(Editor's note: Montana East-West Shrine Game press release)
The rosters for the 75th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game have been announced. The game will be played June 18 in Great Falls, Montana. The Montana Shrine Game is the premier all-star game in Montana and has a long history of distinguished players and coaches. It is also one of the oldest high school all-star football games in America. Every year since 1947, Montana finest high school players are selected to compete in a game to raise money and to help make the public aware of the expert orthopedic and burn care available at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Spokane, Washington. Expert care is provided regardless of the family’s ability to pay. In recent years, the Montana game is the top Shrine Game in the nation for hospital donations. In the last ten years this game has raised nearly $1,000,000. Forty of Montana’s finest are selected to compete on each team and two players from Canada will join them, one for the East and one for the West.
The East Team will be coached by Mark Samson of Great Falls. Coach Samson is a Helena native who has been coaching at the high school and college level since 1981. Currently, Coach Samson just completed his sixth season as head coach for the Great Falls High Bison, leading them to the AA playoffs for the fourth straight year. Samson has worked at Helena High, Townsend, and Carroll College as an assistant coach, and served as head coach at Missoula Loyola, Helena Capital, Havre High, MSU-Northern, and Great Falls High. This is Samson’s third time coaching in the Shrine Game. This game will mark his 390th career game as a coach over 38 seasons.
Heading the West Team will be Bryce Carver from Hamilton. Bryce Carver is in his eighth year coaching and teaching in Hamilton. He has coached football and basketball for the past eight years, and this was his fifth being the head football coach. Over the last five years, the Broncs have compiled a 51-6 record, playing in three state championships, and recently winning the 2021 Class A state title. He is married to his wife Jordan and they have a two-year-old daughter, Blakely.
These players were nominated by their schools and coaches across the state, and finally selected as the “best of the best” to participate in the 75th Montana Shrine Game. They join an elite fraternity of players, many of whom have gone on to distinguished collegiate and professional careers.
The rosters for the 75th annual Montana East-West Shrine Game can be found below.
EAST ROSTER
Safety - Jase Applebee, Bozeman High, 5’10” 185 lbs.
Tackle - Dayne Barbie, Cut Bank, 6’3” 260 lbs.
Quarterback - Isaiah Claunch, Billings West, 6’3”, 195 lbs.
Wide receiver - Luke Clinton, Lewistown, 6’3”, 190 lbs.
Defensive End - Jaxon Cotton, Bozeman High, 6’1”, 215 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Noah Dahlke, Bozeman Gallatin 5’9", 165 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Beau Dantic, Laurel, 5’11”, 175 lbs.
Running Back - Michael Deleon, Billings West, 5’9”, 185 lbs.
Safety - Caden Dowler, Billings West 6’1” 205 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Taco Dowler, Billings West, 5’9”,175 lbs.
Center - Max Eaton, Glendive, 6’3”, 270 lbs.
Defensive End - Kaelob Flores, Fairfield, 6’, 200 lbs.
Defensive End - Ben Glasscock, Miles City, 6’4”, 220 lbs.
Guard - Brock Hanford Fort Benton 6’1” 260 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Ryan Krahe, Great Falls High, 6’1”, 215 lbs.
Defensive Back - Spencer Lehnerz, Power-Dutton-Brady, 5’8”, 150 lbs.
Tackle - Zach Malcolm, Billings West, 6’5” 270 lbs.
Center - Malcolm Mann, Red Lodge, 6’4”, 255 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Colby Martinez, Columbus, 6’2”, 170 lbs.
Tackle - Burke Mastel, Red Lodge, 6’5”, 285 lbs.
Defensive End - Ryan McGinnis Sidney 6’2” 190 lbs.
Quarterback - Braden Mikkelson, Bozeman Gallatin, 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Running Back - Jacob Miller, Billings Senior, 5’8”, 170 lbs.
Inside Linebacker, Peyton Morton, Billings Senior, 5’11”, 200 lbs.
Defensive Back - Tyler Nansel, Bozeman Gallatin, 6’5”, 180 lbs.
Safety - Raef Newbrough, Great Falls CMR, 6’, 180 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Zach Newton, Great Falls High, 6’, 225 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Shel Osbourne, Laurel, 6’, 215 lbs.
