Wide Receivers
Selections
East: Bailey Paddock - Bozeman
East: Tyler Burk - Miles City
East: Casey Cole - Laurel
East: Cantor Coverdell - Fairfield
East: Ryan Zentner - Bridger
West: Mitch Roberts - Missoula Sentinel
West: Kiley Caprara - Butte
West: Nate McGree - Butte Central
West: Matt Rensvold - Polson
West: Braxton Reiten - Columbia Falls
Alternates
East: Chaz Maddock - Billings West
East: Trey Mounts - Belgrade
East: Cleet Wrzesinkski - Baker
West: Nick Wakai - Missoula Big Sky
West: James Flannigan - Kalispell Flathead
West: Jacob Price - Frenchtown
West: Gabe Hupp - Dillon
West: Cole McCloud - Manhattan
SELECTIONS:
Bailey Paddock is the lone AA receiver on the East roster. The 2016 2nd-Team AA All-State WR caught 56 balls for 882 yards and four touchdowns last fall. He was also one of Bozeman's primary kick and punt returners. Bailey is about 5'11", 175 lbs. and he operated primarily out of the slot his senior season. As a WR, he shows a great mix of route running and run-after-the-catch ability. Bailey does a great job of finding soft spots in the middle of zone coverage, working with his quarterback to get open. He is also a heck of a baseball player for the Bozeman Bucks. College baseball may be in Bailey's future but nothing has been decided yet.
Tyler Burk hails from Miles City and was the #1 WR for the Custer County Cowboys the past few years. Tyler's 2016 season was one of the best in Class A catching 57 balls for 949 yards and 13 touchdowns. Against Belgrade this fall, Tyler hauled in nine catches for 257 yards and five touchdowns. He is also in several Top 10 Class A records for career receiving stats. Despite his 5'10", 160 lb. frame, Tyler has always been one of the better receivers at going up and getting the ball in traffic or making the tough catch. He's a good athlete and his primary events in track were the hurdles taking 5th in the 110 MH and 3rd in the 300MH at State A. Tyler went over 120 receptions, 2000 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns in his career and he will be taking his talents to Dickinson State this fall. In my opinion, Tyler would've been a borderline FCS prospect if he had a little more speed. Regardless, great receiver and a great high school career.
Casey Cole, one of the most versatile football players in the state, will line up at WR for the East squad. The 6'1", 195 lb. athlete's senior season was unfortunately cut short only four games in. Against Sidney in Week 7, he broke his ankle so his senior stats halted at 33/52 passing for 509 yards and 8 touchdowns along with 45 rushes for 401 yards with 4 touchdowns. Basically, Casey was well on his way to another Class A All-State season at QB for the Laurel Locomotives, following up a breakout junior year. Casey was my #8 prospect in the pre-2016 season Top 10 list for Montana recruits. When healthy, he was one of the toughest players to stop in the entire state and Cats and Griz both had interest prior to his injury. He committed to Rocky Mountain for football in January 2017 but never signed on signing day. Later in the spring, Casey officially signed with the Montana Griz track & field program as a javelin thrower (Class A 2nd place in '16 & '17) with the notion he may have a chance to walk-on to the football team if he wanted to in the future. He is a really good football player and my only knock may be overall speed. He can be developed at several positions on offense and defense so if he does ever play football again...versatility equals value!
Cantor Coverdell of Fairfield is the lone Class B selection at WR for the East roster. A terrific three-sport athlete, Cantor excelled in everything he went out for in high school, especially football and track. In football, he was a key contributor on the 2015 State Championship squad and the 2016 team that fell to Missoula Loyola in the semis. Cantor is built well for the WR position at 6'2", 180 lbs. and was a playmaker on both sides of the ball in high school, earning Class B All-State honors his junior and senior seasons. Not only was he a star WR but also a hard-hitting OLB for the Eagles. As a WR, he has excellent hands and great breakaway speed in the open field. His junior and senior highlight film is littered with ridiculous catches whether it be on the sideline, in endzone, or going across the middle. However, his biggest contribution to Fairfield athletics his senior season was in track & field. Cantor's State B results were: 1st in 400M Relay (he was the anchor), 1st in Triple Jump (45' 5.25"), 2nd in Long Jump (21' 8.5"), 3rd in Discus (157'4"), and 2nd in Javelin (185'5"). So why wasn't Cantor considered a shoe-in FCS receiver? Probably because of his top-end speed, which always seems like the case with these Montana high schoolers. In my opinion, he makes up for his lack of top-end speed with overall athletic ability and football instincts. To my knowledge, he hasn't signed with any college team yet and may walk-on somewhere in-state for either track or football.
