Steady as he goes: Griz kicker Dan Carpenter keeps his thoughts on the team and off the prize

Photos copyright Tim Kupsick 2007

Amber Kuehn
GameDay Kaimin

It was Nov. 4, 2006, and Cal Poly had just taken a 9-7 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the game.
The Montana Griz football team answered, culminating a 16-play, 76-yard drive.
Now, the entire game hinged on this moment.
With just five seconds left in the game, No. 29 took his place on the field just as he had a hundred times before. He had to focus, had to forget about the 32-yard attempt he had missed earlier in the game. This one counted. He had to make it for his team.
His parents, who haven’t missed one of his Griz football games yet, prayed. The 22,853 Griz fans in attendance held their breath. It was one of the few times that Washington-Grizzly Stadium has ever been eerily silent.
But Dan Carpenter felt no pressure. “Just get the ball up, don’t let them block it,” he thought.
And in a matter of seconds, the game was over. The 21-yard field goal was good. The Griz won.
“It definitely wasn’t the prettiest kick,” Carpenter recalls, adding that he has watched replays of it on tape a couple of times. “It hooks to the left pretty bad.”
His father, Val, remembers the game-winning field goal like it was yesterday.
“There was no doubt in my mind he’d make it,” he says. “I knew the pressure wouldn’t get to him, because he’s always been a pretty cool cucumber. After the kick, he about came out of his shoes.”
As a young boy, Carpenter played a multitude of sport basketball, baseball, soccer – all the while honing his athletic abilities until the day came when he could get on the gridiron. Before he ever kicked the pigskin through the goal posts, he was kicking soccer balls into nets.
His mom remembers a time when he even had to play goalkeeper.
“When he was 11, they put him in goal at the soccer tournament finals in Idaho,” Diane Carpenter recalls. “It was sleeting and his little hands were just frozen, but he managed to stop every shot and his team won. He was so focused on the game that he didn’t even realize how much his hands hurt until it was over.”
Perhaps it is experiences like these, from his younger days, that taught Carpenter to stay calm and collected when the game is on the line. Football teams are always trying to “ice the kicker” when games come down to a field goal or an extra point. Numerous college and NFL games are won or lost at the end by a field goal, and it’s on the shoulders of the kicker to be the hero.
“The kicking game is a third of the football game,” Val Carpenter says. “When you’re a kicker, you’re out there all by yourself on the score.”
Diane Carpenter says her son feeds off this pressure.
“He’s always been the kid who wants pressure, whether it was a game-winning shot he once made in a basketball game, or the game-winning field goal,” she says. “I remember him telling me after the semi-final game last year that he was thinking, ‘Just get me a little closer, guys, so I can put it through.’”
Surprisingly, Carpenter has always been more nervous about the kickoff. His mom said this is because he feels he’s all on his own, whereas on field goals and PATs it really is a team effort.
“Out of the 11 people on the field right then, my job is the easiest,” Carpenter said. “Nine guys have to block, and Clint Stapp has to have the hold just right. I’ve got the easy job. I just have to kick it through.”
On kickoff, however, it’s his job to pin the opponent down deep in the backfield and not let them get good field position. This is where Carpenter feels a lot of the responsibility. But, he adds, his secret to staying cool under pressure is just to get into a routine.
“The most pressure I ever felt was my first college game in Washington-Griz in front of 23,000-plus fans,” Carpenter says. “I was very nervous because the fans and team had high expectations for me and I just wanted to prove myself.”
If he hadn’t done so already, Carpenter proved himself on Nov. 6, 2004. It was his freshman year and Montana had the ball on the 13-yard line on fourth down. The field goal unit was on the field, and everyone in the crowd assumed the Griz were going to go for three. Instead, Tyson Johnson flipped the ball between his legs to Carpenter and Carpenter ran to the right — untouched all the way — scoring his first touchdown as a Grizzly.
