The 2015 Montana Tech Oredigger football season was one for the record books. The Orediggers only lost one regular season game, were Frontier Conference champs, had a few players make the all-conference team, and one player make the all-American team.
By Angela Padden
The 2015 Montana Tech Oredigger football season was one for the record books. The Orediggers only lost one regular season game, were Frontier Conference champs, had a few players make the all-conference team, and one player make the all-American team.
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By Macy Ricketts It’s 2016, and while many students’ New Year’s resolutions include improving their grades and finally using that gym membership, the Montana Tech Women’s basketball team has just one resolution--to win. While many Tech students are just getting ready to get back to school after a long break at home, the Tech women’s basketballers took a brief eight-day holiday before returning to campus for winter practices December 28. The bulk of the Frontier Conference play begins in January, and according to Junior guard Kimi Heng, a Brisbane, Australia transplant, conference games are where it’s all at. “I think that our season is looking really good, especially after our big win against [conference foe Lewis and Clark (LC) State December 5]. We want to prove people wrong so we’ve been working hard in practice, making adjustments and are seeing improvements everyday,” Heng said. “The biggest thing for us is consistency--if we can continue to play at the levelwe have been recently, we’ll definitely be in good shape for the rest of the season.”According to Lady Diggers Head Coach Carly VanDyke, the Frontier Conference is aforce to be reckoned with on a national level. “The Frontier Conference had five teams make it to the National tournament last year,”VanDyke said. “Again this year, the conference will be very competitive. We grew as a team during pre-season games and are looking forward to conference play.” Thus far this season, excluding the Lady Diggers’ second matchup against LC State on January 2 and their double-header conference home games, which took place on January 7 and9*, Tech is 5-8. That record doesn’t display the Diggers’ impressive 5-1 record at home, whichis a stark contrast to their 0-6 record on the road. However, VanDyke isn’t worried about her team’s recent struggles in away games. “Playing on the road is always tough,” VanDyke said. “We had several close [losses] tonationally ranked teams. We have a young team and we are learning to win close games.” One of the Diggers’ highlights thus far in the season was their 83-57 drubbing of conference rival LC State December 5. During the contest, Junior guard Martha Dembek posteddouble-double numbers with 22 points and 16 rebounds. In addition, Dembek went 5-5 frombeyond the three point line. Even with her impressive performance, however, Dembek remains ateam player.“That was a team win,” Dembek, who earned Frontier Conference Honorable Mentionhonors last season, said of the victory. “It was just fun to play in, considering everyone’s shotswere on that night. We clicked as a team with our offense a defense. Lewis and Clark beat Carroll by 10 points the night before so we knew as a team that this wasn’t gonna be an easy win and we needed to bring our A-game.” Dembek also echoed VanDyke’s comments on the competitive nature of the Frontier Conference this season. “Each team in the conference brings a threat of their own so I guess it just depends on which team came to play that night. Rocky Mountain College beat the University of Great Fallsand Montana State University Northern so far this season so I guess they are looking prettytough,” Dembek said.According to VanDyke, the 5-foot-9-inch Dembek fills an important role on the team. "Martha is a very talented guard. She is a great shooter that is shooting 38 percent fromthe three point line. Martha brings height to the guard position and is a great rebounder. She isleading our team in rebounds with nine per game,” VanDyke commented.Despite suffering from a concussion that left her sidelined for four weeks at the beginningof the season, Dembek pushed through her recovery and hit the hardwood stronger than ever.Dembek averages 28.1 minutes per game for the Diggers, with 11.1 points per game and animpressive 83 percent average from the free throw line. “My role on the team is to lead by example,” Dembek said. “If my teammates see me working hard, being vocal, or bringing energy to practice or the game, they will follow. It was tough to be a leader [when I was out with a concussion] seeing how I couldn’t practice, missed 4games, and couldn’t go to class. It really took it out of me. I’m happy to be past that now so my teammates can count on me.” Dembek grew up playing basketball in the rural town of Winnett, Montana, where she attended a high school of 30 students. She attributes her love for the game to growing up playing on the basketball hoop in her driveway with her three older brothers and one older sister, some of whom played at the collegiate level. “Where I live in Central Montana, it is a very big ranching and farming community that is very close knit. To find things to do in