SAINTS GAME DAY INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM 1 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 Game Saints SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 daysaturday, TRENCH BATTLES Offensive line continues to be a work-in-progress TODAY S MATCHUP: Montana Western at Carroll College, 1 p.m. Nelson Stadium
2 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM SAINTS GAME DAY OFFENSIVE LINE was focus during the week Up front blocking needed against Montana Western today The Carroll College football team has been working to become a consistent unit since last spring. CLIFF KIRKPATRICK 406mtsports.com Issue No. 1 the Carroll College football team addressed this past week was the offensive line. Without the guys up front performing well, the offense can t run smoothly. That was the case in the season opener when the Saints were shutout by Rocky Mountain College. The Battlin Bears sacked quarterback Reese Hiibel eight times and he completed only 7 of 19 for 70 yards with two interceptions. The running game gained only 114 yards, before taking away 58 yards in sack yardage. There s a lot to learn from that game, senior offensive lineman Willy Clements said. We are already over it and we are not happy about it. What we are taking from it is what we can do better, things we can improve on. We are not going to dwell on the result, we are not going to dwell on what went wrong. We are going to focus on beating Western. We ll use everything from the Rocky game that we can to help us beat Western. Coach Mike Van Diest believes it was a breakdown in technique and assignments. He s developing new starting offensive linemen, so it s going to take time for the group to mesh as a unit. It was a breakdown in our technique, Clements said. It was what we are coached to do every day our footwork, our hand placement, our head placement. That kind of stuff with breakdowns in that. That s what we can t afford. The Battlin Bears mixed up the pass rush with some basic fourman pass rush and blitzes. The linemen didn t adjust fast enough and go to the right places. So it s just assignments, getting back with the coaches and learning what happened, Van Diest said. The players have to get on the same page in pass protection. There were some looks we hadn t seen. We ll see that again this week. This week s game against Montana Western has more unknowns. The Battlin Bears were the first game of the season, so the Saints didn t know their tendencies. This is the first game of the season for the Bulldogs as well, which makes the Saints coaches concerned again. So you have to rely on your assignments, Van Diest said. There are certain things you have to do. The other team can out-scheme you, but we have BMGPHOTOS.COM certain rules to pick up the right protections. Then there s the battle in the trenches. The offensive linemen must beat the guy who lines up in front of him. Van Diest wants to see more of those victories. Please see LINE, Page A6
SAINTS GAME DAY INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM 3 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018
4 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM SAINTS GAME DAY Carroll College vs. Montana Western For your information When: 1 p.m. Saturday Where: Nelson Stadium TV: SWX Radio: Sports 94-0, sports949. com Key Matchup Carroll College vs. the Saints: You read that right. The key matchup for the Saints is battling themselves. At this point, they need to execute with more precision. If they do that, the individual battles will take care of themselves. Player of the Week Joe Farris, WR, So., 6-1, 190: There wasn t much to be thrilled about if you are a Carroll College fan after the first week. Farris, however, had a solid game with five receptions and 54 yards. That was the best receiving night of any of the Saints. What he showed was that when the QB has time for find him, he ll be open. He had to work hard for those catches. By the Numbers 44 Number of times the Saints have defeated Montana Western. The Saints have a 44-17-1 record against their Frontier Conference rival. Number of times the Saints 21 have defeated Montana Western at home. They have a 21-9-1 in Helena. Oddly, 22 wins have been on the road and one at a neutral site. That s the year the 2016 last time Montana Western defeated Carroll College. The Saints won last year s meeting 24-13. Four-Down Territory 1 Improve the offensive line: The Saints rebuilt their offensive line for this season, and coach Mike Van Diest was worried how they would hold up. It didn t go well against Rockey Mountain College with eight quarterback sacks and plenty of pressure. The running game wasn t as