“Fake field goal,” Carpenter recalls. “We had a party in the end zone; I remember that.”
It’s the only time Carpenter has scored seven for the Griz. Normally, he’s the star after the touchdown, right before pinning opponents at the 20-yard line. But it’s not uncommon for him to take over wherever he is needed. Last season, Carpenter handled the punting duties while Johnson sat out with an injury. He proved he can perform well at whatever he does.
Carpenter has been a second team All-Big Sky selection three times, conference player of the week six times and was an Associated Press All-American in 2006. Also last season, Carpenter led the nation in field goals, connecting on 24 of 30 and averaging 1.71 a game. His freshman year he was perfect on 63 PATs. Last year, as a junior, he tied his career-long field goal with a 50-yarder at Weber State. During practice, Carpenter says he has kicked a 66-yard field goal before. His longest punt came last year at Northern Colorado when he kicked a 63-yarder.
As a prep athlete at Helena High School, Carpenter was a guard on the basketball team and a wide receiver and kicker on the football team. His coach, Tony Arntson, who played for the Grizzlies from 1985-88, says Carpenter was a very good wide receiver for the Bengals, and described him as a self-taught kicker who had a natural ability.
“He wasn’t one of those kickers who went to a lot of kicking camps or anything,” Arntson says. “He just went out and did it.”
Carpenter set the school record during his senior season for longest field goal in a game against Kalispell – a 53-yarder that still stands as the mark to beat today. He also set a school record at the receiver position, catching 13 passes for 931 yards.
“I think his strength is that he doesn’t get hung up in the pressure of the game,” Arntson says. “His easy-going temperament benefits him being a kicker.”
Arntson said what he’s always loved most about Carpenter is that he’s a hard worker, a good leader and a positive person who’s good with kids.
“And he loves the game,” Arntson added. “He takes a lot of pride in what he does.”
Maybe so, but Carpenter radiates humility. The most important thing to him is the success of his team, and he’ll be the first to tell you this if you ask him about another record looming on the horizon.
Carpenter currently ranks second in UM history with 337 points, 57 behind former Griz kicker Chris Snyder. In the first three games this season, Carpenter has already racked up 25 points, making it likely that he’ll break the record this year as a senior. His dad tracks every point in his mind as he’s watching the games, as every field goal and extra point brings Carpenter one step closer to the milestone. If he keeps scoring at the pace he is now, he will be on track to break the record around his 22nd birthday on Nov. 25, and also around the time of the first round of playoffs.
“We’re going to have a big party when it happens,” Val Carpenter says. “I don’t really see it being a problem for him, especially since they’ll probably make the playoffs; knock on wood.”
But Carpenter could care less about the record.
“I might start thinking more of it once it gets closer,” he says. “But I’m perfectly happy with touchdowns and just kicking extra points all season. Anything I can do to help our team win.”
And while his father may be counting down from the stands, Carpenter says he isn’t keeping track.
“I honestly don’t pay attention,” he says. “Personal stats don’t matter. I’m here to help 2007 Griz football reach our goals.”
Those goals include a national title. Oh, how special it would be if Carpenter could break the record in Chattanooga. The entire team would like to get to the FCS championship game, but Carpenter said he’d rather just take it one game at a time.
Kick by kick, field goal by field goal, extra point by extra point. After all, these are Carpenter’s last days as a Griz football player. What will he miss most when he graduates?
“I’m going to miss the fans, and just playing in front of 23,000 crazy people every Saturday that love nothing more than to come out and see the football team win,” he says.
Record or no record, the fans will miss him too.