the middle of nowhere, of course we all played sports.Basketball brought our community together,” she said.Dembek is not only a star on the court, she also excels in the classroom. The honor roll nursing student balances exams, classes and clinical studies on top of basketball practice, weightlifting, film and frequent traveling for games. “I thought it was gonna be an impossible feat,” Dembek said of balancing the competitive nature of nursing school with the competitive nature of collegiate athletics. “There’s only been two girls years back prior to my teammate Callee [Remsen] and I who have tackled nursing and basketball. It’s a huge commitment. I have class or clinicals all day, get an hour to study until practice usually. Between film, lifting and practice, basketball usually lasts about four hours a day. By the time you’re done with basketball for the day, it’s late, you still have to shower and eat dinner. Nursing is very demanding and you somehow have to fit hours and hours of studying in.” Martha Dembek, however, is up for the challenge of balancing collegiate athletics and academics. “I love challenges,” said Dembek, who plans to work as a Registered Nurse in rural Montana upon her graduation in spring 2017. “It has taught me to have time management, discipline and sacrifice. Most college kids get Thanksgiving break, a full Christmas break, and weekends to have fun with their friends. With nursing and basketball, I am either studying or doing something related to basketball. When we travel for basketball, I study long hours on bus rides, in hotel rooms, every spare chance I get. We’re traveling on weekends, we get an eight-day Christmas break, no Thanksgiving break, workouts throughout the year. It’s a huge commitment, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My teammates, coaches, family and teacherskeep me going. God plays a huge role in my life and I give all the glory to Him.” *Game details were not available by press time. By Molly O'Neill There is a driving force behind what we see on the field and on the sidelines, as fans watch from the stands at Alumni Coliseum. The Montana Tech football team is a brotherhood, and above all it has generated a quality season thus far. On Saturday, November 28, the No. 5 Diggers will play in the national quarterfinals in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This past Saturday the Diggers defeated Dickinson State 44-10 in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. Tech’s tight-end-turned-quarterback Andrew Loudenback, a transfer from Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, CA had yet another strong showing in Tech’s opening playoff game Saturday. In total, he has passed for eight touchdowns over the last six games, being 37 for 67 passing for 565 yards. “Winning the conference championship was a great feeling, especially beating such a quality opponent. It was surreal, but I think as a team we know that there is still work to be done so the celebration was short,” Loudenback said. “I am blessed for the opportunity to be a part of this team that has a chance to represent ourselves, coaches, school, community and Frontier Conference in the playoffs.” In addition to the Montana Tech-Dickinson State showdown that occurred Saturday, the top four teams in NAIA played Saturday, all resulting in victory. “We play as a family,” Clay Cavender, a junior studying business management from Redding, CA said in a post-game interview. Cavender scored two touchdowns in the win against the Blue Hawks. Matt Berg, a senior kicker studying Occupational Safety and Health, continued to be a strong foot kicking a 19 yard field goal during the first round playoff game. Both Berg and David Meis, a defensive linebacker and senior studying mechanical engineering, took home Frontier Conference player of the week after defeating No. 10 Montana Western November 14. But Meis didn’t let up after the win against Western: he came in strong against Dickinson State with a total of seven tackles, two quarterback sacks, and three tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. “Being a senior I know my time is limited so I plan on making the most of it and try to leave behind a legacy for other Diggers to carry on,” Meis said after the win against the Blue Hawks. The All-American leads the team in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (7.0), and is second of the team in total tackles (67). “The defense has grown throughout the season in every way,” said Meis. “The most critical thing to keep us on the road to the chipper is for us to stay healthy. We have a very skilled group of guys and as long as we all are able to keep playing we should keep winning.” “We were able to accomplish this title because of our team chemistry. You do not often see a team that plays together the way that we do, and I could not be happier being a part of the Digger family,” Derrick Holt, a junior from Renton, Washington, said. Holt was recently named All-Frontier Conference for his role on special teams as a punter. The Oredigger football team credits their brotherhood and strong bond both on and off the field to the success of the team. Cheer on the Diggers this Saturday, November 28, as they continue