productive as usual in the shutout. For the offense to run smoothly, its starts with the offensive line. It s going to be a long season if this isn t sorted out. Score: Ok, that s the basis of the 2 game. So, obviously, the Saints are trying to score. They just didn t last week in the season opener against the Battlin Bears. So some scoring is overdue in Game 2. Granted, if the offensive line come through the scoring with follow. QB Reese Hiibel will have time to find receivers and the running game will get going. Tighten the defense: Last 3 week s loss can t all be on the offense. The Battlin Bears used three different quarterbacks, three different running backs and seven receivers caught passes. More pressure on the passer is needed, along with plugging running lanes. Getting opposing offenses off the field sooner allows the offense more time work on its craft. Protect the house: The season opener was on the road 4 in a hostile environment for a big Frontier Conference game. That s never a good way to open the season. The Saints are back in Nelson Stadium for this game. The home field advantage should help them settle down and play their game. A win over a conference team will be a good confidence builder moving forward. CASEY PAGE, BILLINGS GAZETTE Carroll head coach Mike Van Diest hugs Patsy Petrino, the widow of former Carroll coach Bob Petrino, Sr., as Rocky honors Petrino, Sr. before the season opener at Herb Klindt Field at Rocky Mountain College on Thursday, August 23, 2018. Petrino, Sr., a coach for Carroll for 28 years, died in July. Prediction Carroll College 14, Montana Western 10: Coaches believe teams make a big jump in development from Week 1 to Week 2. The Saints should see that happen, but the offensive line will be a work in progress throughout the season. Expect to see better offensive production. And the defense should tighten down. Cliff Kirkpatrick
SAINTS GAME DAY INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM 5 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 Player to WATCH REESE HIIBEL PHOTO BY CASEY PAGE, BILLINGS GAZETTE The sophomore quarterback from Afton, Wyoming, heads into today s game trying to rebound from a rough first game. He s a strong-armed passer who hopes improve Carroll College s passing game. CARROLL COLLEGE Rushing Offense Major Ali could only gain 49 yards against Rocky Mountain College in the season opener. The Saints have a history of a strong running game, so expect that to improve. Passing Offense Qb Reese Hiible couldn t show off his throwing ability in the first game due to a lack of protection. So he ll be eager to come back strong this game. The receivers have to get open more. Rushing Defense The battlin bears gained 156 yards on the Saints last game, but Carroll kept the running game contained to 3.9 yards a rush. Defenders feel they can improve on those numbers. Passing Defense The Saints showed improved coverage in the second half last week, but the damage was done early. They kept Rocky to only 13 of 31 for 130 yards last week. The pass rush needs to improve. Special Teams The one positive from last week was P Matt Kvech got plenty of work. He averaged 42.5 yards on eight attempts. Punt and kickoff coverage was also strong. Intangibles This will be the home opener for the Saints, so there will be added motivation. They also played a game already, while the bulldogs have not played yet. So that experience should carry them to victory. THE EDGE Carroll Even Western MONTANA WESTERN Rushing Offense Lead ball carrier Hunter Thomsen is gone, but backup Kyle Prante returns. He averaged a solid 5.1 yards per carry last season. The team gained 110.5 yards a game last season. Passing Offense A new Qb will debut in this game. That will takes some time for the offense to adjust to the new signal caller, no matter his talent. After averaging 285 yards a game last year, expect more passing attempts. Rushing Defense The bulldogs weren t known for stopping the run last season with 205 yards allowed a game, and they lost many of their seasoned players. This could be an area the Saints could exploit. Passing Defense The bulldogs weren t know for the pass defense last season, either. They allowed 285 yards a game last year. Look for a breakout offensive game for the Saints. Special Teams PK Mark Kharchenko returns. He was 11 of 15 on field goals last season with a long of 43 yards. Devyn Christian is a strong kick and punt returner. He averaged 19.3 yards on kickoff returns. Intangibles The bulldogs were picked to finish low in the conference standings, so there s a nothing-to-lose attitude coming in. And they ve been prepping for the Saints since spring practice. They are ready.
