Bulldogs, Vikings make 8-man all-state list
Mission quarterback Kellen McClure prepares to pass under pressure from Charlo's Wesley Anderson. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Charlo senior Braydon Zempel returns a kick against Charlo. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Charlo quarterback Nagy tries shake off a Thompson Falls defender. (Scot Heisel/Lake County Leader)
Mission's Canyon Sargent breaks a tackle against Fort Benton. (Courtesy of Daisy Adams)
Bulldogs running back Charley Adams takes on a Fort Benton defender. (Courtesy of Daisy Adams)
Four players from Mission and two from Charlo are among the 2021 8-man football all-state selections from the West.
Bulldogs juniors Bryce Umphrey and Kellen McClure, and seniors Canyon Sargent and Charley Adams earned all-state honors, as did Vikings seniors Coyle Nagy and Braydon Zempel.
Umphrey made the all-conference first team on offense, as a slot receiver, and on defense, as a defensive back. McClure was named first team quarterback after guiding a potent Mission offense through a successful season.
The Bulldogs advanced to the state semifinals and finished with a 7-3 record under first-year head coach Carson Oakland.
Sargent was named a first-team tight end and a second-team linebacker following his senior campaign. Adams, also a senior, was named second-team running back and linebacker.
Junior receiver Kenny Ness of Mission also was named to the second-team offense.
Nagy and Zempel were key to Charlo’s campaign. Nagy was named to the first team as a defensive back and to the second team as quarterback. Zempel earned honors at three positions — as a first-team receiver, and to the second team as both a defensive back and kick returner.
Three other Charlo players also received all-conference second-team recognition. Sophomore Wesley Anderson made the list at defensive end; senior Anthony Castro was named second-team linebacker; and senior Colt Hovet made the list as a defensive lineman.
The Vikings went 5-4 on the season under head coach Reese Cox, with two of those losses coming to eventual runner-up Drummond-Philipsburg and eventual state champion Thompson Falls.
West 8-man All-State
Bryce Umphrey, jr., Mission; Kellen McClure, jr., Mission; Braydon Zempel, sr., Charlo; Coyle Nagy, sr., Charlo; Canyon Sargent, jr., Mission; Charley Adams, sr., Mission; Preston Smith, sr., Darby; Elijah Ratliff, jr., Thompson Falls; Trae Thilmony, sr., Thompson Falls; Tyler Burden, jr., Drummond-Philipsburg; Hayden Hanks, so., Thompson Falls; Cordel Langton, sr., Thompson Falls; Erik Strom, sr., Thompson Falls; Avery Metesh, sr., Drummond-Philipsburg; Walker McDonald, sr., Seeley-Swan; Nathan Schraeder, sr., Thompson Falls; Decker Milender, jr., Alberton-Superior; Cooper Bradshaw, sr., Drummond-Philipsburg; Leyton Wagner, sr., Drummond-Philipsburg; Ryan Bucher, sr., Thompson Falls; Andrew Tallon, jr., Drummond-Philipsburg; Breck Ferris, jr., Thompson Falls.
All-conference first team
Offense
Kellen McClure, jr., QB, Mission; Preston Smith, sr., QB, Darby; Elijah Ratliff, jr., QB, Thompson Falls; Trae Thilmony, sr., RB, Thompson Falls; Tyler Burden, jr., RB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Bryce Umphrey, jr., Slot back, Mission; Avery Metesh, sr., Slot Back, Drummond-Philipsburg; Decker Milender, jr., Slot Back, Alberton-Superior; Braydon Zempel, sr., WR, Charlo; Lucas Kowlsky, so., WR, Alberton-Superior; Canyon Sargent, jr., TE, Mission; Walker McDonald, sr., TE, Seeley-Swan; Hayden Hanks, so., OL, Thompson Falls; Cordel Langton, sr., OL, Drummond-Philipsburg; Erik Strom, sr., OL, Thompson Falls; Beano Fisher, jr., C, Thompson Falls; Avery Metesh, sr., KR/PR, Drummond-Philipsburg; Walker McDonald, sr., P, Seeley-Swan.
Offensive MVP: Preston Smith, sr., QB, Darby.
Defense
Cordell Langton, sr., DL, Drummond-Philipsburg; Erik Strom, sr., DL, Thompson Falls; Wyatt Hayworth, jr., DL, Alberton-Superior; Hayden Hanks, so., DL, Thompson Falls; Walker McDonald, sr., DE, Seeley-Swan; Cooper Bradshaw, sr., DE, Drummond-Philipsburg; Preston Smith, sr., ILB, Darby; Trae Thilmony, sr., ILB, Thompson Falls; Tyler Burden, jr., ILB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Nathan Schraeder, sr., OLB, Thompson Falls; Leyton Wagner, sr., OLB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Ryan Bucher, sr., OLB, Thompson Falls; Avery Metesh, sr., DB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Bryce Umphrey, jr., DB, Mission; Elijah Ratliff, jr., DB, Thompson Falls; Coyle Nagy, sr., DB, Charlo; Avery Metesh, sr., PR, Drummond-Philipsburg; Nathan Schraeder, sr., K, Thompson Falls; Walker McDonald, sr., K, Seeley-Swan.
Defensive MVP: Trae Thilmony, sr., ILB, Thompson Falls.
Second team
Offense
Andrew Tallon, jr., QB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Orion Plakke, jr., QB, Alberton-Superior; Coyle Nagy, sr., QB, Charlo; Charley Adams, sr., RB, Mission; Silas Acker, sr., RB, Alberton-Superior; Nathan Schraeder, sr., Slot Back, Thompson Falls; Owen Hoag, jr., Slot Back, Seeley-Swan; Colt Parsons, jr., WR, Drummond-Philipsburg; Kenny Ness, jr., WR, Mission; Cooper Bradshaw, sr., TE, Drummond-Philipsburg; Carter McLees, jr., TE, Alberton-Superior; Breck Ferris, jr., TE, Thompson Falls; John Langton, sr., C, Drummond-Philipsburg; Wyatt Hayworth, jr., OL, Alberton-Superior; Ben Bradshaw, jr., OL, Drummond-Philipsburg; Clayton Lucas, so., OL, Darby.
Defense
Carson Varner, sr., DL, Victor; Colt Hovet, sr., DL, Charlo; Reece Rigby, jr., DE, Drummond-Philipsburg; Chandon Vulles, jr., DE, Alberton-Superior; Wesley Anderson, so., DE, Charlo; Canyon Sargent, jr., ILB, Mission; Silas Acker, sr., ILB, Alberton-Superior; Charley Adams, sr., OLB, Mission; Colt Parsons, jr., OLB, Drummond-Philipsburg; Decker Milender, jr., OLB, Alberton-Superior; Anthony Castro, sr., OLB, Charlo; Braydon Zempel, sr., DB, Charlo; Orion Plakke, jr., DB, Alberton-Superior; Breck Ferris, jr., DB, Thompson Falls; Braydon Zempel, sr., PR, Charlo.