the championship journey against No. 4 St Francis Cougars at Fort Wayne, Indiana. “There is so much work being done behind the scenes since our season ended last year, that it is awesome to be out there with your brothers seeing our hard work paying off,” Loudenback said. “My motivation on the field is my teammates, we are so close. It’s really special [and] we play for each other. I [also] play for my family, especially my mom; I know she is looking down on me every Saturday.” By Molly O'Neill The Montana Tech Orediggers won the Frontier Conference championship Saturday, November 14th, defeating No. 10-ranked Montana State University Western 24-17. Following the victory, the Diggers, now ranked No. 5 nationally, will start their run to the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Football Championship series this Saturday against the No. 18 ranked Dickinson State University Blue Hawks out of Fargo, ND. Tech's Frontier crown is the second for Head Coach Chuck Morrell in his five seasons at Montana Tech, and the first conference championship since 2012. Montana Tech hasn't hosted a home playoff game since 1997. Saturday's game was a nail biter, providing the fans with a nice dose of quality football. The game was off to a fast start when Zach Bunney returned the opening kickoff 50 yards setting the tone for the eventual win. Tech’s utility man and quarterback, Andrew Loudenback, was able to find eight different receivers during the game going 17 of 25 for 218 yards in the air. Kolby Kansala, a junior from Eagle Creek, Oregon, had an outstanding second half, pulling in two touchdown catches. Kansala’s first touchdown was late in the third quarter on a key third down from the 19 yard line. He caught Loudenback’s 27 yard pass between two defenders to tie the game at the end of the third quarter. His second touchdown came from another Loudenback pass which aided Kansala in a 55 yard touchdown score. The Digger defense saw yet another strong performance from the whole squad as multiple role players stepped up and continued to play championship style football. Standout linebacker Davis Meis, the senior linebacker out of Helena High, played a game that garnered him Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Matt Berg, the special teams guru and hometown product out of Butte High School, also pulled in Frontier Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance knocking in three field goals during the game. By Macy Ricketts Montana Tech had a strong showing in all athletics this weekend. The Digger football team downed #1 Southern Oregon and the volleyball team earned a pair conference wins against Montana State University Northern and University of Montana Western. Both Tech men's and women's basketball teams had strong showings, and the hockey club bounced back from a loss against the University of Wyoming with a win against Utah State University. Digger Football Defeats No. 1 SOU With quarterback Andrew Loudenback facilitating the offense, the Digger football team narrowly edged #1 ranked Southern Oregon University for the 21-17 win in Ashland, OR. on November 7. Loudenback connected with Sean Sullivan and Clay Cavender on separate occasions to score two touchdowns with 9 for 18 passing. Strong runs from Nolan Saraceni and Zach Bunney lead the Digger offense. The Digger defense was lead by strong showings from Gunnar Kayser, Luke Benz and Tyler Gavlak. The only team standing in the way of Tech's eminent Frontier conference title is the University of Montana Western. Tech will battle the Western Bulldogs at Bob Green Field this Saturday, November 14. Digger Volleyball Earns Back-to-Back Conference Wins Montana Tech volleyball defeated conference foe Montana State University Northern in straight sets on November 5, 25-16, 25-21, 25-11. Sydney Norris had 20 kills for the Diggers, while Jordan Danz added 10. The Diggers continued their winning ways on Saturday November 7 with a 3-1 win over Montana State University Western, 25-16, 21-25, 25-18, 25-19. Sydney Norris again lead the Diggers in kills with 15, followed by Bailie Cortner with 13. Cortner also pitched in six blocks for Tech. Montana Tech will head to Helena next weekend for the Frontier Conference Tournament. Digger Men's, Women's Basketball Earn Wins Tech's Men's basketball team earned a win this weekend against Yellowstone Christian College. The Diggers defeated the YCC Centurions 113-76. Cruz Ginns Jr. lead the Diggers in scoring with 26 points, while Jalen Coates, Lukas Vining and Paul Engstrom followed behind, pitching in 20, 17 and 17 points, respectively. The Diggers improve their record to 5-0 on the season and return to the hardwood this weekend at the University of Houston in an exhibition contest. The Lady Diggers had an impressive showing this weekend as well, defeating St. Thomas University 83-73 on November 6. Backed by strong offensive performances from Sammy McGree, Shayla Mack, Callee Remsen and Hattie Thatcher, the Diggers improve their record to 4-1 overall. They return to the hardwood this weekend at Dickinson State. Tech Hockey Bounces Back, Defeats Utah State The Montana Tech hockey team recovered from a 3-7 loss against the University of Wyoming in the Diggers' home opener to defeat Utah State University the following night. Backed by a strong showing from goalie Alex Caravaggio, who got his third shutout of the season, the Diggers improved their record to 7-1. Tech hockey returns to the ice this weekend in another double-header against Western Washington and Portland State. By Technocrat Staff
