Van Diest earns another Frontier Coach of Year award
Someday they might name the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year Award after Mike Van Diest.
The highly successful Carroll College head coach earned the honor for the 10th time in his 16 seasons when the league announced its elite teams Thursday.
Van Diest, whose Saints are 10-1 and top-ranked and play host to Southern Oregon (10-2) on Saturday in an NAIA quarterfinal game at Nelson Stadium in Helena, is 186-29 in his Carroll career. He shared league Coach of the Year honors this year with Eastern Oregon's Tim Camp.
For the third year in a row, Southern Oregon quarterback Austin Dodge was named league Offensive Player of the Year, while Carroll College senior linebacker won top defensive honors for the second straight season.
Meanwhile, there was a distinct Great Falls flavor on the all-Frontier Conference teams, which were selected by the league coaches. Former C.M. Russell High running back Zach McKinley, a Montana State-Northern sophomore, and senior defensive end Phil Selin of Montana Western were named to the all-Frontier first team.
Sophomore defensive defensive Tyler Craig of MSU-Northern, also a CMR alum, was named to the second team.
McKinley ran for 1,425 yards and 14 touchdowns. Carroll College senior halfback Dustin Rinker, the school's career rushing leader who has rambled for 1,518 yards and 20 scores this season, was also named to the first team.
Dodge holds several NAIA career records. This season he has 4,247 yards and 41 touchdown passes.
The all-Frontier first team offense also features Carroll senior Anthony Clarke, an Idaho native who has 74 receptions for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The first team defense is led by Blomquist, who has 12 tackles for loss. He's also played effectively on offense in short-yardage situations.
Selin had nine quarterback sacks. Craig, who led the Frontier with 10 sacks, had 12.5 tackles for loss.
Also among those named to the all-Frontier first team defense were Clancy's David Meis of Montana Tech and Lewistown's Shayne Durbin of Carroll.
Among those named to the second team were UM Western sophomore halfback Sam Rutherford, a former Centerville star, and Western linebackers AJ Wilson and Joe Coker, both of Helena.