Three Lights earn Frontier football honors

As expected, three of the biggest stars for the Montana State University-Northern Lights football team were awarded for their efforts, and they’re three important senior leaders.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Frontier Conference released its All-Conference Team and postseason awards for the 2016 season, and Northern seniors Tyler Craig, Zach McKinley and Pete Morales were honored.

Craig, a defensive end, was named First-Team All-Conference on defense for the second straight season. In his senior year, Craig tied Northern’s all-time record for sacks with 29, as well as breaking the Lights record for tackles for loss in a career. This season, Craig registered four sacks, 12.5 TFLs and 58 tackles.

Morales was named All-Conference at guard for the second straight season, but, with his steady play through all 11 games this season, he got the nod as a First-Team selection for the first time in his career.

Of course, Morales also helped pave the way for McKinley, who was named All-Conference for the third straight season, but surprisingly, was only a Second-Team selection though he finished second in the Frontier in rushing at 101 yards per game, while gaining 1,012 yards on the ground and compiling six 100-yard games this season. He also had eight touchdowns. McKinley, who rushed 4,699 yards in his record-setting MSU-N career, was also Northern’s leading receiver this season, while he finished 17th in the NAIA in rushing yards per game and 19th in total rushing.

For the second straight season, Montana Tech’s Nolan Saraceni was named the Frontier Conference Offensive Player of the Year. The senior running back rushed for 134 yards per game and ran for over 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns during the regular season. Those numbers put him at No. 5 in the NAIA through 10 games, and helped the Orediggers win their second straight Frontier title.

Tech swept the league’s postseason accolades as DE Luke Benz was named the Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Frontier with 8.5 sacks. Tech head coach Chuck Morrell was named Frontier Coach of the Year after guiding the Orediggers to back-to-back league titles, and a second straight season in which Tech has reached at least the NAIA quarterfinals.

Tech also had the most All-Conference selections with 13. Eastern Oregon, which has also advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals, had nine selections, as well as the most First-Teamers with seven. Also, EOU WR Calvin Connors was named All-Conference at three different positions for the second year in a row. Southern Oregon tied EOU with nine All-Conference players overall, while Carroll College had seven, UM-Western and Rocky Mountain College had five each and Northern and College of Idaho had three each.

Snubs: With all due respect to all of the players who earned All-Conference honors, a few Lights that didn’t make the list proved worthy nonetheless. Of course, there is no doubt McKinley should have been a First-Team selection, and while EOU’s Alfred Gross is an outstanding running back, and the Mounties had a great season, McKinley rushed for nearly 10 more yards per game, scored more touchdowns and had twice as many 100-yard games as Gross did.

And while Northern only posted one win this season, three players that certainly deserved All-Conference didn’t get the votes. Those included senior safety Logan Sprouse, who tied for second in the Frontier with four interceptions, while totaling 60 tackles and seven pass breakups. Junior linebacker Garet Fowler also finished fifth in the Frontier in tackles with 84, which was more than four other linebackers who made the list. And finally, Northern junior kicker Tommy Langley deserved the nod as well. Langley was 9-of-12 on field goals for a .750 percentage, which was tops in the league. He also had the longest make of the season (51 yards) and was 18-of-19 on extra points.

2016 Frontier All-Conference

Offense

First Team

Zach Barlow *, Eastern Oregon, QB, 6-0, 195, Sr.

Nolan Saraceni *, Montana Tech, RB, 5-11, 200, Sr.

Alfred Gross, Eastern Oregon, RB, 5-9, 200, Sr.

Marcus Lenhardt **, College of Idaho, TE, 6-4, 225, Jr.

Connor Fohn, Carroll College, WR, 6-1, 195, So.

Dion Williams, Montana Tech, WR, 6-1, 195, So.

Matt Rezlaff *#, Southern Oregon, WR, 5-10, 190, Sr.

Chris Emter, Carroll College, OL, 6-4, 300, Jr.

