BUTTE, Mont. — As great as the weather was in Butte this weekend, Montana Tech football spring training seemed to leave as quickly as it arrived.
But the Oredigars have taken a page from the bright skies and head into summer training with a similarly sunny outlook.
“It's nice to spend some nice weather outside and welcome summer.” [in the final practice]… The atmosphere is high,” senior quarterback Blake Thelen said. “It's always a day full of energy.”
That sense of energy is evident from a hungry Montana Tech program looking for a breakthrough.
The Odiggers have improved year after year under head coach Kyle Samson, consistently ranking in the top 25 and hosting an NAIA national playoff game last year.
Still, the challenge for the Frontier Conference title for the first time since 2016 continues.
“I know we went 7-4 last year…we had a good season, but not a great season,” Sellen said. “And we know we can improve on that. We want to be the ones making the plays instead of missing them because one play can change the outcome of the entire game.” Masu.”
As for the players looking to compete, it will be a mix of old and new, featuring a fresh defensive scheme under newly hired defensive coordinator Montel Allen and one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. .
“We're really looking forward to seeing them flying around and installing and producing new defenses,” Samson said. “They're learning a whole new plan.”
”[Offensively,] The two-time All-Conference quarterback returns. “We've got four O-linemen back, we've got some skill players back…we've got guys back that have played a lot of football,” Samson continued. We're excited about that because we don't think we'll be able to do that.”
Diggs will take two months off before returning to summer training in June.
And before you know it, the season-opening Copper Game will be held in August, and Tech will make a statement at home against what will be a top-10 team in the nation in Georgetown, Kentucky. We will aim to
Maintaining energy is important in this type of test. But of course, it's also important to keep things fun, whether it's by relaxing with a game of golf after practice or just loving the game itself.
“For me, it's like, hey, we always tell our players, 'We get to play football. We don't have to. We get to coach football. We better have fun with it. It's like, 'I guess so,''' Samson said. “I think when you’re having fun, you play better and you coach better.”