Ryan Zentner, an athlete from Bridger, will line up at WR as the only 6-man player on the entire East roster. Ryan, All-State his junior and senior seasons, was the best player on a Bridger Scouts team that made it to the 6-Man semifinals before losing out to Westby-Grenora. In 6-man, your best players usually can do it all and Ryan lined up everywhere. On offense, he caught 48 balls for 995 yards and 22 touchdowns while also rushing for three scores and passing for another. On defense, he played DE/OLB and unofficially had 89 tackles, 20 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, and 1 defensive touchdown. Ryan also has good size for the WR position at about 6'1", 180 lbs. He also excelled at basketball and track in high school and kudos to the committee for giving him a shot to play in this game. He looked good in the 6-Man All-Star game earlier this summer. But instead of football his future will be on the basketball court as he signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Rocky Mountain College in 2017.
Mitch Roberts will line up at WR for a second time this summer as he also played WR for Montana in the Badlands Bowl. He started at QB for his final two seasons at Missoula Sentinel and was dual-threat signal caller who wasn't afraid to tuck the ball and run. His senior season, he improved as a passer and threw for 1,583 yards with 11 touchdowns while running the ball 137 times for 483 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, he turned the ball over a bit too much as he threw 8 interceptions and lost three fumbles. Regardless, Mitch still earned 2nd-Team AA All-State at QB his senior season and was HM All-State his junior season. But QB was never going to be Mitch's position in college. College recruiters took notice while he was running all over the field for the Spartans in 2015 & 2016 as he was recruited as a WR because of his excellent overall athleticism. At 6'1", 180 lbs., his transition to WR should go smoothly and he already caught a touchdown this summer in the Badlands Bowl. Mitch signed with the Montana Grizzlies on Signing Day 2017 and will hope to follow in his brother Ben's footsteps as a WR.
Kiley Caprara put up a great senior season despite Butte's porous 2016 record. He caught 68 balls for 816 yards with 7 touchdowns in 2016. He also had a pick on defense and returned kicks for the Bulldogs. Kiley is not big, standing 5'10" and weighing about 150-160 lbs. But he wins as a WR with excellent route running ability and reliable hands. Kiley was one of the leaders in Class AA in receptions in 2016 and it happened because he was open regularly. He really excels in the short to intermediate passing game, especially on slant and out routes, and he beat all of the best DBs in AA in 2016 in some fashion. Kiley's senior year earned him 1st-Team AA All-State honors at WR, improving from HM AA All-State honors his junior season. Chuck Morrell took notice and convinced Kiley to sign with his hometown college, Montana Tech, as a WR.
Nate McGree's biggest contributions over the past two seasons for Butte Central came on the defensive side of the ball at safety. But he also was a big, physical RB/WR, catching 22 balls for 389 yards with 4 touchdowns and rushing for 323 yards on 67 carries with 8 touchdowns. His 92 points scored were 3rd in the Southwestern A conference, only behind Dillon's Troy Andersen and Hamilton's Manny Rivera. Nate has TE size at 6'3", 215 lbs. and played a hybrid role on offense & defense. On defense, he was primarily a strong safety but he came down in the box a lot to help in run support or cover a receiver in the slot. However, he was still solid in pass coverage, snagging five interceptions his junior season. Nate was Class A All-State at safety his junior and senior seasons and earned All-State at TE his senior season (even though he lined up at several positions on offense). He was also an All-State basketball player and state champion triple jumper for the Maroons along with being a 4.0 student so Nate was a borderline FCS prospect. Nate's brother Connor is a junior TE for the Carroll College Saints and Mike Van Diest sold Nate on playing with his brother. He signed with Carroll on Signing Day 2017 and Van Diest sees him as an athlete with the chance to develop at WR, TE, OLB, or FS.
Matthew Rensvold followed up a solid junior season with a monster senior season as a TE/WR for the Polson Pirates. He and QB Tanner Wilson were arguably the most dangerous QB/WR combo in the state last year as Tanner always looked to Matthew in crunch time. In 2016, he hauled in 56 catches for 1,025 yards with 12 receiving touchdowns. He was also a dominant defender at MLB and earned Class A All-State in 2015 and 2016 as a two-way player. As a receiver, he has natural pass catching ability and will be very dangerous in college because of it. At 6'4", 210 lbs., he runs really well and knows how to use his body to box out defenders for tough catches. Matthew was also an All-State center/power forward in basketball and a state placer in track during his final two years. Rensvold was one of the early in-state commits for the Montana Grizzlies last summer and officially signed with them in February. Matthew should excel at the H-Receiver position on the Grizzly offense and I see him as a potential multi-year All-Big Sky player.
