C.M. Russell plays host to improving Flathead Braves
Nineteen new starters will see the field Friday for the C.M. Russell High football team.
Tailback Andrew Grinde, quarterback Karl Tucker II and offensive lineman Noah Danielson will lead an inexperienced and unproven team onto the field at Memorial Stadium, where they will open the season against Kalispell Flathead at 4 in the afternoon.
“We need to play a game and play some people and see what’s going to happen when we get going because we really haven’t done a lot of live stuff yet,” CMR head coach Gary Lowry said. “But we’ll get a look at them (Friday).”
The progression of the team, and its younger players, has been stalled somewhat by the recent weather conditions. The continuous smoke has shortened practices roughly an hour and moved portions inside to the gymnasium. The players’ conditioning has also taken a hit, the head coach said.
The doubleheader has the potential to be canceled if conditions are not up to par. The air reached unhealthy (red) levels Thursday afternoon. A decision from Great Falls Public Schools Athletic Director Gary DeGooyer is expected Friday morning.
“The last couple weeks have not been normal,” Lowry said. “But everybody has had to deal with the same thing, same issues. We’ve just pressed on and done what we can. Yeah, we are excited to get playing a football game, though.”
CMR, 10-3 a season ago after losing to Glacier in the state championship, will face an improving Braves team led by second-year head coach Kyle Samson, the son of Mark Samson, the former MSU-Northern head coach who is now at Havre High.
Russell defeated Flathead, which finished the 2014 campaign at 3-7, by the score of 44-14 last season.
Still, Lowry says it can’t take any opponent lightly. Not in Class AA.
“I think they are much improved team, and I think Kyle is a good coach and he’ll have them motivated to come down here and put their best team out on the field and give us quite a battle,” Lowry said. “It’ll be a battle for us, too. It’s the first game for a lot of these kids.”
The Braves are sparked by Josh McCracken, a senior tailback who rushed for the third-most yards in the regular season in 2014. He ran the ball 156 times for 987 yards and nine touchdowns.
“He was a good player for them last year,” Lowry said. “He looked good in their scrimmages. You can’t tell a lot from scrimmages but we were aware of him before the scrimmages that he would be someone that we’d have to keep an eye on.”
The key this week, Lowry said, is to limit the self-inflicted mistakes, whether it’s turning the ball over or being penalized. In the first game of the season, that’s often hard to do.
Friday marks the start of Tucker II’s career as full-time quarterback, if only for the one season before he heads to Montana State to catch footballs. He had over 100 snaps at QB a year ago.
“He’s excited,” Lowry said. “He’s worked hard for it.”
CMR
Offense
QB…(6) Karl Tucker II, 6-0, 203, Sr.
RB…(34) Andrew Grinde, 5-11, 195, Sr.
TE…(88) Walker McAllister, 6-1, 192, Sr.
OT…(70) Noah Danielson, 6-2, 240, Sr.
OT…(66) Brayden Ginnaty, 6-0, 242, Jr.
OG…(68) Mason Sprague, 5-11, 208, Sr.
OG…(62) Preston Rardon, 5-9, 185, Sr.
C…(79) Adam Agamenoni, 6-0, 253, Jr.
WR…(33) Trevor Pepin, 6-0, 175, Sr.
WR…(9) Patrick McAllister, 6-1, 175, Sr.
WR…(11) Chris Moore, 6-1, 153, Sr.
Defense
NG…(76) Austin Kirchner, 6-0, 240, Jr.
DE…(73) Chase Bruggeman, 6-0, 201, Sr.
DE…(98) Dyllon Scott, 6-2, 200, Sr.
LB…(37) Sean Morris, 5-11, 197, Sr.
LB…(35) Alex Cunningham, 5-11, 194, Jr.
LB…(45) Max Sechena, 5-10, 175, Jr.
LB…(52) Caleb Kindler, 5-10, 196, Sr.
S…(21) Bridger Gerard, 5-10, 167, Sr.
S…(10) Connor McAllister, 5-9, 166, Sr.
CB…(25) Anthony Nosari, 5-8, 151, Sr.
CB…(2) Dylan Sandefur, 5-9, 165, Sr.