Plenty of local talent heading to the Shrine Game this summer

Christmas is special for so many different reasons, and for high school football players in Montana, Christmas also means the announcement of the annual Shrine Game rosters.

The announcement for the 74th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game was made last Wednesday, where a host of area players were named to the East team, including a trio of Havre Blue Ponies.

Among the 40 players on the East roster were Havre High seniors Mason Dionne, Kasee Henderson and Quinn Springer. Fort Benton’s Garrett Diekhans was also named to the team, which will be coached John Fitzgerald of Red Lodge.

Dionne, who is headed to Montana Western, and was a two-way All-State player for the Ponies this past season, will play linebacker in the Shrine Game, while both Henderson and Springer will play on the offensive line. Henderson was a two-time All-State selection, who is going to play for the MSU-Northern Lights next fall, while Springer was an Eastern A selection on both sides of the ball. Diekhans, who played quarterback and linebacker during Fort Benton’s run to the Class C semifinals, was named as a Special Team’s player, and is projected to play tight end for Montana Tech next fall.

Former Havre Blue Pony, and Shelby senior Tanner Parsons was also named to the East squad a running back. Parsons is also headed to Montana Tech. Big Sandy’s Clint Darlington and Brock Proulx, as well as North Star’s Caden Rettig, were named alternates to the East team.

The 2020 Shrine Game will be played July 18 at Herb Clint Field in Billings.

74th Shrine Game Rosters

East Team

Justin Anderson, DE, Browning; Cody Asbeck, ST, Fairview; Carter Ash, WR, Bozeman; Keeley Bake, WR, Fairfield; Alex Balkenbush, DE, Billings Central; Aidan Barrows, LB, Miles City; Jaden Bienvenue, OL, Billings West; Demarcus Carr, RB, Billings West; Sam Carson, OL, Henry Wise Wood (Calgary, Alberta.); Brett Clark, WR, Bozeman; Nelson Crisafuli, LB, Glendive; Asher Croy, RB, Bozeman; Finnegan Davis, LB, Red Lodge; Garrett Diekhans, ST, Fort Benton; Mason Dionne, LB, Havre; Nick Eliason, TE, Billings Senior; Josh Erbacher, QB, Billings West; Preston Erlich, DL, Red Lodge; Journey Grimsrud, DL, Huntley Project; Mason Harding, OL, Miles City; Ben Held, LB, Great Falls High; Kasee Henderson, OL, Havre; Conner Klick, OL, Fairfield; Tel Lunde, S, Wibaux; Jacolby Mattoon, OL, Miles City; Hunter Morse, TE, Billings West; Keenan Murnion, LB, Jordan; Oran Nash-Bergen, CB, Billings Senior; Bryce Nelson, CB, Great Falls CMR; Tanner Parsons, RB, Shelby; Kaelen Patton, LB, Bozeman; Ricky Preese, OL, Columbus; Cayden Redfield, WR, Hardin; Connor Ryan, S, Billings West; Conner Schwend, QB, Hardin; Tanner Smith, CB, Malta; Quinn Springer, OL, Havre; Braden Tomlin, WR, Red Lodge; Tom Walkup, OL, Bozeman; Trey Yates, DL, Colstrip; Cam Younger, DE, Laurel.

West Team

Scout Allen, S, Butte High; Max Anderson, OL, Kalispell Flathead; Cade Baker, CB, Frenchtown; Sam Coffin, TE, West Yellowstone; Drew Deck, WR, Kalispell Glacier; Hank Dunn, CB, Eureka; Josh Dyk, DE, Manhattan; Hayden Ferguson, LB, Helena High; Maddoxx Fucci, OL, Kalispell Glacier; Trey Green, ST, Clark Fork; Bridger Grovom, WR, Helena Capital; Coen Guisti, OL, Jefferson; Cooper Hoffman, LB, Dillon; Parker Johnston, WR, Helena Capital; Preston Jones, WR, Missoula Sentinel; Tucker Jones, LB, Hamilton; Jake Kindel, LB, Eureka; Jaden Lamb, DL, Townsend; Jaxon Lee, RB, Missoula Sentinel; Konor McClafferty, OL, Butte High; Zane McCormick, LB, Helena Capital; Thomas McGree, S, Butte Central; Tommy Mellott, QB, Butte High; Kameron Moreno, RB, Butte High; Kobe Moreno, LB, Butte High; Hank Nuce, DL, Kalispell Glacier; Spencer Oldenburger, OL, Manhattan; Guido Osello, WR, Butte Central; Monte Pearson, DL, Helena Capital; Jett Rebish, S, Missoula Big Sky; Aaron Richards, OL, Butte Central; Carson Rostad, QB, Hamilton; Hank Rugg, DE, Frenchtown; Tanner Russell, DE, Kalispell Flathead; Chris Schedlbauer, OL, Libby; Brandon Spencer, OL, Missoula Sentinel; Avery Stiles, WR, Jefferson; Nate Turner, CB, Bishop O’Byrne (Calgary, Alberta); Lane Veltkamp, CB, Manhattan; Ryker Wenderoth, CB, Polson; Rollie Worster, ST, Missoula Hellgate.