Landon and Sather to play in East-West Shrine Game

Bigfork High School receiver Chris Landon and offensive tackle Josh Sather will play in the 67th Annual Montana East-West Shrine Game to be played in Butte on July 20.

Several players from the Flathead Valley will join Landon, 6’1,” 185 pounds, and Sather, 6’5,” 270.

Glacier and Polson lead the local schools with selections to the West roster.

Glacier football players selected are receiver Kyle Griffith, 6’, 170 pounds; safety Rial Gunlikson, 6’1,” 185; defensive end Devin Jeffries, 6’3,” 220; and cornerback Reid Siderius, 6’3,” 175.

Polson’s selections are safety Will Davey, 6’, 185; offensive guard Riley Sampson, 6’5,” 225; and defensive end Eric Williamson, 6’3,” 200.

Also named to the West roster were Flathead safety Matt Tokarz, 6’1,” 180; and Hot Springs defensive end Dave Cross, 6’3,” 210.

Seven area athletes were named as alternates to the West roster. They are: Bigfork receiver Austin Jordt, 5’10,” 165; Bigfork inside linebacker Blake Weimer, 6,’ 200; Hot Springs running back Mike Gray, 5’9,” 165; Whitefish receiver Logan Harwood, 6,’ 160; Polson inside linebacker Beau Mills, 5’10,” 185; Columbia Falls offensive guard TJ Volkman, 6,’ 250; and Whitefish offensive tackle Wolfe Zinke, 6’4,” 250.

Players were nominated by their schools and coaches.

The Montana Shrine Game is the premier all-star game in Montana and has a long history of distinguished players and coaches. It is one of the oldest high school all-star football games in the United States according to a Shrine press release.

Every year since 1947, the finest high school players are selected to compete in this event to raise money and to help make the public aware of the expert orthopedic and burn care available at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Spokane, Wash.

Les Meyer from Fairfield has been selected as the head coach of the East team. He’s been the head coach at Fairfield for the past 16 years, taking the Eagles to the state Class B championship six times in a seven-year span and to the playoffs 11 of the last 12 years. Fairfield won the title in 2011.

He has been an assistant Shrine Game coach in 2002, 2008 and 2011.

Meyer will get the opportunity to coach his son Tucker, who was selected for this game.

Arie Grey is the head coach of the West team. Grey is a Powell County High School graduate who played in the 1997 Shrine Game and was an assistant coach in the 2009 game.

He was an assistant coach at Butte High, Flathead and Glacier from 2002-07 before getting the head-coaching nod at Butte in 2008. He led the Bulldogs to the state Class AA championship in 2012.