Weber State brings aggressive defense

Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

On paper, the football teams of the University of Montana and Weber State appear to be polar opposites.
Entering Big Sky Conference play today, the top-ranked Grizzlies are 3-0. Following last weekend’s loss to Montana State, the Wildcats are 0-3. After a summer-long quarterback controversy, Montana has settled on a winner: Cole Bergquist had a career game last week against Albany, and was named the conference’s offensive player of the week for the second time this season.
Late in fall camp, Weber State got a highly touted transfer at quarterback: Jimmy Barnes, formerly of Alabama, has flopped in three preseason games and was benched against the Bobcats. The Wildcats’ head coach Ron McBride said Tuesday that Barnes is likely not an option for the team this week due to some nagging injuries.
Despite the apparent disparities, Griz head coach Bobby Hauck said he is respectful of Weber State entering today’s Homecoming game.
“We’re anticipating a really aggressive physical game. A very tough game to win,” Hauck said. “Our experience with Weber State is the fact that in each of the last four years it’s no coincidence they’ve played their best game of the year against us.”
In Hauck’s four seasons at the helm for the Griz, only in 2004 did Montana top Weber State by more than five points. Last year in Ogden, Utah, the then-No. 2 Griz narrowly escaped with a 33-30 win.
“They’re a good opponent,” said senior cornerback Quinton Jackson. “We treat them like they’re a good opponent and that’s how we prepare ourselves.”
When preparing for Montana, McBride said, Weber State would have to find a way to shut down the Grizzlies potent offense.
“If you can stop them, go ahead and stop them,” he said. “If you can’t, you can’t. You know what they’re going to do.”
At quarterback, the Wildcats will likely turn to redshirt freshman Cameron Higgins. Higgins was 9-for-17 for 113 yards in less than three quarters against Montana State.
Backing him up will likely be junior Brendon Doyle, McBride said.
Barnes struggled in the team’s first two games, against Boise State and Cal Poly, as well, before being pulled last weekend.
In his three starts, Barnes completed less than one-third of his passes for just under 300 yards.
Montana’s Bergquist, who has thrown for 596 yards in three games, said he still has things to work on despite his recent successes.
“I don’t necessarily think it was my best game after watching it on film,” he said. “I missed a couple opportunities and there’s always room to improve.”
After not throwing an incomplete pass two games ago against Fort Lewis College, and setting career highs in passing and rushing last week, Bergquist expects a stiffer test from the Wildcats.
“They look as solid as any defense we’ve seen so far,” he said. “Their defensive play doesn’t really reflect their record.”
Senior safety Ty Sparrow is one of the defensive leaders, having accrued 26 tackles on the season.
Today’s game will also be Montana’s first chance to defend their shiny new No. 1 ranking after moving up a spot in the wake of Appalachian State’s loss to Wofford. The Griz received only 46 of 103 possible first place votes in The Sports Network top-25 poll and apparently has some convincing to do with the voters.
However, McBride said he believes the Griz are ranked where they should be, saying they look like a No. 1.
“I’ve watched most of the teams that are ranked,” he said. “First of all (Montana hasn’t) been pushed. The games have been over early and they just keep playing. They’re a nice team and I think they deserve their ranking.”
Montana senior receiver Ryan Bagley maintained that the ranking doesn’t affect the way the team prepares for a game or views itself.
“I definitely don’t feel any different than I was last week,” he said.
McBride said if the Wildcats can shore up its sloppy play, it might have a shot at the vaunted Grizzlies. If it has a repeat performance of either its six fumbles against Cal Poly or its three interceptions against the Bobcats, McBride said the outcome might not be pretty.
“If we can eliminate our mistakes and come out and play football like a real football team, then we’ll see what happens,” he said. “If we continue to do the things we’ve done the last three weeks, it’s going to be a long road.”

10 things to know about Griz football

The University of Montana football program is shrouded in mystique and steeped in tradition. Its triumphs have been well recorded on these pages as well as on Wikipedia. Certain things, however, fall through the cracks, such as, what Ryan Bagley likes on his omelets. The senior wide receiver addressed that, and other pressing issues, in an interview this week with Kaimin reporter Bill Oram.

Greg Coleman: Cunning back
According to Bagley, the team is filled with jokesters. Chief among them is junior running back Greg Coleman, who consistently sets his sights on teasing fellow back Reggie Bradshaw.
Funniest guy on the team? Easy choice, said Bagley.
“I would have to say Greg Coleman, just to listen to him make fun of Reggie every day,” he said. “He’s always got something to say. I think he’s a real funny guy.”

Watch out, Nathan’s Famous!
So, Coleman may be the team’s biggest hot dog, but who would be the biggest hot dog eater? Bagley said if the team were to hold a frankfurter-eating contest, he’d surely be the top dog.
“I would say that I could probably eat the most out of anybody on the team,” Bagley said. “I honestly don’t know too many people that can eat more than me.”

Fine, but is it Tillamook?
On game days the team enjoys omelet breakfasts in the Food Zoo. Bagley loads his up with mushrooms, peppers, ham, sausage and ... “I get both cheeses,” he said.

How ‘bout the cellophane on the toilet seat?
Like any locker room, Montana’s is chock full of practical jokes. Some favorites, Bagley said, are the old tape-up-the-locker trick and stealing playbooks. Additionally, freshmen have to endure certain rites of passage, which Bagley coyly declined to divulge.
“A lot of the pranks and that stuff goes on a lot during fall camp when we’ve got a little more time,” Bagley said. “But now that school’s going and stuff, I don’t think we focus that much on goofing around.”

