Blue Ponies loaded for a run

If any high school football team was ever looking for a recipe for success, it couldn't do much better than a head coach with three state titles on his resume and a three-time All-State quarterback.

Yet, that is exactly what Havre High has heading into its 2015 season with new head coach Mark Samson and quarterback Dane Warp.

And that is also why expectations for Havre football have gone through the roof.

In truth, expectations are always high when it comes to Blue Pony football. After all, the program has qualified for the playoffs in seven straight seasons. Yet, HHS has not captured a conference championship since 2011 and hasn’t played for the state championship in over a decade, which is something that Samson and the Ponies are hoping to change sooner rather than later.

“I think that the kids are really excited right now,” Samson said. “They are hungry. They want to have success and they have worked really hard throughout the offseason and during these first couple weeks of practice. I don’t sense any entitlement from them. I mean, we have talented kids and they know they are good, but I think they really want to be great.”

As excited as the players are, Samson’s enthusiasm may trump them all. Samson, who was formerly the head man at Helena Capital, where he won three Class AA state titles, and at Montana State University-Northern for the last 10 years, where he took the Lights to the NAIA national playoffs, is looking forward to his opportunity to coach the Ponies and can’t wait for the football season to get started.

“I have really enjoyed working with these kids,” Samson said. “They are excited about playing football and that’s something that can take us a long way. But even as we were driving over for our scrimmage (at Blue Pony Stadium) I was getting excited too. It feels good to be back on the field.”

One reason so much is to be expected from Havre football this season is its almost gluttonous amount of skill-position players. The offense will be led by Warp, who enters his senior season just shy of Montana’s all-time high school record for passing yards.

Warp is also coming off a stellar junior season in which he completed 68 percent of his passes, while throwing for 2,629 yards to go along with 27 touchdown passes as opposed to just five interceptions. He also averaged an astonishing 12.6 yards per attempt, which is off the charts.

Warp may be the key cog for the Pony offense, but he is far from the only one. All-State wide receiver Parker Filius is also coming off a season where he racked up 60 receptions, 996 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. The junior was the Ponies’ leading receiver with 724 yards and the team’s second-leading rusher with 272.

Beyond Filius, the Ponies are returning each of their four leading receivers from a season ago and that doesn’t even include senior Nate Rismon, who earned All-Conference honors as wide out in 2013, but was only able to play one game a season ago after breaking his leg in the opening game against Whitefish.

“We have some really good skills guys and a lot of depth there,” Samson said. “It has taken them some time to adapt to our system. But they are doing well. Dane is doing a good job for us. He’s trying to play the position the way that we want him to and is trying to see things the way that we see them as a coaching staff.”

In addition to Filius and Rismon, the Ponies have four other players who will see time at receiver this season. They include Isaac Warp, who caught 40 passes for 620 yards and six touchdowns last year as a sophomore, Nate Korb, who caught nine passes a season ago, Jacob LaBrie, who had 21 receptions for 276 yards and seven touchdowns, and Ivar Aageson, who is playing his first year of varsity football after missing last season due to injury.

At running back, the Ponies will be equally good thanks to the return of junior Jase Stokes, who rushed for 415 yards on just 58 carries a season ago, which is good enough for a whopping 7.8 yards per carry, while also reaching pay dirt 10 times. Stokes can also catch the ball and was third on the team in receptions a season ago with 28 for 358 yards and two scores.

Joining Stokes in the backfield will be starting fullback Chris Gabrielsen, who may also see time at running back, as well as fellow running backs Jazz Schroeder and Jake Sedahl.

Of course, the big key for Havre, as with any football team, is the play of the offensive line. And with just one starter returning from a season ago, there is work to be done. Yet, with senior Travis Adams manning the left tackle spot, Cole Keller at center and Thomas Keith at right tackle, Samson feels good about his offensive line, despite the question marks at guard where multiple players including Jared Sienkowski, Brock Smith, John Berg and Austin Burnside will compete for playing time. And at tight end, the Ponies will also be looking for good things from Alex Stilger and Will Thomas.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Ponies will be led by Stokes and Filius, who each excelled a season ago. Stokes played middle linebacker a year ago and will play inside in defensive coordinator Jarrod Wirt’s 3-4 scheme. Filius, who was a safety a season ago, will move into the box as an outside linebacker. Dane Flammond will man the other outside linebacker spot, while Gabrielsen will play inside alongside Stokes. Sedahl will also get reps at linebacker

Up front, Havre will boast Berg and Burnside at defensive end as well as Adams, a former All-Conference defensive lineman. In the middle, the Ponies will turn to Sienkowski, who will be the nose tackle.

In the secondary, the Ponies are loaded. Rismon will return to his spot at corner this season, while Aageson will take over the starting job opposite him. LaBrie, and Keegan Kennelly will also see time at corner and at safety the starting tandem will be Nate Korb and Logan Pleninger, with Dane Warp potentially seeing some snaps in key situations.

“We have a lot of depth in the secondary,” Samson said. “Rismon has been playing well. Aageson has gotten bigger and is doing a nice job. Nate Korb is going to be a really good one and Logan Pleninger has really had a good summer. I think the kids are still adjusting to some things, but we are going to blitz a lot and try to put pressure on the other team and I think as we get more comfortable, you will see a really great defense.”

One positive for the Ponies and their fans is that it won't take long for them to find out how good they really are. Of course, the first game against Whitefish, which is for the BNSF traveling trophy, will provide a test as the Bulldogs made it to the state semifinals a season ago. Yet, Havre will also be tested by a Sept. 11 road trip to Miles City in a rematch of last year's playoffs, as well as a home game against Sidney Sept. 18. HHS will open its conference schedule Sept. 25 with a trip to Browning, before returning to Havre to take on Livingston Oct. 2 for homecoming.

Another crucial battle will take place Oct. 9, when the Ponies will travel to Belgrade for a game that may well determine the Central A conference title. HHS will host Lewistown to close conference play Oct. 16, before finishing the season at home Oct. 23 in non-conference action. The Class A state playoffs will get underway Oct. 31, with the state championship game scheduled for Nov. 21.

"Our schedule is going to be challenging," Samson said. "We play multiple teams in non-conference that are being mentioned as teams that are going to make the playoffs. We also have teams in our conference like Lewistown and Belgrade, so we are going to have a tough schedule. But, we just need to take care of business and win at home. That's where our schedule favors us."

The Ponies, who lost in heartbreaking fashion 48-47 in overtime to Miles City in the Class A state playoffs a season ago, are looking for redemption this season and their quest will begin with the opening game against Whitefish Saturday at Blue Pony Stadium. For much more HHS football coverage, see Friday’s Havre Daily News.