Tribune Super-State Team
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:38 am
Congrats to all the future Cats that made the team.
OFFENSE
The quarterback is Mark Desin of Billings Senior.
Desin, who amassed a state-record 9,005 yards passing and 65 touchdowns in his career, threw for 3,211 yards and 22 TDs this season. He also rushed for 561 yards and 11 scores. A fine scrambler, he finished his career with 1,820 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns. Desin has committed to Montana State.
The running backs are Chase Reynolds of Drummond, Chris Wells of Billings West and Drew Savage of CMR.
Reynolds scored 38 touchdowns for the second year in a row. He rushed for 1,460 yards and averaged better than 13 yards per carry. Reynolds ended his great career with two touchdowns and 187 yards rushing in Drummond's 54-0 victory over Park City in the State C championship game. He rushed for 766 yards in four playoff games this season and was a key figure in the last three Drummond teams, which all won state titles.
Wells, a fast, physical runner, rushed for 1,266 yards and 23 touchdowns. The native of Mississippi, who came to Billings two years ago to live with his older brother, scored the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter of West's 21-17 triumph over Helena Capital in the State AA title game.
Savage won the AA rushing title for the second year in a row and finished his CMR career as the leading ball-carrier in school history. This year, Savage slashed for 1,409 yards and 14 touchdowns. The speedster finished his Rustlers' career with 3,622 yards rushing.
The wide receivers are Tony Kazmierczak of Thompson Falls and Corey Peterson of Helena Capital.
Kazmierczak, who caught more than 1,000 yards worth of passes this season, finished his Thompson Falls career with a state-record total of 3,726 yards receiving. Kazmierczak, who has committed to Montana, caught 208 passes, 43 of them for touchdowns, in his career.
Peterson, one of the fleetest receivers in the state, had 10 touchdown receptions and another 10 TDs on the ground for Helena Capital. Playing in Capital's run-oriented offense, Peterson didn't get a lot of passes thrown his way. Every third reception, though, was for a touchdown.
The all-purpose performer is Bret Bahnmiller of Highwood.
Bahnmiller scored 42 touchdowns and had more than 2,000 yards rushing for the Six-Man champion Mountaineers. He scored several touchdowns on returns, including one in the state title game, and is considered among the top athletes ever to play for the tradition-rich Highwood football program.
The offensive linemen are Mike Person of Glendive, Alex Verlanic of Drummond, Jesse Hoffman of Helena Capital, Nick Lebsock of Billings Skyview and Wacy Deegan of Stanford.
Person used his 6-5 frame to advantage while playing for a Glendive team coached by his father, Jim. Regarded as the finest offensive line prospect in eastern Montana, Person has committed to Montana State.
Verlanic, regarded as a sure-fire NCAA Division I recruit, is a rare two-time Super-State offensive lineman. The Drummond star played effectively both ways and paved the way for a prolific rushing attack.
Hoffman anchored a line that helped Helena Capital rush for 4,200 yards. The massive tackle had 20 pancake blocks.
Lebsock was extremely effective at left guard for a Skyview team coached by his father, Ron. Lebsock, also a talented long-snapper, was especially adept at pulling and trapping.
Deegan provided a lot of strength on both sides of the ball for State C runner-up Stanford. A talented athlete with great size, he also plays basketball for the Wolves.
DEFENSE
The down linemen are Kyle Begger of Miles City, Stephen Pfahler of Frenchtown, Travis Hjort of Libby and Paul Klaboe Jr. of Billings West.
Begger had 11 quarterback sacks and 13 tackles for loss at Miles City. Also a talented tight end, Begger has soft hands and a hard-hitting attitude.
Pfahler has the speed of a receiver and the size (6-4, 205) of a defensive end. Extremely quick off the edge, he was a consideration for all Frenchtown opponents on both sides of the football.
Hjort, whose intensity on the field reminds longtime Libby coaches of Vince Huntsberger, the ex-Grizzly All-American, played defensive tackle and led the Loggers to the state playoffs. He has attracted the attention of college coaches in both football and wrestling and is unbeaten on the mat at 215 pounds this year.
Klaboe, a Class AA All-State pick on both sides of the ball, set a Billings West record with 24 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 19 quarterback hurries. Klaboe, whose father, Paul, is the Bears' head coach, had 105 total tackles this season.
The linebackers are Dustin O'Connell of Helena Capital, Alex Calvi of Cut Bank and Carson Bender of Deer Lodge.
O'Connell, who shared AA defensive MVP honors with Klaboe, had 13 solo stops in the AA state championship game. The rugged Bruin had three tackles for loss and 110 total tackles on the season.
Calvi was one of the emotional leaders on a great Cut Bank team. Considered tough with a capital T, Calvi missed three games after knee surgery but provided outstanding production at both running back and linebacker when he returned. Calvi scored 27 touchdowns and led the Wolves in tackles. In Cut Bank's Class B state championship victory over Fairfield, Calvi was all over the field.
Bender, with tremendous size and speed, was a standout on both sides of the ball for Deer Lodge. He played strongside backer, but teams ran away from him so the Wardens' coaches switched Bender to middle linebacker. He has committed to Montana.
The defensive backs are Eli Johnson of Billings West, Brian Lebsock of Frenchtown, Chris Carlson of Billings West and Jake Stagnoli of Butte Central.
Johnson set a West record with 12 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. The free safety proved a sure tackler with 96 tackles this fall and finished his career with 18 picks.
Lebsock, whose cousin Nick was named Super-State on offense, is a repeater on the elite defense. He finished his Frenchtown career with a whopping 30 interceptions, including 14 this season.
Stagnoli, like Lebsock a talented quarterback-defensive back, was a great hitter in the Butte Central secondary. A very physical player, Stagnoli had three interceptions this fall and 10 on his career. He also amassed 5,400 total yards and scored 60 touchdowns as Central's quarterback.
Carlson was named Class AA All-State at an amazing four positions: receiver, punter, cornerback and punt returner. In West's victory over Capital in the state championship game, Carlson caught six passes for 129 yards and intercepted two passes. Carlson, a straight-A student who is considering offers from Ivy League schools and such regional I-A clubs as Colorado State and Wyoming, had 11 tackles for loss in 2005.
The kicker is Nolan Lopez of Billings Central.
Lopez might be Montana's top I-A recruit in 2005, thanks to a booming leg that converted field goals of 51 and 53 yards last season and several of more than 40 yards this year. He's also an outstanding soccer goalie and is considered a college prospect in that sport too.