Oh won’t you be my ... Bobby Hauck?
Surely head coach Bobby Hauck is a big teddy bear when the cameras go off, right?
“Definitely not a teddy bear,” Bagley said. “I would say the furthest thing away from a teddy bear. I mean he’s a good guy, I love coach Hauck, but he does come off a lot harder than he is.”
Perhaps Bagley has a career as a diplomat awaiting him upon graduation.

We could sympathize ... if beer pong were a sport.
Bagley said playing football for the Griz has its drawbacks. But the one he mentioned specifically should raise a few eyebrows.
“Probably just you meet a girl and they’re like, ‘Oh you play football.’ That’s like, alright, check it off the list,” he lamented.
Say what? Football players have a harder time getting girls?
“Girls that I like, yeah,” Bagley said.

But it’s still more fun than the Fourth of July in England!
Losses are few and far between at Washington-Grizzly Stadium (Montana’s last regular season home loss was in 2005), but when they do occur, they certainly put a damper on the locker room atmosphere.
“It sucks,” Bagley said. “It’s quiet and ... I hate losing and when we lose it’s a big deal because we don’t lose that much. Everyone’s ... It’s quiet.”

Biermann: a beast on the side
Of all the tattoos sported by Griz players, Bagley said the inked jaguar that covers the entire side of defensive end Kroy Biermann’s torso takes the cake.

At least they don’t have to carpool.
Traveling isn’t especially fun for the Griz, Bagley said.
“When we’re traveling its pretty much a business trip,” he said. “People are like, ‘Oh you get to go to California and do this and this,’ but as soon as we get there we’re on the bus to the hotel room, back to the bus to practice, back to the bus to meetings all night.”

He left his heart in ... Portland?
The Griz have the largest stadium in the Big Sky Conference and Washington-Grizzly Stadium is widely regarded as one of the best football atmospheres in the country; other stadiums pale in comparison. But there are a couple of other venues Bagley holds in esteem.
“I like playing in Portland because it’s in the city. Their stadium’s pretty cool,” Bagley said. “Montana State for sure though, because that’s Montana State.”

UM Homecoming special for alumni

Jake Grilley
GameDay Kaimin

Ask a Griz fan what homecoming is about and you will likely get a wide variety of answers. Many fans associate homecoming with Saturday morning’s always-entertaining parade. Others enjoy the pep rally, or “yell night” as it is known, and its age-old traditions of singing on the steps and the lighting of the “M” on Mount Sentinel. Homecoming, however, often brings up a question that lingers in the minds of many Montana fans: How can it be “homecoming” if the football team isn’t coming off a road game or in this season’s case hasn’t played outside Washington-Grizzly Stadium?
A misconception that many people have regarding homecoming is that the University is welcoming the football team back home. The homecoming tradition actually is rooted in welcoming alumni back to the University.
Clark Hammer is one of those alumni and he remembers a funny story from homecoming 1954.
Hammer recalled a time when Maurice Avenue ran through campus and was littered with potholes. The city and University couldn’t decide who was responsible for repairing the street. A group of students decided to put up a sign that read: “Welcome to Carl’s Bad Caverns” a reference to Carl McFarland, the president of the University at the time.
“The potholes got fixed but we never knew who did it,” Hammer said.
He believes these are the kinds of memories that bring alumni back to the University during homecoming week.
Ken Thompson, on-campus events coordinator for the Alumni Association, said the University of Montana celebrated its first homecoming in 1919.
Hammer believes the nostalgic memories alumni associate with their time at UM are what have brought graduates back for 88 years.
“Alumni come back here because of relationships with fellow classmates, faculty at the time, or with the athletic department,” Hammer said. “Homecoming brings people back to renew those friendships and support the University.”
Hammer came back to the University during homecoming about 15 years ago. When he was a student in the mid-1950s, Hammer played in the marching band.
It was a chance to play in the alumni marching band during homecoming that brought Hammer back to Missoula.
“The alumni band is one of the best things they brought to homecoming,” Hammer said. Hammer noted the alumni band does a great job of uniting different generations of alumni.
A woman who graduated from the University in the 1940s plays alongside alumni who graduated in 2005, Hammer said.
After participating in the alumni band, Hammer became involved with the University of Montana Alumni Association.
He represents the Alumni Association as a member of the House of Delegates, a group of alumni that assists in University outreach programs, including recruiting new students and fundraising efforts.
Hammer believes homecoming is a great opportunity for graduates to become involved with the University once again.
“They have made a commitment to help the University celebrate,” Hammer said. “This is a way for alumni to get involved in campus.”
Hammer would like to see alumni associated with the University year-round but noted that it is easy to get them to rally behind a Grizzly football game.
“It doesn’t hurt that the football team does well,” Hammer said. “Grizmania sure is something.”
The Griz football team seems to always deliver a win when the alumni pack Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Homecoming Saturday.
Since 1979, Montana has suffered only four homecoming losses. The Grizzlies are on a 16-game winning streak of homecoming games; their last loss came in 1990, to Eastern Washington by one point.
Renee Valley, media editor for UM’s Sports Information Department, found that the scheduling of homecoming is a joint effort between the Alumni Association, the athletics department and the Big Sky Conference.
Hammer hopes students will think of homecoming as more than just “another football game.” He wants students to become more involved while attending the University. They shouldn’t wait until they are alumni to embrace homecoming.
“Some folks don’t have an involvement other than going to the game,” Hammer said. “Students need to be more conscious of their surroundings. Normally when you are going to school you have tunnel vision. “Get involved with the institution now so maybe some of that will carry five, 10, 15 years down the road.”

