Class C stars lace 'em up

By Bill Foley - 06/06/2009

The best Montana 8-man football has to offer will be on display Saturday at Alumni Coliseum.

The 26th Annual Bob Cleverley Class C All-Star Football Game kicks off at 7 p.m.

Formerly the Treasure State All-Star Classic, "The Clev" is in its 20th year in the Mining City. The game is made up entirely of graduating seniors.

The Red Team is made up of stars from the Northern C and Southern C conferences, while the Blue Team is comprised of the best players from the Eastern C and Western C.

The four conferences are rotated every year because the game's founder, Bob Cleverley, didn't want a rivalry to take away from the game.

The rosters on both sides are impressive.

Sixty-four players from 28 teams will take the 80-yard field.

All 16 of the playoff teams will be represented, including Travis Stroot, Drew Walen, Tyler Stenberg and Brian Labbe from state champion Superior on the Blue Team.

Six players from Culbertson/Bainville — Brett Hilde, Brian Manning, Jeraco Willcoxon, Mark Wilson, Dillon Engelke and Kenneth Jasper — will play for the Blue. That's the most representatives from any team.

Twin Bridges and Scobey also boast four players on the Blue Team.

Clark Vial, Jonathon Ashcraft, Luke Banks and University of Montana-bound Clay Pierson will represent Twin Bridges.

Michael Crandell, Calvin Odom, Dylan Solberg and Chase Buer came from Scobey, home of the Eastern C champion Spartans.

Sheridan's Tanner Rowberry, Drummond's Levi Coughlin and Philipsburg's Dayton Poser will also suit up for the Blue.

Four players from Sunburst are the most to represent any team on the Red squad.

Dakoda Simmes, Rostyn Pace, Shane Turner and Merle Head will represent the Refiners.

Chester/Joplin/Inverness, Joliet, Centerville and Denton all placed three placers on the Red Team.

Kyle Nash, Colter Adkins and Doug Mills will represent Centerville, the Northern C champion. Mills is the grandson of Centerville head coach and Red Team assistant coach Ted Richards, a Butte High graduate.

Damon Heble, Darik Coppedge and Jake DeVries made the trip from Denton, the Southern A champion.

Sunburst's Matt Clark is the head coach of the Red. He's assisted by Absarokee's Warren Boeck, Belt's Jeff Graham, Denton's Scott Sparks, Harlowton's Justin Helvik and Richards.

Alan Aspenlieder is the head coach of the Blue. Aspenlieder, from Culbertson/Bainville, is retiring from coaching after this game.

Aspenlieder is assisted by Ekalaka's Tenadore Kittelmann, Superior's Dan Lucier, Victor's Eric Schaefer and Sheridan's Ed Burke, a Butte Central grad.

Fairview's Louis Kimbrell is the honorary coach. Kimbrell has been an assistant coach for 30 years.

BLUE TEAM

(Eastern C and Western C)

10 Michael Crandell, 6-2, 185, Scobey

11 Brett Hilde, 6-0, 187, Culbertson/Bainville

12 Travis Stroot, 5-10, 145, Superior

20 Clark Vial, 5-10, 165, Twin Bridges

21 Drew Walen, 5-9, 170, Superior

22 Wyatt O'Neill, 6-1, 160, Arlee

23 Brian Manning, 6-0, 185, Culbertson/Bainville

30 Ches Meyer, 5-11, 155, Ekalaka

31 Dayton Poser, 6-0, 180, Philipsburg

32 Calvin Odom, 5-10, 202, Scobey

33 Jonathon Ashcraft, 5-11, 190, Twin Bridges

40 Jeraco Wilcoxon, 5-6, 180, Culbertson/Bainville

41 Mark Wilson, 6-1, 185, Culbertson/Bainville

42 Dillon Engelke, 5-10, 190, Culbertson/Bainville

50 Luke Banks, 6-1, 200, Twin Bridges

51 Landon Vannatta, 6-2, 195, Froid/Med Lake/Genora

52 Tyler Stenberg, 6-3, 175, Superior

53 Kenneth Jasper, 6-5, 200, Culbertson/Bainville

60 Dylan Solberg, 5-11, 165, Scobey

61 Ivan Hansen, 5-9, 185, Wibaux

62 Chase Buer, 6-4, 250, Scobey

63 Cole Hinnaland, 6-0, 190, Circle/Richey

70 Clay Hoyt, 6-2, 170, Charlo

71 Steven Schmidt, 6-2, 175, Forid/Med Lake/Grenora

72 Brian Labbe, 6-1, 305, Superior

73 Joshua Sharbono, 6-5, 220, Charlo

80 Clay Pierson, 6-4, 210, Twin Bridges

81 Gatlin Lamb, 6-0, 185, Victor

82 Levi Coughlin, 6-5, 225, Drummond

83 Tanner Rowberry, 6-1, 225, Sheridan

84 Matt Faroni, 5-11, 185, Charlo

85 Tel Menard, 6-0, 195, Lincoln

Head coach — Alan Aspenlieder, Culbertson/Bainville

Assistant coaches — Tenadore Kittelmann, Ekalaka; Dan Lucier, Superior; Eric Schaefer, Victor; Ed Burke, Sheridan

Honorary coach — Louis Kimbrell, Fairview

RED TEAM

(Northern C and Southern C)

10 Trevor Violett, 5-10, 160, Chester/JI

11 John Songstad, 5-9, 160, Joliet

12 Ryan Ferguson, 6-0, 175, Shields Valley

21 Dakoda Simmes, 6-0, 185, Sunburst

22 Kyle Nash, 6-0, 175, Centerville

23 Gregg Qualls, 5-11, 170, Chinook

30 Cody Bennett, 6-1, 185, Joliet

31 Hank Hedrich, 6-0, 195, White Sulphur Springs

32 Garrett Graff, 6-0, 190, Chester/JI

33 Derek Doerschel, 6-2, 200, Absarokee

40 Rostyn Pace, 6-3, 240, Sunburst

41 Damon Heble, 6-2, 210, Denton

42 Shane Turner, 5-10, 220, Sunburst

50 Colton Wootan, 6-0, 175, Belt

51 Darik Coppedge, 6-2, 200, Denton

52 Garet Johnson, 5-11, 195, Power/Dutton-Brady

53 Derrick West, 6-2, 215, White Sulphur Springs

60 Jordan Unger, 6-5, 250, Joliet

61 Jostin Tilleman, 6-3, 215, Chinook

62 Luke Gee, 6-0, 185, Stanford

63 Colter Adkins, 5-10, 175, Centerville

70 Josh Barnhart, 5-11, 240, Harlowton

71 Will Hamel, 6-4, 225, Chester/JI

72 Merle Head, 6-3, 250, Sunburst

73 Tannar Cummings, 5-10, 140, Belt

74 Doug Mills, 6-2, 215, Centerville

80 Sean Dailey, 6-3, 205, Chester/JI

81 Jake DeVries, 5-10, 170, Denton

82 Loy Bink, 6-1, 165, Power/Dutton-Brady

83 Luke Holmquist, 6-0, 185, Harlowton

84 Spencer Bakich, 5-11, 215, Absarokee

85 Jace Swandal, 5-10, 170, Shields Valley

Head coach — Matt Clark, Sunburst

Assistant coaches — Warren Boeck, Absarokee; Jeff Graham, Belt; Scott Sparks, Denton; Justin Helvik, Harlowton; Ted Richards, Centerville

The Clev

The 26th Annual Bob Cleverley All Star game kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Alumni Coliseum. Cost is $15 for reserved seats, $10 for general admission and $5 for students.