League-best six Griz earn preseason all-conference honors from HERO Sports
6/17/2020 5:24:00 PM | Football
A league-high six Grizzlies have been named to HERO Sports' Preseason All-Big Sky team, the organization announced Wednesday.
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Making the 16-man offensive team are senior receivers Samori Toure and Samuel Akem, along with senior tackle Conlan Beaver and junior return specialist Malik Flowers. Earning a spot on the defensive team is senior linebacker Jace Lewis and junior safety Robby Hauck.
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In Toure and Akem, Montana holds one of the most dangerous receiving corps in all of FCS football, returning a combined 2,343 yards from the 2019 season and 40 combined career touchdown catches.
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Beaver is expected to anchor an improved offensive line that helped pave the way for Montana's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014 last season. Flowers posted a league-leading 879 kick return yards and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019– one of only two players nationwide to do so.
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Defensively, Lewis and Hauck put up gaudy tackle numbers a year ago with a combined 260 total stops – placing each of them amongst the Big Sky's top-10 tacklers, despite Buchanan Award winner Dante Olson breaking the conference record for single-season stops in the same year.
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Toure, Lewis, Hauck, and Flowers were also named Preseason All-Americans by HERO Sports in late May.Â
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Montana is scheduled to open the 2020 season on Sept. 5 at home against Central Washington. Season tickets are available now at GrizTix.com.
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Making the 16-man offensive team are senior receivers Samori Toure and Samuel Akem, along with senior tackle Conlan Beaver and junior return specialist Malik Flowers. Earning a spot on the defensive team is senior linebacker Jace Lewis and junior safety Robby Hauck.
Â
In Toure and Akem, Montana holds one of the most dangerous receiving corps in all of FCS football, returning a combined 2,343 yards from the 2019 season and 40 combined career touchdown catches.
Â
Beaver is expected to anchor an improved offensive line that helped pave the way for Montana's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014 last season. Flowers posted a league-leading 879 kick return yards and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019– one of only two players nationwide to do so.
Â
Defensively, Lewis and Hauck put up gaudy tackle numbers a year ago with a combined 260 total stops – placing each of them amongst the Big Sky's top-10 tacklers, despite Buchanan Award winner Dante Olson breaking the conference record for single-season stops in the same year.
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Toure, Lewis, Hauck, and Flowers were also named Preseason All-Americans by HERO Sports in late May.Â
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Montana is scheduled to open the 2020 season on Sept. 5 at home against Central Washington. Season tickets are available now at GrizTix.com.
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HERO SPORTS PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Offense
| POS. | NAME (YR.) | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Eric Barriere (Sr.) | EWU |
| RB | Josh Davis (Jr.) | Weber St. |
| RB | Isaiah Ifanse (Jr.) | Montana St. |
| FB | Clay Moss (Sr.) | Weber St. |
| WR | Samori Toure (Sr.) | Montana |
| WR | Pierre Williams (Jr.) | Sac St. |
| WR | Samuel Akem (Sr.) | Montana |
| TE | Marshel Martin (So.) | Sac St. |
| AP | Elijah Dotson (Sr.) | Sac St. |
| OL | Ty Whitworth (Sr.) | Weber St. |
| OL | Lewis Kidd (Sr.) | Montana St. |
| OL | Taylor Tuiasosopo (Sr.) | Montana St. |
| OL | Conlan Beaver (Sr.) | Montana |
| OL | Tristen Taylor (Sr.) | EWU |
| PK | Luis Aguilar (Sr.) | NAU |
| RS | Malik Flowers (Jr.) | Montana |
Defense
| POS. | NAME (YR.) | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
| DL | Amandre Williams (Sr.) | Montana St. |
| DL | Jared Schiess (Sr.) | Weber St. |
| DL | George Tarlas (Jr.) | Weber St. |
| DL | Chase Benson (Sr.) | Montana St. |
| LB | Jace Lewis (Sr.) | Montana |
| LB | Chris Ojoh (Jr.) | EWU |
| LB | Christian Elliss (Sr.) | Idaho |
| LB | Tre Walker (Jr.) | Idaho |
| DB | Robby Hauck (Jr.) | Montana |
| DB | Anthony Adams (Jr.) | Portland St. |
| DB | Daron Bland (Sr.) | Sac St. |
| DB | Devon King (Jr.) | UC Davis |
| P | DJ Arnson (Sr.) | NAU |
Players Mentioned
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