Griz B-ball gives 'M' fresh coat of paint

Copyright Kristine Paulsen 2007

Roman Stubbs
GameDay Kaimin

The City of Missoula got a lot of points in the paint from the Montana men’s basketball team on Tuesday.
In conjunction with the University of Montana’s Homecoming week, the 16-man roster teamed up with Facilities Services to add a fresh coat of white paint to the “M” on Mount Sentinel Tuesday afternoon.
“We are really thankful that the team did it,” said Hugh Jesse, director of Facility Services. “It allows us as a department to spread our funds to the fullest,” he added.
One of the University’s most prominent symbols, the “M,” has only been painted twice in the past 20 years, with the most recent polish coming in 2004. Coordinated by Facility Services, the team’s paint supply was provided through affiliated campus stores. Originally thought to take 100 gallons, the laborers from Facility Services replenished the team halfway through the 2.5-hour project with an additional 25 gallons.
Head coach Wayne Tinkle and assistant coach Andy Hill – who oversaw the project – spearheaded the team’s painting efforts in 2004 and with Tuesday’s new job, have begun a new Homecoming team tradition in their four-year tenure.
“To do this for the community, especially on Homecoming week, it’s a great feeling for our team,” said Hill, who added that the project allows his team to bond while giving back. “As a coach, you love seeing the camaraderie beyond the basketball floor. A project like this gets our team together in a positive way, and it really does bring them closer.”
Aside from community service, the effort also means an upgrade for the 39-year-old mammoth stone letter. According to Gene O’Neill, UM’s assistant director of maintenance, it needed it badly.
“It really needed to be painted,” O’Neill said, adding that while many Facility Service laborers were transporting supplies up Missoula’s busiest hiking trail for a good amount of the day, the team’s donation made all of the difference. “The team made a big contribution. It really means a lot. It not only gives them an opportunity to bond, but it also helps the school and our services tremendously.”
The team’s contribution on Tuesday was the latest installment in their community service so far this year. On Sept. 15, they also participated in the Missoula Heart Walk, an American Heart Association sponsored event that raised money through a three-mile walk around campus. Notably, Facilities Services has interacted with student athletes on many community service projects, including when the women’s soccer team recently painted the locker rooms at Dornblaser Field.
“We have a great relationship with the athletic department,” O’Neill said. “Their help means a lot to us, and we will continue to work together on future projects.”
And that’s perfectly fine for Hill and the team.
“We love doing this,” Hill said. “We have such great fans who give so much to us all year long, so this is a great opportunity for our guys to give back.”