Guard - Jaden Perkins, Bozeman High, 6’, 255 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Caleb Romero, Billings Senior, 6’2”, 275 lbs.
Defensive End - Derek Rothwell, Great Falls CMR, 6’6”, 215 lbs.
Defensive Back - Emmet Renner, Laurel 6’2”, 180 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Cash Salsbery, Malta, 5’10”, 200 lbs.
Guard - Anthony Savino, Great Falls CMR, 6’2”, 255 lbs.
Tight End - Rylan Schlepp, Bozeman Gallatin, 6’5”, 235 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Tyler Simenson, Billings Senior, 6’, 235 lbs.
Runnning Back - Jackson Simonson, Great Falls CMR, 5’11”, 205 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Brett Stentoft, Froid-Medicine Lake, 6’2”, 210 lbs.
Defensive Back - AJ Ulrichs, Billings Central, 6’, 170 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Bryson Zanto, Bozeman High, 6’1”, 175 lbs.
WEST ROSTER
Defensive Tackle - Ethan Abbott, Florence, 6’5”, 270 lbs.
Tight End - Kaiden Batzler, Sheridan, 6’2”, 225 lbs.
Center - Dylan Cunningham, Helena Capital, 5’10”, 220 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Marcus Evans, Helena High, 6’1”, 215 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Ian Finch, Missoula Hellgate, 6’3”, 195 lbs.
Tackle - Josh Golemanm, Helena High, 6’1”, 285 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Colton Graham, Polson, 6’3”, 190 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Braden Guse, Bigfork, 6’2”, 280 lbs.
Guard - Kevin Hanenburg, Frenchtown, 6’3”, 255 lbs.
Defensive End - Braunson Henriksen, Polson, 6’5”, 230 lbs.
Defensive End - Callahan Hoffman, Dillon, 6’8”, 250 lbs.
Quarterback - Kaden Huot, Helena High, 6’3”, 200 lbs.
Center - Jonas Johnson, Hamilton, 6’1”, 250 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Jon Kirkley, Dillon, 6’2”, 190 lbs.
Safety - Drew Klumph, Missoula Sentinel, 6’, 175 lbs.
Defensive End - Charlie Kirgan, Missoula Sentinel, 6’, 210 lbs.
Guard - Ramsey Knowles, Missoula Sentinel, 6’3”, 275 lbs.
Special Teams - Kyle Lawson, Hot Springs, 5’10”, 160 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Luke Maki, Florence, 6’, 215 lbs.
Defensive Back - Connor McCarthy, Missoula Sentinel, 6’, 180 lbs.
Defensive Back - Chase McGurran, Helena High, 6’, 180 lbs.
Guard - Chaise Meyer, Missoula Big Sky, 6’3”, 285 lbs.
Tackle - Jamey Michelotti, Helena Capital, 6’2”, 245 lbs.
Tackle - Tommy Nilson, Missoula Hellgate, 6’4”, 255 lbs.
Safety - Mason Peters, Columbia Falls, 6’, 185
Running Back - Jake Rendina, Kalispell Glacier, 6’, 235 lbs.
Kicker - Patrick Rohrbach, Kalispell Glacier, 6’1”, 160 lbs.
Quarterback - Tyson Rostad, Hamilton, 6’1”, 205 lbs.
Running Back - Isaiah Roth, Columbia Falls, 5’9”, 175 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Blake Shoupe, Florence, 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Safety - Bodie Smith, Whitefish, 6’1”, 175 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Preston Smith, Darby, 6’1”, 190 lbs.
Defensive End - Dylan Snyder, Butte, 6’2”, 200 lbs.
Safety - Cole Stewart, Butte, 5’10”, 175 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Forrest Sureo, Helena High, 5’10”, 255 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Trae Thilmony, Thompson Falls, 5’7”, 165 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Gavin Vandenacre, Townsend, 6’3”, 185 lbs.
Defensive Back - Brendan Wagner, Whitehall, 6’, 190 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Chase Williams, Missoula Sentinel, 6’2”, 220 lbs.
Running back - Tim Zohner, Hamilton, 6’1”, 205 lbs.
EAST ALTERNATES
Inside Linebacker - Alex Allred, Billings Senior 5’9”, 190 lbs.
