Montana

Montana Western’s 28-win season ends in NAIA National Tournament quarterfinals

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2023

Montana Western’s 28-win season ends in NAIA National Tournament quarterfinals

Daniel Shepard
Unbiased Document

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Montana Western pushed the defending NAIA nationwide champion an evening after knocking off final yr’s runner-up, however a handful of late turnovers made victory unimaginable in an eventual 66-62 nationwide event quarterfinal loss to Thomas Extra on Wednesday.

Brynley Fitzgerald scored 14 factors in her ultimate sport as a Bulldog, whereas fellow senior Mesa King added six factors and eight rebounds.

“That is in all probability the most important heartbreak I’ve ever had in my life,” King stated postgame. “I’ve been right here six years and I actually by no means thought basketball was gonna finish for me … I can’t imagine (the tip) is right here, however I wouldn’t commerce it for a single dime.

“These ladies — this program, this tradition that coach (Lindsay) Woolley has made, I’ve by no means been part of one thing extra wonderful in my whole life. I’m endlessly grateful for the alternatives Western has given me.”

King was a member of the 2019 Bulldog workforce that gained a nationwide championship, and as a sixth-year senior, began each sport on the squad that performed deeper into the postseason than any workforce since.

Western checked off its first-ever win on the Sioux Metropolis ultimate web site on Tuesday night time (actually Wednesday morning) and performed longer than some other Frontier Convention ladies’s workforce.

The Bulldogs spent practically two weeks on the street on this nationwide event journey, one which noticed Western lower the nets down in Park Metropolis, Kansas, earlier than beating the No. 4-ranked workforce within the nation.

“I used to be younger after we gained that, however I knew yearly that we received an opportunity, we have been gonna take advantage of it and make our look right here at nationals,” King stated.

“Being on the street so long as we have now, it’s been nice, it’s been fairly the expertise. While you love your workforce as a lot as (we do), it’s fairly straightforward to remain on the street this lengthy.”

Fitzgerald, who joined the Bulldogs a season after their nationwide title, knocked down the ultimate two 3-point makes an attempt of her collegiate profession. The primary one, on the primary play again within the sport after sitting for 4 minutes in foul bother, pulled Western inside a degree.

The final one gave Western life down 4 factors with below a minute to play, however two defensive possessions later, Fitzgerald fouled out because the Saints went to the road to ice the sport.

“I believed we received good pictures, particularly within the first half, we simply didn’t make any within the first half,” Woolley stated.

“I used to be actually pleased with our effort defensively to only kinda keep it up, keep it up, keep it up. We simply misplaced (Thomas Extra’s Alex Smith) … The margin is skinny and we simply didn’t make sufficient performs.”

This story will likely be up to date

E mail Daniel Shepard at daniel.shepard@406mtsports.com or discover him on Twitter @IR_DanielS.

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Montana

Missoula Sentinel pipeline aiding Montana State's run to FCS national championship game

Published

37 minutes ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Missoula Sentinel pipeline aiding Montana State's run to FCS national championship game

MISSOULA — Montana State’s path to Frisco, Texas, for the FCS national championship has been built by Treasure State natives.

For Rylan Ortt, Adam Jones and Zac Crews, that road started with the decision to become Bobcats — and spurn the hometown Montana Grizzlies — after playing high school football at Missoula Sentinel.

Tom Wylie / MTN Sports

Montana State captain Rylan Ortt stands during the coin toss of the Bobcats’ game against Idaho in the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024.

“Rylan was the first guy to grow up a Griz fan and make that jump over to Bozeman for a lot of different reasons,” Sentinel football coach Dane Oliver told MTN Sports. “And so that kind of laid the foundation. And I know Zac and Adam both looked up to Rylan.

“You know how recruiting works, if they’re having a positive experience wherever they’re at, it helps when they hear from a kid that they trust and know.”

Ortt joined Montana State in 2019 after a stellar Sentinel career playing quarterback and throwing the javelin. As the Spartans’ QB, Ortt threw for 2,098 yards and rushed for 750 yards as a senior in 2018.

In the javelin, he won the 2019 Class AA state championship with a throw of 208 feet, 8 inches.

