Prep Football: 32nd Cleverley All-Star Game is Saturday

BUTTE – The high school All-Star football season begins Saturday night, and it won’t end until mid-July in Great Falls when the 69th Montana East-West Shrine Game kicks off.

Class C football stars from Great Falls Central, Belt and Simms will be among those in action here Saturday night as the 32nd annual Bob Cleverley All-Star Game unfolds.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. on Bob Green Field at Montana Tech’s Alumni Coliseum.

The game features some of the state’s best graduating seniors from the Class C eight-man ranks.

Jay Fredrickson, the newly named head coach at Cascade, will lead the Red team. Fredrickson, who coached the past several years at Ennis, will be helped by defensive coordinator Eric Dirk of Simms, offensive coordinator Mike Nelson of Great Falls Central, and special teams coach Barry Hedrich of White Sulphur Springs.

The veteran Jim Oberweiser of Drummond will coach the Blue team. His assistants include Brandon Howell of Victor, Brett Emmons of Broadus, and Travis Bertelsen and Jeff Bertelsen of Wibaux.

Oberweiser’s son, Kevin, was a standout last year as the Red team defeated the Blue 72-42. Kevin Oberweiser threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a score.

The Red team features Nelson’s son, Reid, a star quarterback. He is joined on the roster by Central alums Nolan Donisthorpe and Carter Anderson. Derek Heggen of White Sulphur Springs and Walter McKitrick of Ennis are also quarterbacks on the Red roster.

Other standouts on the Red squad include Colton Swanson, Paxton Maki and Tyler Norstedt of Belt, Gavin Gunderson and Lane Seymour of Chinook, Ryley Waddell and Jaren Kiff of White Sulphur Springs, Devan Goode, Brandon Bulik-Chism and Zack Clausen of Simms, Travis Willmarth of Power-Dutton-Brady, and Sawyer Evans of Cascade.

The Blue team features several members of state champion Wibaux. Former Longhorns selected to play include Connor Leach, Colton Tousignant, Chad Nelson, Wyatt Miske, Jhett Quade, Trenton Farnworth and Riley Smith.

The game is named for the late former Ennis head coach who died of cancer at age 69 in 2007.

Gates open at Alumni Coliseum at 5 p.m. Tickets for the game are $15 for the premium reserved seat backs or $10 at the door for general admission. The Digger Athletic Association is hosting a tailgate prior to the game at 5 p.m. in the north end zone of Alumni Coliseum. Food at the tailgate is available for $10.