6 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM SAINTS GAME DAY Line From A2 PHOTOS BY BMGPHOTOS.COM The offensive line is an area that needs to develop for the Carroll College football team. Carroll College offensive line coach Tony Arntson lines players up during spring practice. We have to stand there and be tougher, Van Diest said. Sometimes you get beat one-on-one, that s not a scheme. And that happened a couple times on the sacks. The guys on the offensive line have to step up and take on the pass rush one-on-one and defeat it. The Saints expect to be challenged aggressively because that s what the Bulldogs do, and a vulnerability was shown on video. So the offensive linemen plan to prove that s not the case. They are always a tough defense, Clements said. They are notorious in the Frontier to always being physical. They are well coached, disciplined and fire off the ball. It s not a complex defense. We have to take away their physicality. Van Diest feels he has the right guys in place on the offensive line. So he s being patient, while eager for them to have a breakthrough. Seniors Connor McGree and Clements are the leaders of the group. Junior J.D. Lyle made his first start at guard last week, but he was the primary backup last season. Sophomores Tanner Steele and Alex Hoffman were the other first-time starters, but Van Diest likes the talent they ve shown so far. We have some new guys in there without a doubt, but you have to go with the guys you practiced with, Van Diest said. These guys have practiced all spring and been here all summer. The good thing is they have a game to watch, and not just practice. You have to play a game. It s not good to be 0-1, but hopefully, we ll get better this week. Age doesn t make you better, experience does. Now they have a game s experience, it s easier to coach off that. Not all of the shutout was on the offensive line. Hiibel, who started part of last season, needs to get the ball out quickly and to the right receiver. And there s an urgency from the Saints to pass more this season. The quarterback needs to make the right decisions, Van Diest said. At times, he had a situations where he didn t have enough time to throw. But he has to make the throws and make the decisions. There are times you have to pull the ball down and scramble for a first down. He has five games under his belt from last year. So he s almost a veteran. He ll get better. Then the receivers have to get open. That didn t happen enough. The receivers have to get open and run the right route, so it s a combination of not just protection, but making the right reads as the quarterback, Van Diest said. And receivers have to get open. It s a whole offensive responsibility. Getting to know... Reece Quade How are you feeling about your game right now? I feel pretty confident in my game. This is my third year starting. I feel like I know what I m supposed to do when I m supposed to do it. And I do it that way every time. What are your goals for this season? To be a leader, as strong as I can be, on the defense. And lead us to be as perfect as we can be, the way the coaches want. What are your goals after football? I ll have a lot more time for study for school. To get a lot better grades without the stress of football would be awesome. And graduating. What are your hobbies? I fly fish, a lot of outdoors stuff hiking, biking, play guitar and hang out with my buddies. What do you do when not playing football? I do a lot of relaxing. My roommates and I are pretty close. So we hang out together. What kind of music do you listen to? Classic rock BMGPHOTOS.COM Reece Quade pauses between drills with the Carroll College football team at Nelson Stadium. What historical figure, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with? Kurt Cobain. He has always intrigued me through his music. What would be served at that dinner? Pasta What s something your friends don t know about you? I m an open book. Everybody knows quite a bit about me. What was your childhood fear? Definitely spiders. 2018 Schedule Date Opponent Conf. Location Time 8/23 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) * Billings, Mont. L 19-0 9/1 University of Montana-Western * Helena, Mont. 1 p.m. 9/8 Linfield College Helena, Mont. 1 p.m. 9/15 Montana State University-Northern * Havre, Mont. 1 p.m. 9/22 Southern Oregon University (Homecoming) * Helena, Mont. 1 p.m. 10/6 The College of Idaho * Caldwell, Idaho 1 p.m. 10/13 University of Montana-Western * Dillon, Mont. 1 p.m. 10/20 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) * Helena, Mont. 1 p.m. 10/27 Montana State University-Northern * Helena, Mont. 1 p.m. 11/3 Montana Tech * Butte, Mont. 12 p.m. 11/10 Eastern Oregon University (Senior Day) * Helena, Mont. 12 p.m.
SAINTS GAME DAY INDEPENDENT RECORD HELENAIR.COM 7 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 Proud Sponsor of the Carroll College Fighting Saints #TackleHelenaHomelessness Windermere Real Estate donates $10 to Family Promise of Helena for every Saint Football home game tackle Last Year Windermere donated $3,400 to Family Promise to #TackleHelenaHomelessness. 9/01 1PM UM-Western 9/08 1PM Linfield College 9/22 1PM Southern Oregon University Saint Home Games *Homecoming 10/20 1PM Rocky Mountain College 10/27 1PM MSU-Northern 11/10 Noon Eastern Oregon University*Senior Day Helping Children and Their Families Overcome Homelessness Joininthefightto #TackleHelenaHomelessness by donating at familypromisehelena.org.
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