2018 Frontier Football Preview: Expect battles in the Frontier Conference trenches this fall

If football games are won in the trenches, then there’s no question teams need to be very good along the defensive line. And while styles vary in football, with defensive schemes ranging from 4-3, to 3-4, to 3-3-5, one thing remains constant, the better the defensive line is, the better the defense is.

The Frontier Conference has always been known for producing stout defensive linemen, and this fall, things should be no different.

However, for the Montana State University-Northern Lights, the defensive front will be one that could be a work in progress. Of all the areas in which the Lights are young, the defensive line is among them, for sure.

“We’re going to play a lot of guys up front,” new Northern head coach Andrew Rolin said. “And we're going to need some of these young guys to step up right away. We’re pretty young along the defensive front, but we do have a lot of potential there. So we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Josh Wright led the Lights in sacks a season ago, and by season’s end, Northern wasn’t starting a single senior on the defensive front, as injuries took their toll on that side of the ball. But that did mean it gave young players like then-freshman Joe Fehr a chance to step up and see meaningful reps, and Fehr is one of the DEs that Rolin is excited about as fall camp nears. Just a sophomore, Fehr (6-3, 205) finished last season with 17 individual tackles and one sack. At the DT position, the Lights will be young, too, but they are excited about the debut of red-shirt freshman Justin Pfeifer, the former Cut Bank All-Stater who figures to have an immediate impact on the Northern defense.

Around the Frontier, just four All-Conference players from a year ago are back this season, but one of them is senior defensive end Sean Rogers (6-2, 205) of Southern Oregon. The Raiders have a talented defense again this season, and Rogers, who recorded 12 sacks and 54 tackles in 2017 has to be considered the best defensive end in the Frontier, but also the NAIA.

Another star defender back is Ryder Rice of Rocky Mountain College. Rice (6-4, 210) earned First-Team All-Conference honors last season after totaling 11 sacks and 49 tackles. Just a junior, Rice is one of the premier pass rushers in the Frontier.

UM-Western head coach Ryan Nourse is excited about junior defensive tackle Conlan Smith (6-0, 290). A true run stuffer in the middle, Smith had 56 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack for the Bulldogs on his way to All-Conference honors last season.

Equally excited is veteran Carroll College head coach Mike Van Diest, because he has Beaugh Meyer back for his senior season. Meyer was a 2016 All-Conference standout for the Fighting Saints, but he’s fought through injuries the last couple of seasons, and was only able to play one game last fall. Now healthy, Meyer (6-2, 275) should wreak plenty of havoc from his DE position this season.

Montana Tech head coach Chuck Morrell has always been known for having excellent defensive lines, and with the return of DE Chance Hansen (6-4, 225), the Orediggers should be good up front once again. Hansen earned All-Conference honors last season after recording 42 tackles, 9 TFLs and six sacks.

Others to watch this year on the defensive line in the Frontier include, College of Idaho tackles Austin Crawford and Zach White, as well as Eastern Oregon DT Zach Lacey.

Editor's Note: This is third story in our series on the top players at each position in the Frontier Conference entering the 2018 season. For a look at the top wide receivers and tight ends in the Frontier, see Monday's Havre Daily News.