this fall. Pfeifer, another star wrestler, will play offensive tackle in Saturday night’s game, while he’s slated to play defensive tackle for the Lights. Hamilton will play inside linebacker on the East squad. CMR’s Austin Kirchner, also headed to Northern, will play defensive end in Saturday night’s game, while Belt’s Jaren Maki will play linebacker. Eureka’s Joe Fehr is another Northern recruit suiting up in the game. He’ll play for the West Saturday night.

And the Hi-Line products and Northern recruits are part of a very talented East team. Five future Montana Grizzlies, in Senior’s Nate Dick, Laurel’s Casey Cole, Sidney’s Michael McGinnis and Dawson’s McGlothlin. Future Montana State Bobcats on the team include Bozeman’s Callahan O’Reilly and Lance McCutcheon, Senior’s Keaton Anderson and Skyview’s Ryan Davis.

The West Team also has plenty of talent, making Saturday night’s game one to really watch, as the 2017 Class in Montana produced over 100 college football players. The West, coached by Helena High’s Tony Arnston, includes future Bobcats Troy Anderson of Dillon (injured) and Tadan Gilman of Glacier, while future Grizzlies Tanner Wilson and Matt Rensvold of Polson, Columbia Falls Trevor Hoerner, Thompson Falls’ McKenzie Holt, Helena Capital’s Marcus Welnel and Missoula Sentinel’s Mitch Roberts are among the stars for that side.

Stokes meanwhile, joins a long list of former Blue Ponies who have played in what is the longest running high school all-star game in the United States. Nate Rismon played in last year’s game, while Jase Billy suited up, back in 2015. Thurman Holdsclaw and Zach Plum played in the 2013 contest, while Joey DeVries was a member of the 2012 game. Will DeVries played in the 2010 contest, while Ethan Hinebauch and Nate Christianson played in the 2009 affair. In 2007 Evan Hinebauch, Tanner Donovan and Mike Erickson represented the Blue Ponies, while Marc Mariani, Gary Wagner, Coda Tchida and Ted Wells were part of the incredible Havre High class of 2005, all playing in the Shrine Game together for then head coach Troy Purcell.

Hutton joins the late Tyler Faulkinbury, former MSU Bobcat Rick Haluszka and Seth Adams (2015) as the most recent Wildcats to play in the Shrine Game. Of course, Chinook and other area schools have also had plenty of Shrine Game participants. Chinook’s Tate Niederegger was an alternate on this year’s East squad.

"There's only a handful of kids in the state who get picked," Stokes said "I was lucky enough to be one of them. So it's exciting."

The 71st Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Herb Klindt Field in Billings. The game will be televised statewide on the Montana Television Network. Proceeds from the game go to the Shriner’s Children's Hospital in Spokane.

71st Montana East-West Shrine Game

at Rocky Mountain College, Herb Klindt Field

July 15, 2017

East

Offense: Nate Dick, QB, Billings Senior; Callahan O'Reilly, QB, Bozeman; Drew Keierleber, RB, Billings Skyview; Shawn Schaferkoetter, RB, Wibaux; Hayden Van Winkle, RB, Belgrade; Casey Cole, WR, Laurel; Cantor Coverdell, WR, Fairfield; Bailey Paddock, WR, Bozeman; Ryan Zentner, WR, Bridger; James Olsen, WR, Great Falls CMR; Chaz Maddock, WR, Billings West; Pat Hardy, TE, Fairview; Glen Ferguson, C, Cascade; Blade Miller, C, Billings West; Logan Bandy, OG, St. Francis-Calgary; Rob Braden, OG, Wibaux; Sam Butcher, OG, Lewistown; Bridger Lohman, OT, Bozeman; Justin Pfeifer, OT, Cut Bank; William Blewett, OT, Belgrade; Montana Wine, SP, Billings Senior; Conner Black, SP, Billings Senior.

Defense: Keaton Anderson, S, Billings Senior; Josh Kraft, S, Billings Central; Michael McGinnis, S, Sidney; Jemal Williams, S, Belgrade; Jake Orvis, S, Billings Senior; Trace Jones, S, Sidney; Chanc Lawrence, CB, Laurel; Dawson McGlothlin, CB, Sidney; Ryan Davis, ILB, Billings Skyview; Jaren Maki, ILB, Belt; Jase Stokes, ILB, Havre; Peyton Hanser, OLB, Billings Central; Peter Hamilton Jr., OLB, Cut Bank; Chandler Allen, DE, Fairfield; Bret Delp, DE, Circle; Emmit Bartsch, DE, Billings Senior; Reece Hutton, DL, Hutton; Zak Ray, DL, Great Falls; Hayden Hegg, DL, Billings Senior.

Coach: Chris Murdock, Billings Senior

West

Offense: Dakota Bridwell, QB, Columbia Falls; Tanner Wilson, QB, Polson; Ryan Arntson, RB, Helena High; Cannan Smith, RB, Eureka; Kiley Caprara, WR, Butte High; Nate McGree, WR, Butte Central; Matthew Rensvold, WR, Polson; Braxton Reiten, WR, Columbia Falls; Mitch Roberts, WR, Missoula Sentinel; Trevor Hoerner, TE, Columbia Falls; Andrew Simon, TE, Whitehall; Owen Davis, OG, Eureka; Bo Hann, OG, Missoula Big Sky; Todd Nordahl, C, Dillon; Tyler Packer, OT, Notre Dame-Calgary; Daniel Stockton, OT, Helena High; Jaylen Taggart, OG, Hamilton; Matt Farrier, SP, Bigfork.

Defense: Colin Sassano, S, Helena Capital; Sam Johnston, CB, Butte Central; Braden Larson, CB, Whitehall; Sean Miller, CB, Columbia Falls; RJ Fitzgerald, ILB, Dillon; Tadan Gilman, OLB, Kalispell Glacier; Colt Neville, OLB, Victor; Patrick O'Connell, ILB, Kalispell Glacier; Marcus Welnel, OLB, Helena Capital; McKenzie Holt, DE, Thompson Falls; Eric James, DE, Dillon; Cordell McGinley, DL, Dillon; Ty Morgan, DE, Ennis; Daniel Mousso, DL, Hamilton; Connor Rauckhorst, DE, Missoula Sentinel; Gabe Hupp, Dillon; Blake Burton, Butte Central; Bryce Gallagher, Butte High; Kellen Round, Missoula Loyola; Kane Lawson, Hot Springs; Zak Karlin, Columbia Falls; Kasey Mock, Ronan; Cooper Christensen, Twin Bridges.

Coach: Tony Arntson, Helena High