FOOTBALL |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Football Highlights
’Diggers need overtime to top Western
Kegel connects with Grevas to give Tech 30-27 win
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 10/29/2006
 |
| Montana Tech running back Teague Egan picks up a couple yards while trying to avoid Western's Adam Ridgeway in Tech’s 20-27 overtime win against Western. Photo by Wally Feldt for The Montana Standard |
DILLON — How many times can the Orediggers save their season?
Alex Grevas hauled in a 7-yard pass from Justin Kegel in overtime Saturday afternoon as Montana Tech pulled out a heart-stopping 30-27 victory over the University of Montana-Western at Vigilante Field.
“That was our fifth fourth-quarter win and we’ve only got six victories,” Kegel said of the dramatic fashion that has become an Oredigger trademark. “It was giving our fans, giving our coaches, giving our team ulcers.” The Orediggers (6-3 overall, 6-2 Frontier Conference) kept their playoff hopes alive with the victory, Tech’s fifth straight over Western. The Bulldogs (0-8, 0-8) fell an eyelash shy of what they acted like would have been a season-making win.
Story
Tech tames Bears
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard- 10/15/2006
The Orediggers changed up their uniforms Saturday afternoon and came out in solid green.
But that was hardly the biggest surprise the Montana Tech football team had in store for Rocky Mountain College in front of 3,156 at Alumni Coliseum.
The Orediggers opened the game with a no-huddle offense that gave the team just enough spark for its seventh-straight season sweep over the Bears.
Story
Lights shine at Alumni
Injured Samson leads Northern to 12-7 win
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 10/08/2006
 |
| Montana Tech’s Jeff Braun wraps up Northern’s Khalin Anderson on a punt return Saturday during the fourth quarter at Alumni Coliseum. Walter Hinick/The Montana Standard |
It’s not too hard to measure how far the Montana State University-Northern football team has come in the past two seasons.
“Two years ago we lost 62 to nothing up here, and that was embarrassing,” Northern senior quarterback Kyle Samson said after tossing a pair of touchdowns to lead the No. 11 Lights to a 12-7 Frontier Conference win over No. 14 Montana Tech at Alumni Coliseum.
While the loss in the rain on Sept. 19, 2004 wasn’t quite as bad as Samson remembers — it was only 61-0 — Saturday’s victory is no less meaningful to the Lights.
In fact, third-year Northern coach Mark Samson said the win was bigger than the state titles his teams won at Helena Capital.
“This is one of my more gratifying wins ever — I mean ever — as a coach,” he said. “That (Class AA state titles) was fun, but where we were at two years ago and where we’re at now ... There’s no doubt about it.” What makes the win even more impressive was the fact that a huge element of the Northern offense — the option — was taken away because Kyle Samson was playing with a high ankle sprain.
Story
’Diggers miss opportunity
Saints run streak to 26 with 16-8 victory
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 10/01/2006
 |
| Carroll College defensive back Cody Zimmerman breaks up a pass intended for Montana Tech wide receiver Alex Grevas during a football game Saturday in Helena. Carroll won 16-8. AP Photo |
HELENA — If there was such a thing as moral victories on the football field, the Montana Tech team bus would have been flying high on the way home from Carroll College Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately for the Orediggers, that’s not the case.
No. 7-ranked Montana Tech beat No. 1-ranked Carroll College in every major statistical category.
But the Saints won the only stat that counts — on the scoreboard — as the Orediggers misfired on a couple golden opportunities, and Tech left town on the short end of a 16-8 decision that extended Carroll’s winning streak to 26 games.
The Frontier Conference first-place showdown, a homecoming battle that was televised state-wide, was played in front of a Frontier Conference record crowd of 7,413 at Nelson Stadium.
Tech more than doubled Carroll on first downs (20-9), racked up more yards See ’Diggers, Page B6 rushing (152-114), ran for more yards (145-102) and, arguably, outhit the four-time defending NAIA national champs.
“Honest to God, on paper we beat ’em,” said Tech sophomore quarter back Justin Kegel, who had his finest day as a college player. “This is the No. 1 team in the nation and we beat ’em today. We just didn’t frickin’ put it in the end zone from the 4-yard line.” Kegel was referring to a pair of times the Orediggers drove inside the Carroll five only to come away with no points.
Story
’Diggers go for 3rd in a row; Bulldogs look for first win
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 09/23/2006
In a season full of really big games, Saturday’s battle stands out.
It’s Montana-Western against Montana Tech at Alumni Coliseum.
When the game kicks off at 1 p.m. the Bulldogs will be looking for their first win of the season. Montana Tech will be going for No. 3 in a row.