Braxton Reiten was statistically the best receiver in Montana last fall. He hauled in a whopping 74 balls for 1,303 yards with 22 receiving touchdowns to go along with 3 kickoff return touchdowns in 2016. Braxton was a solid player his junior year but no one expected him to have the year he did in 2016. He put up video game numbers and averaged 17.61 per reception, earning Class A All-State honors, Great Falls Tribune Super-State recognition, a Badlands Bowl selction, and a Shrine Game Selection. It also helped that he didn't really have to play both ways last year, keeping him fresh on offense. The other two WRs for Columbia Falls (Trevor Hoerner - 52 catches, 791 yards, 8 touchdowns; Sean Miller - 24 catches, 494 yards, 8 touchdowns) were tough to cover as well so the entire receiving corps was a mismatch for nearly every team they faced in 2016. Braxton is most dangerous as a slot receiver as he has an excellent burst and regularly beats his opponents on a handful of short and deep routes. Braxton had some scholarship opportunities with in-state NAIA programs but he decided to take a PWO offer from the Montana Grizzlies after Signing Day 2017. He will start off his career competing at the Z-receiver position in Bob Stitt's system, which is a perfect fit for him at 5'9", 170 lbs.
ALTERNATES:
Chaz Maddock is a 6'1", 180 lb. WR/DB alternate from Billings West. He earned 2nd-Team AA All-State at both WR and DB in 2016 and was also an alternate for the Badlands Bowl. Chaz caught 38 balls for 567 yards with 3 receiving touchdowns in 2016. He also added two interceptions on defense. When Billings West QB Bryson Deming wasn't throwing to his twin brother Braydon, he was usually looking for Chaz on the outside. He has excellent hands, makes tough catches in traffic, and shows a knack for coming back for the ball on comeback or dig routes. I do not know if Chaz signed with a college team for football so if anyone knows, feel free to PM me or just post on here. Chaz is a good prospect so I'm interested to see where he goes.
Trey Mounts is a 5'9", 165 lb. WR/DB/Returner from Belgrade. He was a big reason why Belgrade made it to the Class A Playoff Semifinals this past fall mostly because of his contributions at multiple positions. Not only was Trey Belgrade's best receiver (23 catches, 512 yards, 9 touchdowns) but also their best defensive back and #1 return man. Actually, Trey was one of the best kickoff and punt returners in Montana last fall, totaling 603 yards on 19 kickoff returns and 268 yards on 13 punt returns. His 20.6 yards per punt return is very impressive at the Class A level. Trey earned Class A All-State recognition at WR in 2016 but he was Eastern A 1st-Team All-Conference at WR, DB, and Ret. Specialist. As a defensive back, he hauled in three interceptions in 2016 to go along with his five from 2015. As a WR, he is shifty and hard to tackle in the open field. He is built a lot like Braxton Reiten and they have similar playing styles. Trey received a scholarship from Montana-Western and he signed with them on Signing Day 2017. He will be a Bulldog this fall.
Cleet Wrzesinkski moved from Ennis to Baker his senior year and gave QB Luke Gonsioroski a weapon on the outside. Cleet has legit speed as his best 100M time in high school was 11.08. At the 2017 State B Track & Field meet in Butte, Cleet put on a show by placing 5th in the 100M, 1st in the 200M, 1st in the 110MH (14.65 - 3rd best time in the state), 1st in the 300MH (38.35 - 2nd best time in the state), and 1st in the Long Jump (22'1" - 5th best jump in the state). As a WR in 2016, he had 30 receptions for 750 yards with 11 receiving touchdowns and 1,267 total yards from scrimmage. Cleet was also a productive defensive back, earning 1st-Team 3B All-Conference at both WR & DB. He will compete in track & field and football for the Dickinson State Bluehawks in 2017.