Where are they now: Tony Arntson

Photo Courtesty of UM Sports Information

Roman Stubbs
GameDay Kaimin

Tony Arntson was always a coach’s dream.
“Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a coach,” Arntson said. “When I was in high school I coached elementary basketball, flag football, and Little League baseball. I loved it. I couldn’t wait to do it when I was older.”
He didn’t have to wait long. His natural athletic ability, particularly on the gridiron, went hand-in-hand with his skipper aspirations.
“Trust me, I could always tell he was going to be a coach, a great coach,” said Brad Salonen, a former standout Griz linebacker who played with Arntson from 1985 to 1988. “He really was a player coach on the field. The guy was like a sponge; anything you told him in the film room, he wanted to see what he could do with it.”
After a stellar career with the Griz in the late 1980s, Arntson is now entering his 13th season as Helena High’s head coach.
Growing up in Great Falls, Arntson became a record-setting quarterback at CM Russell High School, where he starred under the legendary Jack Johnson, who has been at the helm for the Rustlers for over 30 years.
“Coach Johnson played a huge role in not only my career but in my life,” Arntson said. “He was a disciplinarian type coach.”
Under Johnson, Arntson played in three state championship games, which included an undefeated season and title in Arntson’s senior year.
Opting to go to Missoula a year after Montana State had won the national championship, Arntson started four games at quarterback as a true freshman for the Griz, then was moved to running back and special teams in Don Reed’s first three years as head coach. And for the type of player who is a coaches’ dream, the move from the game’s most glamorous position was no problem.
“I was an option quarterback, so the move didn’t matter to me,” Arntson said. “I just wanted to play and help our team win. Playing under coach Reed was really special. Just like coach Johnson, he really influenced me in life.”
Arntson was a part of the first-ever squad to play in the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
“Some special memories and friendships were made there,” says Arntson.
Salonen couldn’t agree more.
“We had some great moments together,” he said. “I’ll never forget one game against the Bobcats in 1988, when me and Tony both had touchdown catches in the game and that was a really special moment. We had a special group of guys and Tony was a big part of that.”
Arntson’s journey up the coaching ladder to Helena High started under his mentor Johnson at CMR in 1989, when he was the quarterbacks coach for some guy named Dickenson. “That was an incredible opportunity to start my career under coach Johnson,” he said. “Coaching Dave on a team that went 22-0 over two seasons was unbelievable.”
In the early 90’s, Arntson took the head coaching job at Charlo, where he served as the grandfather of the eight-man program.
“It was a really neat experience,” he said. “You’re just not the coach out there, you do the grunt work too, taking care of everything associated with the program.”
Eventually Helena High came calling, and Arntson found himself in charge of a AA program at 27, doing what he had always wanted to do. In his 13-year tenure, Arntson has solidified the Bengals into a perennial contender, making the state semifinals five times, including three state championship appearances. All the while in the chase for his first state title, he has reasserted the Bengals place in the cross-town rivalry with powerhouse Helena Capital and has formed an annual showdown with his mentor Johnson. But above all, the most rewarding part of living out his childhood dream has been seeing his former players succeed. “That is one of the best parts of my job,” he said. “When I see some of my players turn from kids into fine young men, it feels really good to know they’re proud to come through the program I coached.”
One of those players, Mike Ferriter, has continued his career at Montana, thanks in large part to Arntson.
“He has always been a really big influence in my life,” Ferriter said. “He helped me so much as a player and as a person.”
And with homecoming week in full stride, Arntson’s presence as one of the first to ever play at Washington-Grizzly Stadium will be felt.
“So many great memories, it really is a special place to me,” Arntson said of his old stomping grounds. And it is a special place to those who he helped coach there, like Ferriter.
“Coach Arntson is a great coach, and a great guy,” he said. “We still remain close because he really cares about his players. He was a player’s dream as a coach.”

