Havre's DeVries among new Lights

The Montana State University-Northern football team has begun spring practice, but the Lights' coaches are also till on the recruiting trail.

Late last week, MSU-Northern head coach Mark Samson announced the addition of six more players to the 2012 recruiting class, including a Havre High standout.

Havre senior Joey DeVr

Havre High's Joe DeVries gets ready to snap the ball during a Havre football practice back in November. DeVries became the latest Havre Blue Pony to sign with the Montana State University-Northern football team recently. DeVries is among six new recruits announced by Northern head coach Mark Samson. He's slated to play either center or guard next fall for the Lights, who are in the midst of spring drills.

ies has signed an NAIA letter of intent to continue his football career at home in Havre. DeVries, who will play either center or guard for the Lights, is a two-time Central A All-Conference performer on the offensive line. This past season, in helping the Blue Ponies to the Central A championship, and a trip to the Class A semifinals, DeVries earned Class A First-Team All-State at center. DeVries, who is also a standout goalie for the Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team, as well as a thrower on the HHS track team, has also been selected to play in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game this summer in Great Falls.

"It's always great to get a hometown kid in Joey DeVries," Samson said. "He had a very good year for Coach (Jason) Christenson this fall. We are very excited to have another Blue Pony joining our program."

Northern continued to emphasize depth on the offensive line through recruiting as the Lights also signed 6-3, 270-pound OG Wes Ostby from Deer Park, Wash. Ostby transfers to Northern from Lewis-Clark College in Oregon where he was a redshirt last fall. He was a First-Team All-League offensive lineman for Riverside High School in Deer Park.

The Lights added another outstanding linemen prospect in Dustyn Kluksdhal, a 6-5, 295-pound tackle from Cody High School in Cody, Wyo.

Three more Montana high school products will also be joining the program this fall.

Jake Skelton, a 5-9, 190-pound running back from Ronan, who ran for 1,041 yards last fall has also signed with MSU-N. Skelton earned Class B First-Team All-State honors for the Chiefs, who reached the Class B semifinals in 2011.

Josiah Clairmont, a Class A All-State selection from Polson is another great get for the Lights. Clairmont is a 6-0, 260-pound defensive tackle who helped the Pirates to a Class A playoff berth last fall. He was also selected to play in the Shrine Game this summer, and was an outstanding wrestler for Polson for four years.

Rounding out the latest batch of recruits is Bryce Bartmess, a 6-0, 170-pound wide receiver from Eureka. He earned Class B First-Team All-State this past season for the Lions, another playoff team.

"We are very excited to announce the signings of these six student athletes," Samson said. "All of them are good competitors and will represent our program very well on and off the field. They will all be great additions to our team next fall. We have signed three good young offensive lineman and one defensive lineman and two skill positions guys on offense that should add good depth to their positions next fall.

"With these six recruits, we have signed a total of 34 young men for next fall. We are very happy with our recruiting class this year and are excited about the potential that these young men have. We are pretty much done with our 2012 recruiting right now except for a couple transfers that we are continuing to talk with and hope to sign in the very near future."