Locals earn All-State football honors
All state Six-player selections Weston Slonaker (22) and quarterback Nick McAllister (10) during their semifinal playoff game versus Box Elder this past season. (Photo by Teresa Waterbury)
Six players from Sanders County were selected to the Montana High School 6-player all-state team during recent post-season meetings.
Three players from Hot Springs, seniors Nick McAllister, Weston Slonaker and David Chapman were named to the all-state team. They were joined by Noxon Red Devils seniors Ricky Williams and Ian Brown, and junior quarterback Justice Kayser.
All of the local players named to the team are multi-sport standouts at their schools.
The six players were also named to the Western 6-player all-conference first team.
Lincoln, White Sulphur Springs and West Yellowstone, also members of the Western conference, had two players each named to the all-state and all-conference teams. Making the squad from Lincoln were seniors Teagan Riddle and Andrew Brown. Named from West Yellowstone were seniors Ben Hales and Jayden Harding, while juniors Broden Freeze and Wylie Manger represented White Sulphur.
Lincoln was the regular season Western division champion, while Hot Springs advanced to the semi-finals of the state tournament before losing 57-54 to eventual state champ Box Elder.
McAllister, Chapman and Slonaker were all key players for the Savage Heat this season, as was John Waterbury, a senior running back/linebacker who was injured in the first game but likely would have been an all-state selection. He came back toward the end of the season and was instrumental in the team’s post-season run.
Chapman is a state placer for Hot Springs-Plains co-op wrestling team.
“I tried hard to get more of our players on the team, but it’s pretty hard to get more than three,” said Hot Springs coach Jim Lawson.
In other football news, Box Elder, fresh off its six-player state football title, was bumped up to Class B 8-player football beginning next year.
That move, approved by the Montana High School Association this past Fall, was one many local coaches have considered “long overdue”. Classifications are based on school population.
Another move involving an area football team is the move of Arlee to 11-player Class B football, the same level as Thompson Falls.
Three teams were moved from 8-player to 6-player football Powder River County (Broadus) and Hays-Lodgepole. Harlowton/Ryegate was moved from six-player to 8-player.