Seven Diggers, 12 Dawgs take home conference awards

WHITEFISH, Mont. — Montana Western quarterback Jon Jund’s huge 2021 season paid off in the form of Frontier Conference Offensive MVP honors.

The Frontier announced its all-conference selections today, and Jund got the nod as the top offensive player. The redshirt junior quarterback is also the league’s nominee for NAIA Player of the Year.

The honor comes after Jund passed for 3,055 yards and 33 touchdowns in 12 games to lead the Bulldogs to a Frontier Conference co-championship and a berth in the NAIA playoffs.

Jund was one of 12 Western players to receive the honor. Seven Montana Tech players received the call, including three first-team selections Hunter Spartz, Jordan Washington and Andrew Almos.

Spartz, a 6-foot-3 senior offensive lineman, anchored the Oredigger offensive line this season and is making his first appearance on the all-conference teams. The Green River, Wyoming native helped the Orediggers average 363 yards of offense a game while averaging 25.6 points.

Washington, a 5 -11 redshirt sophomore from Torrance, California, is making his first appearance on the all-conference team. Washington had three interceptions and six pass breakups this season. He finished the year with 42 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and a sack.

Almos, a 6-1 punter from Great Falls, led the league averaging 44.5 yards per punt. The freshman had 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Tech’s Blake Counts, Trevor Hoffman, and Bridger Johnson were named to the second team.

Counts, a 5-11 sophomore running back, earned second team all-conference for the second time. Counts was third in the conference with 757 yards rushing. The Flathead High School product averaged 84.1 yards a game in nine game and finished with four rushing touchdowns on the season.

Hoffman, a 6-4 junior wide receiver, is making his second appearance on the all-conference teams. Hoffman led the Orediggers with 629 yards receiving and was fifth in the conference. From Renton, Washington, Hoffman had 36 catches and six touchdowns.

Johnson, a 6-3 senior linebacker, is making his first appearance on the all-conference team. The 6-foot-3 linebacker from Kalispell, Montana finished the year with 12 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. Johnson had 39 total tackles and forced two fumbles.

Oredigger senior linebacker Spencer Schock was named Tech’s Champion of Character.

For Western, Nate Simkins and Noah Danielson joined Jund on the first team. Danielson made it as an offensive lineman, while Simkins made it as a receiver

Simkins, a former Dillon Beaver, caught 83 passes for 1,122 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final year as a Bulldog.

Linebacker Joe Ciacedo and defensive back LaTrell McCutcheon received first-team all-conference honors on defense for the Bulldogs.

Trey Mounts and Hunter Severson were named to the second team on offense. Kyle Schulte and Tanner Harrell landed on the second team on defense. Mounts also took home a first-team selection on special teams. Joseph Lema made it as a second-team special teams player.

Schulte, a Butte Central graduate, was a second-team selection as a junior in 2019. Jamison Hermanson is Western’s Champion of Character.

Eastern Oregon defensive lineman Sage DeLong and Chase Van Wyck were selected as Co-Defensive Players of the Year. Rocky Mountain Head Coach Chris Stutzriem was selected as Coach of the Year.

Click here to see all the 2021 honorees.