The Bobcat football program is taking its show on the road for
the fourth straight spring this weekend, but for the first time
the team is heading west.
"We thought it fitting to be playing in Stevensville, the
hometown of Shaun Ross and Nic Tognetti," said Bobcat coach Mike
Kramer. Ross was a Bobcat captain as a senior last fall, while
Tognetti is a junior safety on this year's team. "These two guys
are really emblematic of what this program stands for. They are
hard workers, good students and good people."
Saturday's scrimmage will pit the first offense and second
defense against their counterparts in a game- like situation,
with redshirt freshman Pat Velten handling the kicking chores.
"We don't have a lot of our goal-line stuff in, so we may move
the ball out a little when we get down close, but we'll treat
this like a live scrimmage."
Although Saturday will mark the half-way mark of spring drills,
Kramer said it's not too early to be significant in the battle
between quarterbacks Farhaad Azimi, the incumbent, and Oregon
State transfer Tyler Thomas. "I will be carefully examining their
performances," Kramer said. "I'm looking for a lot of different
things, but I think one of the most interesting is which can more
effectively move the number two offense against the first
defense. That really tells me a lot about what a quarterback is
made of."
Beyond the presence of Tognetti, who will battle for starting
strong safety honors this year, the scrimmage will have a local
flavor. A pair of long-time Stevensville residents, Harold Hagen
and George Vogt, will be honored as honorary team captains. Both
attended Montana State in the 1920s and played football for the
Bobcats, and both have remained active in MSU Athletics and
Alumni Association functions. Also, a pair of Stevensville High
seniors -- Danelle Fournier and Jerramy Stroud -- who are
battling cancer will receive Bobcat Courage awards.
The weekend's festivities kick off with a social at the
DoubleTree Hotel at 5:30 pm on Friday. Free appetizers will be
provided, along with a no-host bar. Kickoff Saturday at
Stevensville's Sipher Stadium is at 1 pm, with tickets $5 for
adults, $3 for students and children under 12 free. A barbecue
($5) will follow.
