<div>The good-natured duel going on between the Montana Tech coordinators – Montell Allen on defense and Travis Dean on offense – has been good for the football Orediggers.Both units were almost perfect on Saturday, complementing each other in a 49-16 thrashing of Dickinson State at Bob Green Field that probably wasn’t even as close as the score alludes.Head coach Kyle Samson, of course, is a main beneficiary.Tommy Mellott said he thought the Orediggers looked good.“The offense is impressive,” the recent Butte High and Montana State star said as he reacquainted with Butte folks at the game and strolled outside the tailgate, adding that he thought, through the first half, the team looked good.Mellott said the game was his first time to an Oredigger football tilt “probably since middle school.” He’d been busy with his own football career since.Winners relate.“Good people win championships,” Samson said, post-game. “I’m surrounded by good people.”As head coach, he put them there.The win was Montana Tech’s ninth in 10 games and the Orediggers are undefeated at home this year. They will close out their regular season Saturday at Mayville State in North Dakota, then are looking to play host to an NAIA national playoffs opponent.Montana Tech is ranked fifth, was fourth two weeks ago, but pollsters seemingly penalized the Orediggers a rung for a 41-0 shellacking of Rocky Mountain on Halloween.“It was an amazing day for our 12 seniors,” Samson praised on a September Saturday that was so tardy it didn’t get here until early November, temperatures flirting with 60 degrees and sunshine slashing through the fall overcast. “This is the most successful (football) class ever at Montana Tech.“We’ve had amazing leaders, leaders that don’t allow themselves to get complacent. It just comes down to people who love each other, humble peoples.”The Montana Tech seniors are Colby Martinez, Levi Torgerson, Luke Bilau, Christian Hansen, Kellen Beller, Jalen Perkins, Isaiah Claunch, Jamal Cariglia, Casey Kautzman, Wyatt DeVoss, Chaise Meyer and Caleb Novak. The Orediggers are 44-12 over the last four years, calculated Daniel Separd of 406 Sports.Every catch receiver Torgerson makes from now on breaks two Oredigger career records and each one that scores a touchdown will break another. He’s on top of the record book in all three categories with 2,946 yards, 236 receptions and 30 receiving TDs.The win Saturday clinched Montana Tech its second straight Frontier Conference East Division championship and a slot in the nearing national playoffs.“We have good people here,” Samson continued in emphasis. “I’m extremely proud.”It’s a team that has been impressive enough to chalk up wide enough victories to allow for reserves to gain much playing time. The backups are practically a veteran group and the experience gained figures to work well toward the future of the program. They played all of the second half against Dickinson State.“We got a lot of twos and threes into games,” Samson said. “They work so hard during the week, it’s good to be getting them reps on Saturday.“We’re playing our best football as we head into the playoffs.”The Orediggers had a 45-3 cushion by halftime, scoring 31 points in the second quarter.Cariglia opened the scoring on a 1-yard plunge to cap an 81-yard, nine-play drive and then left-handed junior quarterback Jarrett Wilson threw the first of his four first-half touchdowns when he connected with Manu Melo on a 75-yard play after Dickinson State kicker Nik Halvorsoon booted a 29-yard field goal, the Blue Hawks last close glimpse at the Orediggers.Montana Tech’s TDs in the second period were a 53-yard dash by speed demon backup QB Merek Mihelish, a 20-yard Wilson-to-Nick Michelotti pass play, a 4-yard Wilson throw to Torgerson and a 13-yard link between Wilson and Melo.Both teams scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and none in the fourth. The Orediggers’ were a 64-yard missile from Mihelish to Jaxan Lieberg and 19-yard connection from Mihelish to Martinez.The Dickinson State roster includes 53 players from Montana, including quarterback Hudson Grovom of Helena and receiver Kohbe Smith of Glendive who combined on one of the team’s second-half touchdowns. Head coach Pete Stanton is from Baker, has Butte family and formerly was a high school head coach at Belgrade.Wilson completed 15 of 20 passes in Montana Tech’s first half for four touchdowns, no interceptions and 259 yards before turning the position over to Mihelish, who went 4-for-5 with two TDs and no picks, racking up 93 yards. Third QB Jacob Flowers also saw time. Mihelish was the leading rusher with 101 yards on only six carries. Melo caught three passes for 120 yards and the quickish Torgerson had nine grabs for 107 yards. Max Hannum led the Orediggers in tackles with seven. Beller and Trevor Miller each had two tackles for loss, and each had a sack.“I’m grateful to be on this team,” said Beller, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker from Stevensville who collects ballcarriers like his previous generation did Pokemon cards, except he crumples them more. “It’s amazing to go back-to-back (division championships). With being Senior Day, it was a more emotional experience, but it’s nice to know we have a lot more football to play. We have elite team chemistry and we keep rolling.”If he could stay longer, he would.“Days like this are fun,” Beller said. “I had a blast today and it was nice to see the young guys get to play.“Without a doubt, this year is the most fun I’ve ever had playing football.”The winning under Samson and staff, of course, has been a big factor.“We have a goal of a national championship,” Beller said. “If we can get on a roll going into the postseason, I’m excited to see what we can do.”The more than 3,000 fans in attendance Saturday and more backers who couldn’t be there are, too.</div>

Block Source: buttesports.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

The good-natured duel going on between the Montana Tech coordinators – Montell Allen on defense and Travis Dean on offense – has been good for the football Orediggers. Both units were almost perfect on Saturday, complementing each other in a 49-16 thrashing of Dickinson State at Bob Green Field that probably wasn’t even as close as the score alludes.

Taking Liberty: Oredigger class of winners

NewsBreak

The good-natured duel going on between the Montana Tech coordinators – Montell Allen on defense and Travis Dean on offense – has been good for the football

Taking Liberty: Oredigger class of winners

Comments