The Montana Tech volleyball team lost a close match to Rocky Mountain College last weak. Rocky outed the Diggers, defeating them in four with 25-18, 19-25, 25-12, 25-17 scores. Sydney Norris lead in kills for the Diggers with 17. Norris also added 13 digs. Karina Mickelson added 10 kills for the Diggers. Libero Brianna Nabbout pitched in 25 digs for Tech. The loss brings the Diggers' overall record to 16 wins, 11 losses. Tech is 4-6 in Frontier Conference action. The Digger volleyball team returns to the hardwood on November 5th at home against Montana State University Northern, and again on November 7th at home against Montana Western. By Macy Ricketts With Montana Tech’s sound defeat of Carroll College 42-7 recently at Nelson Stadium in Helena, Tech jumped to number 10 in the national polls. Backed by a strong performance by recently named National Player of the Week Nolan Saraceni, Tech’s defeat of Carroll catapulted the Diggers’ record to 6 wins, and just one loss. Tech avenged their only loss of the season, which took place September 19, in a head-to-head matchup with Eastern Oregon University. The Diggers started off strong with a passing touchdown by Clay Cavender. Quarterback Andrew Loudenback then connected with Alec Bray for another score early in the game. Later in the game, Zach Bunney ran the ball 93 yards for a return touchdown, putting the Diggers ahead of Eastern 29-17. As always, the Digger Defense was on fire. DeAngelo Bell had 11 tackles in the game, while Will Davey had six tackles and two picks, which brought him to four receptions in the last three games. What does this win mean for the Diggers? Their defeat of Eastern Oregon brought their record to 7 wins, one loss, but they moved up just one spot to #9 in the NAIA national rankings. The Diggers return to action next Saturday, November 8 against Southern Oregon University in Ashland, OR. Southern Oregon is the only Frontier conference school ahead of Montana Tech in the national rankings, coming in at #1. By Technocrat Staff
The Montana Tech Orediggers trounced the Montana State University Northern football squad 40-0 in an impressive showing Saturday, October 17 at Bob Green Field. The win rocketed the Diggers to No. 12 in the NAIA national rankings with just four games left in the regular season. Backed by a strong defense, the Diggers limited the Lights to just 189 yards offensively. Three interceptions catapulted the Diggers to a strong lead. Gunnar Kayser lead the defense with nine tackles, while Tyler Gavlak and David Meis each contributed seven. Quarterback Quinn McQueary and running back Clay Cavender each contributed touchdowns on the offensive end, sealing the deal for Montana Tech. The Diggers return to the field against conference rival Carroll College on Saturday at 1 pm in Helena. By Technocrat Staff
Nolan Saraceni and the Orediggers continued their winning ways, defeating the College of Idaho 29-21 in Tech’s homecoming appearance at Bob Green Field. Junior running back Saraceni rushed 31 times for 179 yards during the contest, driving the Digger offense. Senior linebacker Tyler Gavlak lead the Digger defense with nine tackles, while Matthew Neylan and David Meis each contributed seven. With standout quarterback Quinn McQuery sidelined with an injury, junior Dawson Reardon facilitated the offense in the first half until an injury put him on the bench next to McQueary. Andrew Loudenback filled the QB spot for the remainder of the game. The one-two punch of Loudenback and senior wide receiver Clay Cavender sealed the deal for the Diggers when Cavender received a Loudenback pass late in the 4th quarter, putting the Diggers up 29-21 against the Yotes. The Orediggers are on bye next week, but will return to action against Rocky Mountain College in Billings October 10th. By Technocrat Staff
The Orediggers pulled an upset, defeating No. 4 Carroll College 19-10 at Bob Green field in Tech’s home opener. Montana State transplant quarterback Quinn McQueary facilitated the offense, completing 14 of 20 passes and rushing 75 yards. The Diggers pounded the Saints’ defensive line, rushing for 226 yards while holding Carroll to just 12. Standout running backs Nolan Saraceni and Zack Winfield helped the backfield along, combining for 133 yards for the Diggers. Saraceni, who leads the Frontier conference both in rushing, with 580 yards, and in rushing touchdowns, with 8 yards, was pleased with the team’s performance. “It’s definitely a big win for us. You know, we came out here, just trying to do the little things right and hopefully get the points on the board, so this is definitely a big win for us,” Saraceni said in a post-game interview. The Diggers return to action September 19 against Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, OR. |
AuthorAngela Padden, Sports Editor Archives
April 2017
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