Once in Bozeman, Ortt transitioned to safety. He redshirted in 2019, and the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the four years since, he has emerged as one of the leaders on a defense full of Montana guys.

This season, he leads the Bobcats with 75 total tackles. He’s also caught one interception and forced and recovered a fumble.

“He sacrificed a lot for our (Sentinel) program just having to play quarterback,” said Oliver, who played for the Grizzlies and was a member of their last national title team in 2001. “And hopefully that’s helped him being a safety, and maybe the knowledge you gain from the quarterback perspective has allowed him to have success at that level.”

While Ortt has been a stalwart in MSU’s secondary, Jones has had a breakout season on offense. He burst onto the scene in the Bobcats’ season-opening come-from-behind win at FBS New Mexico when he rushed for 167 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown that sparked the fourth-quarter comeback.

Jones this season has become the most prolific freshman runner in program history, rushing for 1,134 yards and 14 touchdowns. Against Idaho in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs, Jones accounted for 95 yards and four touchdowns with starting running back Scottre Humphrey sidelined.

“He’s got all the traits of what it takes to be great,” Oliver said of Jones. “You know, (Jones is successful) maybe a little earlier than I expected. I think the thing that Adam had going for him (in high school) was he was a three-sport athlete. You know, he was a heck of a baseball player, did hockey and football.

“He was always physical. … He’s got the hockey nature, so he’s not afraid of contact. But he’s put on some weight. He can finish runs, always falls forward, he’s got great vision. He’s got all the qualities of a back.”

Montana State vs. South Dakota — Montana State’s Adam Jones (23) and Zack Black (50) celebrate after the Bobcats defeated South Dakota in a semifinal game of the FCS playoffs at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.

Jones, Crews and fellow Cats Dylan Rollins and J.J. Dolan each played a part in helping Sentinel win Class AA state football championships in 2020 and 2021. Prior to the 2020 title, the Spartans’ last championship came in 1972.

Crews, a sophomore, has turned into a contributor on the defensive line with 24 total tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Dolan is a redshirt freshman, and Rollins, the 2020 Gatorade Montana player of the year and a 2021 Sentinel grad, is a freshman after beginning his college career at BYU and serving an LDS mission.

Now they’re all part of an MSU program aiming to end its own drought and win its first national championship since 1984.

“It’s fun to see them go on to be successful, not just the ones that play college football,” Oliver said. “It’s made me realize why I do this. It takes a lot of time and energy to coach high school football.

“So, just to see them grow into young men and have success and be fulfilled in it, whatever career they choose, and those guys are doing it on a public stage, and so obviously super rewarding for myself and all our staff to see the success they’re having.”

Montana State (15-0) will play North Dakota State (13-2) for the FCS national championship on Jan. 6.

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How North Dakota State and Montana State reached the FCS national championship game

Published

11 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

How North Dakota State and Montana State reached the FCS national championship game

After a thrilling 2024 season, FCS football will crown a champion when North Dakota State and Montana State battle on a Monday night. As the Bison and Bobcats near the pinnacle of the sport, let’s take a look back at their journeys.

🏈 MORE FCS FOOTBALL 🏈

North Dakota State

Regular season

North Dakota State finished the regular season 10-2, losing its first game to Colorado out of the FBS and its final game to South Dakota out of the MVFC. The season-ending loss prevented the Bison from winning the MVFC outright, but it didn’t matter as NDSU still got the No. 2 overall seed in the playoffs.

FCS playoffs

North Dakota State fought off an early scare from Abilene Christian in the second round to win by 20 points. In the quarterfinals, the Bison beat Mercer 31-7 in a game they controlled from start to finish.

Semifinal round

In the semifinals, North Dakota State defeated South Dakota State for the second time this year to advance to the championship game. Click or tap here for more on the thrilling finish.

