BUTTE — With 28 seniors from last season's roster graduated, Montana Tech's football team has plenty of job openings as the Orediggers' season opener looms.
For head coach Kyle Samson, now in his sixth season at the helm, those position battles are creating plenty of healthy competition on both sides of the ball as the Orediggers look toward the annual Copper Game on Aug. 28 when Tech will host Montana Western in the season opener.
"I think it's awesome, it makes for a fun fall camp when there's a bunch of challenges and a bunch of spots that are up for grabs," Samson said during a practice at Bob Green Field. "It's also a great challenge for us coaches, making sure we're doing the best we can to put the guys in a position to be successful."
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Coming off a 9-3 campaign that saw Tech qualify for the postseason and host a playoff game for the second straight season — the Orediggers fell at home in the second round to Northwestern (Iowa) — a lot of key positions now need to be shored up with starters like quarterback Blake Thelen, running back Landers Smith and wide receiver Wyatt Alexander now departed.
The most critical position that needs to be filled is quarterback. Tech has four on its roster: junior Isaiah Claunch, sophomores Jarrett Wilson and Jake Casagranda, and freshman Merek Mihelish. Determining who will be QB1 is a top priority for Samson.
"We've got four kids who are doing a great job every single day," said Samson. "They're all battling, but it's fun. It's the most important position in sports. And we've got to figure out right now who is gonna be our guy. But I'm excited and I think they've had a great fall so far."
The Frontier Conference will be a new-look league this season with members of the former North Star Athletic Association now in the fold. The conference is now split into two divisions, East and West. Tech is a member of the East division along with MSU-Northern and Rocky Mountain College with the rest of that division being former NSAA members, including Dickinson State. Tech's season opener against Western will be a non-conference game.
It's a new format and new opponents, but it'll be the same day-by-day attitude for the Orediggers.
"Definitely business as usual," said sophomore linebacker Kellan Beller. "But we're definitely all excited to play some new teams and a new Frontier Conference, so it's just going to be an exciting year."
