THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Edwards among locals looking to make their mark in the Big Sky
Kale Edwards is finally healthy — or at least as close to healthy as you can be after years of playing football.
And the Coeur d’Alene High grad is poised to make an even bigger impact with the University of Montana football team this fall.
Edwards, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound redshirt junior, is listed No. 1 at one of the defensive end spots on the depth chart for the Grizzlies’ season opener Saturday at home vs. Butler.
When Edwards’ name was mentioned to him at the Big Sky Football Kickoff in July in Spokane, Montana coach Bobby Hauck used the word “awesome” to describe him.
“First of all, thank his parents, he’s got good DNA … he’s a talented guy,” Hauck said. “Kale’s a big-framed guy, long-levered guy that can run. Unfortunately over the last 18 months, he’s had to battle a lot of injuries, so it’s probably, to a degree, hampered his development a little bit. He’s played well, but I think the sky’s the limit for him. Really excited for him this fall, for the most part been able to put that (injuries) behind him. I’m excited to see him go this fall, I hope it really goes well for him.”
Edwards, who played quarterback and on defense at Coeur d’Alene, made an impression when he was a safety, then a linebacker, for the way he came up and laid the wood to people.
Hauck said Edwards has had “numerous” injuries at UM (hamstring and shoulder among them) and did not participate in Montana’s spring ball.
But he should be ready to go this fall.
“I have great hope that he’s going to be one of our best pass rushers,” Hauck said. “He’s got ability to rush the passer, he’s got ability to (jam) it up front, he’s got ability to drop into coverage. He’ll be an integral part of our kicking game, that’s for sure, but he’ll be a guy that I hope can make a difference up front for us.”
Hauck said the Griz don’t play all starters on special teams, but Edwards will still likely play there as well.
He was the scout team defensive player of the year in 2019, his redshirt year. He played mostly on special teams in the fall 2021 season (Montana chose not to play the spring 2021 COVID-19 season). Last year at D-end, he had two sacks, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
“He’ll have to be a part of that because he’s a good special teams player,” Hauck said. “Somebody’s got to beat him out to take him off special teams.”
ALSO AT Montana is Brandon Casey, a 6-5, 305-pound junior from Sandpoint High, slated to start at right tackle for a second straight season.
He started all 13 games last year as a sophomore.
“Casey’s doing great,” Hauck said. “He kind of got thrown into the fire a little bit, and I think offensive linemen struggle at an early age, generally speaking. I really think his best football is in front of him. I love his work ethic. Those guys don’t come in as grown men; they work their way in the weight room to get bigger and stronger, and ready for the battle in the trenches.”
AT WEBER State, former Coeur d’Alene High standout Cameren Cope is coming off a redshirt season, and looking earn playing time at defensive end. And tight end Ammon Munyer is back from a two-year mission to Guatemala, taken shortly after he graduated from Lakeland High.
Cope (6-5, 220) got into a couple games last year, said first-year Weber head coach Mickey Mental, who was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last year.
“He finally started to gain some weight, and be more consistent,” Mental said. “Big-time upside for him, quick off the ball … good twitch, learning the playbook, growing, maturing, understanding what college football is all about. But he’s made strides, and obviously very excited about his future.”
“Lengthy,” Weber linebacker Winston Reid said of Cope. “He’s tall, good twitch, fast, mobility, he’s a good edge rusher. The biggest thing with him is just gaining weight. He has a good frame.”
Weber State opens tonight at home vs. Central Washington.
Munyer (6-5, 230) is a “really fluid athlete,” Mental said. “Catches the ball naturally, from watching tape, and just seeing him work out the last couple weeks. Really good worker, good kid, understands the process. Just continuing to work on his craft.”
Senior offensive lineman Noah Atagi served a mission in northern Chili.
“The hardest thing (after a mission) is getting your body back to getting used to something like this,” Atagi said. “Going through high school, your body is used to getting back into the summer workouts, getting your body hit, taking those hits and everything like that. Just getting back to developing your body to take that pounding that football gives you. It’s just a big change.”
Depending on your mission, athletes get some time each morning to work out — then the rest of the day involves mission work.
Another adjustment?
“Feeding yourself the right stuff,” Atagi said. “In some areas, wherever you’re at in your mission, you’re probably not getting the best nutrition you need as a football player. So, just getting back on track with that is a factor.”
And there are other locals in the Big Sky, including sophomore safety Tyson Pottenger of Coeur d'Alene (6-2, 179), who started one game last year at Montana State, which played for the national championship in FCS.
Montana State opens Saturday at home vs. Utah Tech.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.