Bison schedule

Opponent	Win/Loss	Score	Record	Ranking (AFCA)
at Colorado	L	31-26	0-1	No. 2
vs. Tennessee State	W	52-3	1-1	No. 2
at ETSU	W	38-5	2-1	No. 2
vs. Towson	W	41-24	3-1	No. 2
at No. 15 Illinois State	W	42-10	4-1	No. 2
vs. No. 6 North Dakota	W	41-17	5-1	No. 2
at Southern Illinois	W	24-3	6-1	No. 2
vs. No. 1 South Dakota State	W	13-9	7-1	No. 2
at Murray State	W	59-6	8-1	No. 1
vs. Northern Iowa	W	42-19	9-1	No. 1
vs. No. 14 Missouri State	W	59-21	10-1	No. 1
at No. 4 South Dakota	L	29-28	10-2	No. 1
vs. (15) Abilene Christian	W	51-31	11-2	No. 4
vs. (7) Mercer	W	31-7	12-2	No. 4
vs. (3) South Dakota State	W	28-21	13-2	No. 4

Key players this season

QB Cam Miller
RB CharMar Brown
RB TK Marshall
WR Bryce Lance
WR Braylon Henderson
TE Joe Stoffel
OL Mason Miller
OL Grey Zabel
DL Eli Mostaert
DL Kody Huisman
DL Loshiaka Roques
LB Logan Kopp
DB Darius Givance
K Griffin Crosa

North Dakota State has a reloaded roster under first-year head coach Tim Polasek. The Bison have the Jerry Rice Award winner CharMar Brown in the backfield along top-three Walter Payton Award finalist Cam Miller. The trenches are stout yet again with NFL prospect Grey Zabel on offense and All-American Eli Mostaert on defense.

Montana State

Regular season

Montana State finished the regular season 12-0 with the longest regular-season win streak in the FCS. Only two Bobcat games — an FBS win over New Mexico State and a Big Sky win over UC Davis — were within one possession.

FCS playoffs

Montana State’s dominance continued in the playoffs. The Bobcats didn’t play a close game in the first two rounds, averaging 50.5 points scored and a 32.5 margin of victory.

Semifinal round

In the semifinals, Montana State held off South Dakota to advance to the championship game. Tommy Mellott led the way offensively with 134 passing yards and a touchdown plus 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Click or tap here for more from the game.

Bobcat schedule

Opponent	Win/Loss	Score	Record	Ranking (AFCA)
at New Mexico	W	35-31	1-0	No. 4
at Utah Tech	W	31-7	2-0	No. 3
vs. Maine	W	41-24	3-0	No. 3
vs. Mercyhurst	W	52-13	4-0	No. 3
at Idaho State	W	37-17	5-0	No. 3
vs. Northern Colorado	W	55-17	6-0	No. 3
vs. No. 8 Idaho	W	38-7	7-0	No. 3
Portland State	W	44-14	8-0	No. 3
at Eastern Washington	W	42-28	9-0	No. 2
vs. Sacramento State	W	49-7	10-0	No. 2
at No. 4 UC Davis	W	30-28	11-0	No. 2
vs. No. 10 Montana	W	34-11	12-0	No. 2
vs. UT Martin	W	49-17	13-0	No. 1
vs. Idaho	W	52-19	14-0	No. 1
vs. South Dakota	W	31-17	15-0	No. 1

Key players this season

QB Tommy Mellott
RB Scottre Humphrey
RB Adam Jones
WR Taco Dowler
WR Ty McCullouch
TE Rohan Jones
OL Marcus Wehr
OL Conner Moore
OL Titan Fleischmann
OL Cole Sain
DL Brody Grebe
DL Paul Brott
LB McCade O’Reilly
LB Danny Uluilakepa
DB Andrew Powdrell
DB Rylan Ortt
P Brendan Hall

Montana State is an experienced group with a mix of young talent. Adam Jones was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award while senior Tommy Mellott is a top-three Walter Payton Award finalist. Brody Grebe leads the defense; he finished ninth in Buck Buchanan Award voting.

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Students deliver Christmas meals to veterans in Great Falls

Published

20 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Students deliver Christmas meals to veterans in Great Falls

Posted

and last updated

Students deliver Christmas meals to veterans in Great Falls

In the video above, Paul Sanchez reports on students from Central Catholic High School in Great Falls, who provided all of the fixings for Christmas meals for 50 military veterans.

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