Peter Morales #, MSU-Northern, OL, 6-3, 295, Sr.

Ryan Stemple #, Montana Tech, OL, 6-3, 295, Sr.

Kylan Putman, Montana Western, OL, 6-3, 265, Sr.

Ty King *, Southern Oregon, OL, 6-6, 300, Sr.

Second Team

Quinn McQueary, Montana Tech, QB, 6-3, 195, Jr.

Zach McKinley #*, MSU-Northern, RB, 5-10, 205, Sr.

Sam Rutherford ##, Montana Western, RB, 6-0, 225, Sr.

Andrew Loudenback, Montana Tech, TE, 6-3, 225, Sr.

Josh Richards, Eastern Oregon, WR, 5-10, 180, Jr.

Calvin Connors *, Eastern Oregon, WR, 5-9, 175, Jr.

Matt Lickfold #, Montana Western, WR, 6-4, 240, Sr.

Sam Zvirzdys, College of Idaho, OL, 6-4, 275, Jr.

Mitch Staeffler, Eastern Oregon, OL, 6-1, 280, Sr.

Shayden Flint, Montana Western, OL, 6-0, 290,

Christmas Aumua, Southern Oregon, OL, 6-1, 280, Jr.

Defense

First Team

Tyler Craig *, MSU-Northern, DL, 6-2, 230, Sr.

Luke Benz, Montana Tech, DL, 6-2, 240, Sr.

Tyler Sanders *, Montana Tech, DL, 6-2, 265, Jr.

Brendon Johnson, Rocky Mountain, DL, 6-3, 290, Jr.

Tucker Stanley, Eastern Oregon, LB, 6-0, 200, Sr.

Drew Schleeman, Montana Tech, LB, 6-3, 230, Jr.

T.J. Benson *, Montana Western, LB, 5-19, 185, Sr.

Devvon Gage, Southern Oregon, LB, 6-2, 225, So.

Nate Moore *, College of Idaho, DB, 5-9, 170, Sr.

Andre Brown, Montana Tech, DB, 5-10, 180, Jr.

Gunnar Kayser, Montana Tech, DB, 6-4, 220, Sr.

Julius Rucker *, Southern Oregon, DB, 6-2, 205, Sr.

Second Team

Beaugh Meyer, Carroll College, DL, 6-2, 265, Jr.

Kyle Smith, Carroll College, DL, 6-3, 285, Sr.

Kyle Lanoue ##, Eastern Oregon, DL, 6-0, 275, Sr.

Seth Swandal, Rocky Mountain, DL, 6-2, 260, Sr.

David Anderson, Carroll College, LB, 6-0, 220, Jr.

Zach Hulse, Montana Tech, LB, 6-2, 225, Sr.

Chase Bertelsen, Rocky Mountain, LB, 6-2, 235, So.

Isiah Carter, Southern Oregon, LB, 6-0, 210, Jr.

Vince DiGiallonardo, Carroll College, DB, 6-0, 190, Sr.

John Payne, Eastern Oregon, DB, 5-9, 170, Sr.

Jason Baker, Rocky Mountain, DB, 5-11, 190, Sr.

Keegan Lawrence, Southern Oregon, DB, 5-11, 195, Jr.

Special Teams

First Team

Marcus Montano, Southern Oregon, K, 6-1, 190, So.

Dylan Torgerson, Carroll College, P, 6-2, 190, Jr.

Calvin Connors #, Eastern Oregon, KR/PR, 5-9, 175, Jr.

Second Team

Derrick Holt #, Montana Tech, K, 5-9, 205, Jr.

Louis DesPrez, Southern Oregon, P, 5-10, 180, Jr.

Sam Sparks, Rocky Mountain, KR, 6-0, 190, Fr.

Levi Lynde, Montana Tech, PR, 5-9, 155, So.

* 2015 First Team Selection

** 2014 and 2015 First Team Selection

+ 2014 First Team Selection

# 2015 Second Team Selection

## 2014 and 2015 Second Team Selection