Kicker - Spencer Berger, Billings West, 5’10”, 170 lbs.
Defensive Back - Riley Bergeson, Billings West, 6’1”, 185 lbs.
Defensive Back - Devron Brewer, Great Falls High, 6’1”, 185 lbs.
Quarterback - Cooper Cook, Columbus, 6’, 190 lbs.
Running Back - Shaw Davis, White Sulphur Springs, 5’10”, 170 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Kyler Fleming, Lewistown, 6’1”, 195 lbs.
Defensive End - Chance Goltz, Bridger, 6’5”, 210 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Grady Gonzioroski, Richey-Lambert, 6’2”, 195 lbs.
Running Back - Aden Graves, Sidney, 5’10”, 180 lbs.
Guard - Matt Ivankovich, Columbus, 6’2”, 225 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Max Kimball, Billings West, 6’1”, 190 lbs.
Running Back - Mikey Leach, Simms, 5’7”, 150 lbs.
Kicker - Trey Mans, Great Falls CMR, 5’11”, 180 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Max Murphy, Billings West, 6’2”, 220 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Toby Niederegger, Chinook, 6’2”, 185 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Miguel Perez, Fairfield, 6’, 190 lbs.
Guard - Jaren Perkins, Bozeman High, 6’, 255 lbs.
Punter - Bridger Polk, Great Falls High, 5’10”, 165 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Payton Sanders, Billings Skyview, 5’10”, 160 lbs.
Inside Linebacker, Austin Spangler, Belgrade, 6’, 180 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Orion Thivierge, Havre, 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Defensive End - Jake Vigen, Bozeman Gallatin, 6’2”, 210 lbs.
Defensive End - Carter Warnick, Billings West, 6’3”, 240 lbs.
Defensive Back - Rex Williamson, Malta, 6’, 180 lbs.
Tight End - Colter Zink, Shepherd, 6’2”, 210 lbs.
WEST ALTERNATES
Center - George Brown, Bigfork, 6’3”, 308 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Layne Cooney, Missoula Hellgate, 6’4”, 225 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Connor Curnow, Dillon, 6’4”, 210 lbs.
Safety - Danny Dunn, Eureka, 6’, 185 lbs.
Defensive End - Johnny Fehr, Eureka, 6’1”, 205 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Jake Genger, Jefferson, 6’3”, 215 lbs.
Center - Connor Hangas, Missoula Sentinel, 6’2”, 230 lbs.
Tackle - Talon Holmquist, Whitefish, 6’6”, 260 lbs.
Quarterback - Trey Hoveland, Townsend, 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Defensive Back - Corban Johnson, Manhattan, 6’2”, 180 lbs.
Defensive Tackle - Erik Junk, Kalispell Glacier, 6’, 210 lbs.
Kicker - Casey Kautzman, Butte, 6’, 195 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Eyston Lakkala, Butte Central, 5’9”, 185 lbs.
Defensive Back - Avery Metesh, Drummond-Philipsburg, 5’9”, 165 lbs.
Safety - Braden Morris, Jefferson, 6’, 175 lbs.
Guard - Rylan Mulcahy, Butte, 6’, 240 lbs.
Running Back - Tristan Pyette, Florence, 5’10”, 180 lbs.
Defensive End - Wade Rykel, Jefferson, 6’2”, 225 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Jaxsen Schlauch, Whitefish, 6’1”, 180 lbs.
Defensive Back - Connor Sullivan, Kalispell Glacier, 5’10”, 155 lbs.
Running Back - Luke Sullivan, Helena Capital, 5’10”, 180 lbs.
Running Back - Jake Sweatland, Missoula Hellgate, 6’1”, 205 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Levi Taylor, Bigfork, 5’10”, 215 lbs.
Inside Linebacker - Wyatt Thomasen, Kalispell Glacier, 6’, 205 lbs.
Guard - Carson Tipp, Missoula Loyola, 6’1”, 190 lbs.
Tight End - Joe Weida, Missoula Sentinel, 6’4”, 225 lbs.
Outside Linebacker - Chase Youso, Kalispell Flathead, 6’2”, 205 lbs.
Wide Receiver - Caden Zaluski, Florence, 5’11”, 160 lbs.