Coach Tommy Lee’s Bulldogs are trying to survive the growing pains of an extremely young team while trying to stay in the Frontier Conference race.
“They’re getting better every week,” Lee said of his team. “They never quit. They keep playing, and that’s all you can ask.” Western, the only Frontier team not to play a nonconference game, is 0-2. But both loses came to teams — MSU-Northern and Carroll College — that are currently 3-0. Thusly, No. 9 Montana Tech makes for the Bulldogs’ third straight nationally ranked opponent.
“We’re a young team kind of making a lot of mistakes right now,” Lee said. “We’ve got some talented kids; we’ve just got to take care of our own business.
Story
Orediggers run down Bulldogs, 34-7
Eight sacks, nearly 400 yards rushing lead the way
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 09/24/2006
 |
| Montana Tech running back Corey Warner stretches for extra yardage inside the 10-yard line Saturday during the second quarter of their game with Western at Alumni Colosseum. Walter Hinick / The Montana Standard |
On a day when the Montana Tech defense probably didn’t need a pick-me-up, it got one any way.
Junior running back Teague Egan led a dominant Oredigger rushing game with a career-high 237 yards, and linebacker J.J. Perino’s four sacks paced the Tech defense in a 34-7 Frontier Conference victory over archrival Montana-Western.
“We wanted to finally get a good offensive game going. We needed it to,” said Egan, who scored on runs of 69 and 39 yards. “We’re sick of having the defense always saving our ass. We finally came out there and did something.” The ground game led the Tech charge. Junior Corey Warner added 103 yards rushing as Tech amassed 386 yards on 51 carries.
“I tell you what, the O-line made it,” Egan said. “They way they were blocking in that second half, you didn’t have to do anything.
“Once they started clicking you couldn’t stop them. They just kept going.” The Orediggers also did some damage through the air as Butte junior Casey Kelly hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Justin Kegel.
Story
’Diggers sneak up on Bears
By Bill Bighaus of The Billings Gazette - 09/10/2006
BILLINGS — Rocky Mountain College may be an improved football team, but the Bears left Herb Klindt Field Saturday afternoon with a very familiar result.
Montana Tech tallied two touchdowns inside the game’s final three minutes in beating Rocky 24-13 — and giving the No. 10-ranked Orediggers 13 straight victories over the Bears dating back to the 2000 season.
In what was the Frontier Conference opener for both NAIA schools, Tech grabbed the lead for keeps,17-13, with 2:41 to play after Corey Warner scored on a 2-yard run.
The Orediggers tacked on another TD with a 30-yard jaunt by Teague Egan with 47 seconds remaining to make it an 11-point spread at the end.
Tech, 1-1 on the young season, intercepted five Rocky passes — and the final one by junior cornerback Jason Watkins set up what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown by Warner.
“We expected a tough game,” said Tech coach Bob Green. “We knew it would be a fight. We knew it would be a four-quarter game.” Watkins, who is from Missoula, perfectly read a quick screen pass by the Bears and picked off the Vance Vincent aerial on the Rocky 17 with 3:09 to play. He returned the ball to the 2, and the 222-pound Warner got into the end zone on the next play.
Story
’Diggers drop opener, 34-0
By The Standard Staff - 09/03/2006
Cedar City, Utah — The Montana Tech football team couldn’t finish what it started Saturday night.
The Orediggers’ best scoring chance was stopped at the 1-yard line, and the No. 10 team in the NAIA dropped a 34-0 decision to NCAA I-AA Southern Utah at Eccles Coliseum.
After falling down 10-0 in the first quarter, the Orediggers threatened to pull within a field goal. But a fourth-and-goal attempt was stopped at the 1-yard line.
The Thunderbirds responded with a 99-yard drive that broke the game open.
“That was big,” Tech coach Bob Green said in a cell phone interview from the team bus.
Story
Youth shines at Tech scrimmage
By Bill Foley of The Montana Standard - 08/27/2006
A large crowd got a glimpse of the Oredigger present and the future Saturday morning at Leonard Field as the Montana Tech football team scrimmaged for nearly two hours.
Oredigger coach Bob Green walked away from the practice game expressing optimism for next week’s season opener at Southern Utah. He also had an eye on a year or two down the road.
“I think the highlight is the talent of those young guys really testing us,” Green said. “They really tested our older guys.” While starting quarterback Justin Kegel, a four-year sophomore, led the first-team Tech offense to four scores in five possessions, it was the scout-team play of freshman Matt Komac that had the crowd abuzz for much of the morning.
Story
|
