George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
Eight Montana State University- Northern Lights have been named to the Frontier Conference's All-Conference football team for the 2007 season. The Lights, who went 6-5 overall this season and 5-5 in Frontier Conference play, had four players named to the first team, highlighted by senior safety Marc Samson, who was named the league's first-team safety for the third straight year. Samson led the Frontier with a career-high eight interceptions and he was second on the team with 103 tackles. Samson, who was also a second-team selection as a freshman, finished his brilliant career at MSU-N as the school record holder in interceptions for a career with 17, season, 8 and single game 3. He also holds MSU-N's career tackles record with 416, as well as passes defended with 56, and several punt return records. Samson was also recognized this season on the second team as a punt returner. Joining Samson on the first team were seniors Josh Glahn and Steve Ahrens, as well as sophomore Stetson Koffman. Glahn was named to the first team as a defensive end for the second straight season after finishing the year with 52 tackles, nine sacks, 12 tackles for loss, seven hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Glahn holds the MSU-N record for quarterback sacks with 28. Meanwhile, Koffman had a breakout season as a linebacker. The sophomore from Helena led the team in tackles with 114, which was also second in the Frontier. He also had nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two caused fumbles and one recovered fumble, while Ahrens is a two-time selection. The senior from Sunburst was awarded first-team all-conference tight end last season, while he was named a first-team offensive linemen this year. Northern also had four players earn second-team honors this season, led by senior Donny Saisbury. Saisbury was named second team at both tight end and punter, and the four-year starter from Helena earned all-conference honors every season he played at MSU-N. Saisbury's 2007 season included 27 catches for 350 yards and three touchdowns, and he also carried the ball 52 times for 211 yards and a score. Saisbury holds every MSU-N career punting record, and he is also the career touchdown leader at MSU-N with three in a game, 15 in a season and 33 for his brilliant career. Saisbury's brother, Dilan Saisbury was also honored at linebacker for the second straight season. Dilan Saisbury, also a senior, finished the season with 91 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, four fumble recoveries, two INTs and four hurries. Junior cornerback Khalin Anderson from Fort Benton also earned all-conference honors for the second time in his career. Anderson, who is considered one of the league's top corners, finished the year with 45 tackles, a career-high four INTs, 20 passes defended and one fumble recovered. Defensive end Will Andrews, a freshman form Sandpoint, Idaho, rounds out Northern's all-conference selections. Andrews had 37 tackles, four sacks, three hurries and six tackles for loss as part of Northern's topranked defense. The MSU-N defense was second in the Frontier in every defensive category this season, nest to Carroll College's record-setting defensive unit. MSU-N was particularly good against the run in 2007, but the Lights were also one of the best scoring units in the country, yielding a stingy 13.4 points per game. Northern also finished on the positive side of the turnover margin for the second straight year. The entire 2007 Frontier Conference postseason list will be released after the No. 2 Carroll College Fighting Saints are finished with their NAIA playoff run. Havre Daily News/Nikki Carlson/photos@havredailynews.com Photo Above: MSU-Northern defensive end Josh Glahn fights of a lineman during a game against EOU last month in Havre. Glahn was named to the Frontier Conference's All-Conference Team as a first-team defender for the second straight season. He recorded nine sacks this season. Below: Donny Saisbury carries the ball against Carroll College back on Sept. 22 in Havre. Saisbury earned second-team honors as a tight end and punter this season, and he was an all-conference selection all four years at MSU-N.