Roman is Burning: The struggle of American Indian football

Roman Stubbs
GameDay Kaimin

After Browning High School’s first football game, a 42-7 loss to Columbia Falls, their field is reduced to dirt. “Our field is in pretty bad shape after games,” said Browning head coach Robert Miller. “Sometimes I wish we had better facilities for football here. Not a lot of people believe in our football.”
This is the epitome, if not the plight, of Montana American Indian football.
After all, this is the same Browning, Mont., A hotbed for the state’s most gifted athletes, where cross country and track state titles are won, where basketball phenoms are heavily recruited, and where high school football gets lost in translation.
Putting talent onto the football field isn’t supposed to be a secret. For most Montanans, American Indian football is a secret, always has been. Since 1900, only five reservation teams have won state titles, in any division. The last one came 26 years ago. To scratch the surface of a 100-year struggle, I made four phone calls to men who know the struggle, starting with Miller.
Miller has been the head coach at Browning for seven years, and to be blunt, he tells me that the last time the Browning program had anything to brag about was almost 20 years ago in 1989, when he was a player for the Indians’ 6-3 playoff squad. In the 18 years since, Browning has had multiple-season winless droughts, including a five-year stretch in the mid-‘90s when the Indians didn’t win a single game. There is no youth development of football in Browning. There is no great lineage of experienced coaching, where the game’s grassroot fundamentals can be taught early to the kids. Talent isn’t discovered without these essentials. Miller does tell me that many of his players have talent, including his quarterback, all-around athlete Andrew Spotted Wolf.
“He has all the tools to be a great football player,” Miller says. “He’s fast, athletic, has a great arm and he’s shown flashes. But if our team isn’t working together, his talent isn’t exposed very well.”
Dr. Ronald Trosper is a professor at the University of British Columbia and has noticed the cultural trend of authority figures in American Indian lifestyle, especially in sports. Trosper is a Harvard-educated member of the Flathead Tribe who thinks young American Indians don’t traditionally respond to the type of coaching demonstrated in football.
“This isn’t a culture that accepts a dictator,” says Trosper, who cites the story of the 1918 Carlisle Indian School, a team that featured the legendary Jim Thorpe. Coached by Pop Warner, the team made historic headlines with upset wins over Navy and West Point, which Trosper attributes to Warner “listening to his players and how they wanted to play. They received him well, and wanted to play for his indeginous leadership.”
But Trosper understands that the culture of football isn’t like that of Warner’s freelance tactics, which could commonly be found today on the basketball floor. His analysis surfaces perhaps the most intriguing question of all, that of the American Indian individualistic approach to athletics.
Hays Lodgepole coach Shawn Mount answers that question. “Just like our ancestors did, as warriors thousands of years ago, its important for people to live by the deed, which is to prove yourself for yourself,” he says. “You’re not going to change a thousand years worth of indigenous tradition.” Mount’s team is 0-4 this season, and hasn’t had a winning season since the mid-1980s. Like Browning, Hays Lodgepole had a five-season span in the late ‘90s where they didn’t win a game. Paradoxically, it has been in the running for a cross country title every year in the past ten, and the boys basketball team won the Class C state championship last season, led by the states best player, 6-foot-5 junior A.J. Long Soldier, who has wowed Montana with his uncanny run-and-gun style. However, he doesn’t play football.
“I would love to have A.J. out on the field. He has so much football talent, he’d be like our Randy Moss,” he tells me. Long Soldier has lived his deed on the basketball floor.
In 2005, only 79 American Indians played on Division I teams. While talent is there, recruiting on the reservations is a challenge. Just ask UM Northern head coach Mark Samson. He has had eight American Indian athletes in his four years with the Lights, none of who have continued on in his program. Samson has tried to tap into the four reservations situated around Havre, and even has implemented a summer camp, trying to lure young American Indian talent to the confines of his school.
“I’ve called Browning, Harlem, Rocky Boy – the coaches just tell me none of their kids are interested,” he says.
Samson then discusses the different mentality between football and basketball, but still becomes lost in translation with the struggles of Indian football. He tells me of one instance last season, when he was watching Browning play Havre in basketball.
“There was one kid, about (6-foot-4) who was just blessed with ability,” he says. “I thought to myself, man, I’d love to turn this kid into a college football player. Line him up at receiver and run routes through him, or at safety where he could just run around and hit people. I could see it.”
Samson can see it. So can Miller, but many others can’t. The American Indian football precedent has been set.
“We roll into towns, and people yell racial slurs, telling us we can’t play football,” Miller says.
In December the Browning football field will lay as a rock field, under a sheet of snow, covering another year, another barren memory in a 100-year struggle. Fifty yards up the hill, some of the state’s best athletes will be in an energy-filled gym, playing for another state basketball title. Andrew Spotted Wolf will be in the middle of it all. And what of his football talent?
That will be out in the cold, too, staying Montana’s best-kept secret.

Around the Big Sky Conference

Amber Kuehn
GameDay Kaimin

In today’s games, two Big Sky teams are searching for their first wins of the season, Eastern Washington tries to remain unbeaten and our Interstate 90 neighbors to the east will look to stay hot against long-time rival Idaho State.

