MSU-N Game Day: Levi Keltner proud to be in a band of brothers

Over the past several seasons, the Montana State University-Northern football team has had its tough times in the Frontier Conference. Through all the adversity, redshirt senior Levi Keltner has stuck with the Lights. While the Lights have not been able to pick up the wins, Keltner has enjoyed forming bonds with his teammates in the locker room.

"The camaraderie with the team has probably kept me in it even though we've had some tough seasons," Keltner said. "This new coaching staff has really pushed us to become a brotherhood and I think that's super important beyond football."

His football team is not the only family he has had in Havre over the years, either Keltner's older brother, Jesse, is also attending MSU-N and plays for the men's basketball team. While the brothers play different sports for the Lights, that competition between them drives them both in their respective games.

"It really keeps you accountable. To continue to do it and not slack off," Keltner said. "We're always trying to be competitive with each other along with the teams we're playing because that's just how we've been our whole lives."

The brothers are both from Anacortes, a small coastal town in Northern Washington. After living near the ocean and the mountains his entire life, Levi had to adjust to living on the Hi-Line. Thankfully for him, along with his teammates, he found family in the Havre community.

"The thing that I think kept me around is just how nice the people are and how inviting they are," Levi said.

It was Jesse who helped Levi make his way to Northern in the first place. Jesse was at Northern for a semester when he was asked to join the football team. Jesse declined with basketball being his main priority but he recommended his younger brother.

During high school, the brothers honed in on playing the sports they later played in college. They would often go one on one on the court in their free time, so Levi has gotten to see up close what his older brother is capable of.

"I really look up to him in the sporting world and I think that I just tried to work hard and be like him in a sense," Levi said. "He just dominates out there on the floor."

Even when they are not involved in their respective sports, the brothers keep themselves busy. Back home in Washington, the Keltners would play basketball, play spike ball, ride mountain bikes and go on hikes. While they do not spend as much time outdoors in Havre, they are still active as they frequently work out together. They also help each other by either shooting the basketball or throwing the football around.

Over the past four years, Levi has played tight end for the Lights. Across three full seasons and a shortened spring 2021 season, Levi has caught 31 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns. He is undersized for the position, but as MSU-N offensive run game coordinator Timothy Davis said, Levi is a lineman with wings.

"It's the best position for me with my long limbs. That's the new prototype of players. That long and lanky guy that can beat you with speed but then is also able to block well," Levi said. "It's super fun and I really enjoy it."

During Levi's time in the program, the Lights have gone 2-26, with a 1-25 mark in the Frontier Conference. While he wishes he could have won more games during his career, Levi believes all the lows he faced toughened him up for life.

"Having that strong work ethic and being able to push through adversity, it's something that is a really good quality to have in life," Levi said. "You have to deal with those situations that come up quite often, especially when you're losing."

This fall, Levi and the Lights are under the guidance of new head coach Jerome Souers. This will be a rebuilding year for the Lights with several new recruits making up the small roster. As a veteran on the team, Levi has been through it with the Lights so he hopes to teach the younger players how to handle the adversity.

"I think that just keeping an even keel has been something that I've been working on the last couple of seasons. Just being that guy that is consistently uplifting people and trying to be positive," Levi said. "That's something that we need to build as a team. That culture of winning."

Once the year is over, Levi will follow his wife to physical therapy school, most likely at Idaho State in Pocatello. While his wife is at school, Levi plans to become a PE teacher.

But before he begins the next chapter of his life, Levi wants his last year with the Lights to be his best one yet. Along with making many great memories with his teammates before he goes, he wants to help the Lights make progress and leave them in a better place than when he first joined the Lights.

"I hope that the rest of the season, we can scratch together a couple of wins and put Havre on the map so that we can get some better recruits and start to change this program for the better," Levi said. "I think there's so much support in this town and we're just ready to get on track."

Levi and the Lights will take the field this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Tilleman Field with a game against Montana Western. MSU-N then returns to road next Saturday to play at Rocky Mountain College.