James Flannigan comes from Kalispell Flathead. The 5'9", 170 lb. receiver earned 2nd-Team AA All-State in 2016, catching 48 balls for 802 yards and four receiving touchdowns. James plays very similar to guys like Bailey Paddock of the East and Kiley Caprara of the West. Like them, he runs great routes and knows how to find the soft spots in zone coverage. Kalispell did not have a very good offensive line in 2016 and it directly hindered their passing game because Bridger Johnson was a good quarterback. So for James to still be able to produce like he did for a team that struggled to throw the ball speaks volumes to what kind of a player he is. Flannigan will play football at DII Adams State this fall, signing with them in April 2017.
Nick Wakai is a 5'10", 165 lb. receiver from Missoula Big Sky. In back-to-back years, Nick earned 2nd-Team AA All-State honors at WR and Honorable Mention AA All-State honors at safety. His senior year, he caught 39 balls for 669 yards and four touchdowns in Missoula Big Sky's run-heavy scheme. Basically, if the Eagles threw the ball in 2016, about 70% of the time the ball was going in Nick's direction. The next closest player had six receptions on the year. Nick was a good deep threat throughout his high school career, finding ways to get behind the defense (usually on broken plays). His playing style is comparable to Braxton Reiten and Trey Mounts mostly for his ability to break tackles in the open field. Nick will hang up the cleets and attend the University of Indiana to pursue a Business Management degree.
Jacob Price was the lone Class A All-State member for Frenchtown in 2016. He earned the honor playing WR, catching 49 balls for 488 yards and 3 touchdowns while snagging three interceptions as a defensive back. Frenchtown had a tough year last fall but Jacob was a bright spot. He has a nice release off the line, runs crisp routes, and shows good short area quickness which really helps him get open at a consistent rate. A good word to use when describe Jacob as a receiver is "slippery" which is a compliment to his run-after-the- catch ability. The 6'0", 160 lb. athlete also had a successful track season, placing third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump at the State A meet. His track & field ability led to an offer from the University of Montana T&F program and Jacob signed with them in 2017.
Gabe Hupp was the leading receiver for the State A Champion Dillon Beavers in 2016. In Coach Nordahl's run-heavy approach, receivers don't get a ton of opportunities to catch footballs. But Gabe produced 31 grabs for 331 yards and six receiving touchdowns. Troy Andersen looked for Gabe regularly as his #1 receiving target. Gabe certainly didn't have the production of Nate Simkins of the prior two years but he still got the job done in a system that requires its receivers to block a lot. Gabe was also an All-State return specialist averaging 26 yards per punt return (one going for a touchdown) and 25 yards per kickoff return in 2016. As a junior, Gabe was even better averaging 38.95 yards per punt return. In track and field, he placed 3rd at State A in the long jump going 21'3.75". I do not know where Gabe plans to go to school or if he plans to play football so if anyone knows, feel free to PM me or post on the board.
Cole McCloud is a Class B All-State WR/DB from Manhattan, MT. The 6'2", 180 lb. target had a big season for the Tigers with 62 receptions for 1,007 yards and 15 touchdowns. Cole was one of the top talents in the entire state at WR, mostly because of his leaping ability. He went 6'6" at State B Track & Field this past May and his film shows how well he can go up and snag the ball. On defense, he kind of played a mix of safety, corner, and outside linebacker, showing well in run support and pass coverage. Overall, Cole just looks like a good football player when he's on the field. He plays with a ton of confidence at WR and he isn't afraid to throw some blocks on the edge. Cole received late interest from MSU and UM but decided to sign with Montana Tech on Signing Day 2017. Again, another borderline FCS talent for Chuck Morrell and crew.
ADVANTAGE: West
Since there are five players for each side, here is who I think is better between comparable players on each side:
Braxton Reiten > Bailey Paddock
Kiley Caprara > Tyler Burk
Mitch Roberts > Ryan Zentner
Matthew Rensvold > Cantor Coverdell
Casey Cole > Nate McGree
I definitely think the East wide receivers are talented and good enough to make big contributions in this game. But the West has better talent and depth across the board in regards to wide receivers. They have two excellent slot receivers in Reiten & Caprara, two good outside receivers in Roberts & Rensvold, and one versatile receiver in Nate McGree who can create mismatches because of his size. Dakota Bridwell and Tanner Wilson are the West quarterbacks so Reiten and Rensvold already have instant chemistry with their QBs. I think it will be fun to see what Nate Dick, Callahan O'Reilly, and Dawson McGlothlin can get out of their East receivers because a few of them are underrated like Tyler Burk and Cantor Coverdell. But overall, the West has more talent at WR. I gotta give them the advantage.
"There's two times of year for me: Football season, and waiting for football season."