Idaho State at Montana State (1:35 p.m.)
The Bengals are 1-2 after falling to Eastern Washington 34-7 in their conference opener last Saturday. The Bobcats, however, are 2-1, with their only loss coming to the Big 12’s Texas A&M. MSU is coming off a 21-5 road victory over Weber State.
The Bengals should be a tad worried entering Bobcat Stadium.
Not only does ISU have to be concerned about the Bobcat offense scoring touchdowns, but the Bengals should also beware of the MSU defense’s ability to put points on the board. Montana State junior strong safety Chase Gazzerro and senior cornerback Michael Beach each returned interceptions for touchdowns in the Weber State game last weekend. Bengals, take note. After all, the ISU offense struggled against EWU, turning the ball over four times in the first half alone, three of which came in the first 18 minutes.
The Bengals’ offense has to find a way to score early on if they want to have a chance in this one. Idaho State didn’t score until there were fewer than 10 minutes in the game last Saturday, and only had 104 yards of total offense in the first half.
MSU had only 283 yards against Weber State, but managed to hold the Wildcats to 340 yards and didn’t allow any touchdowns.
The Bengals will have a new face getting the starting nod at quarterback today. Earlier this week, head coach John Zamberlin named Luke Butler the starter after he threw for 264 yards in relief of Russel Hill last weekend. This will be the first start of his career. The true test will be can he handle the Bobcat D. I’m taking the Cats in this one.
The game will be televised live on Altitude Sports Network.

Northern Arizona at Sacramento State (2:05 p.m.)
The Lumberjacks are 2-2 overall and undefeated in conference action. Sacramento State, on the other hand, has yet to win a game. This is the Hornets’ first home game of the 2007 season.
NAU totaled 507 yards of offense last Saturday against Northern Colorado. The NAU defense also recovered two fumbles and intercepted a ball in the end zone.
The Hornets allowed 58 points in their loss to New Mexico last weekend. Cyrus Mulitalo saw some action at running back, compiling 11 yards on three carries and picking up two first downs.
I predict the winless Hornets will go down again. You can catch the game live on www.bigskytv.org.

Portland State at Eastern Washington (6:05 p.m.)
The Eagles are undefeated, and the Vikings are 1-3. Their lone win was over conference foe Sac State two weeks ago. PSU is now coming off a 52-17 loss to San Diego State.
Despite quarterback Brian White throwing for 283 yards in the first half, the Vikings only managed to put two scoring drives together.
White completed 36-of-53 passes for 408 yards, but was intercepted three times.
The Portland State defense held the Aztecs to just three points in the third quarter. Jordan Senn had a career-high 17 tackles. Linebacker Andy Schentz left the game early on with a knee injury and his status for today’s game is unknown.
Eastern Washington has already matched last year’s win total and hasn’t gotten off to this good of a start in a decade.
The Eagles had several impact players perform well in last weekend’s win in Pocatello. Sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols threw for 232 yards in the first half alone. Alexis Alexander finished with three rushing touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Tony Davis had six catches for 150 yards. The Eagle defense forced four first-half turnovers, and sophomore cornerback Lonnie Hosley contributed with two interceptions, two pass breakups and five tackles. Linebacker Marcus Walker led the Eagles with 10 tackles, and four different players recorded sacks. So what players should PSU look out for? I’m saying the whole team.
Last year Portland State beat EWU in a blowout, 34-0. Different season, different teams – Eagles win this one.
You can catch the game live on www.bigskytv.org.

Northern Colorado at Cal Poly (6:05 p.m.)
The Bears are entering their final non-conference game of the season and are still searching for their first win in 2007. Northern Colorado has lost 12 straight, and are now faced to play a tough Cal Poly team for their third-straight road game. Cal Poly is 2-2.
The two teams are familiar with one another, as the Bears were members of the Great West Conference with Cal Poly prior to coming into the Big Sky. The Bears are 2-5 all-time against the Mustangs, and never managed to beat them when the two were members of the same conference.
The Bears may be hurting even more now than they have been in previous games. They lost three key players to injury against Northern Arizona last weekend, and all of them are questionable for today’s game.
John Eddy suffered a right ankle injury, Korey Askew went down with an injured left leg, and Quincy Wofford hurt his right leg.
Northern Colorado junior quarterback Mike Vlahogeorge is in good shape, however, as he is just 33 yards shy of passing for 500 yards in just his first season with the Bears.
I’m saying Cal Poly wins big, and the Bears fall for the 13th time in as many games.