SAVAGE -- Sloan McPherson saw his dream come true on Monday.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior from Savage announced his commitment to the University of Montana via Twitter. McPherson is being recruited as an athlete for the Grizzlies' 2021 class, with linebacker, defensive end and tight end in mind.
“It’s just been my dream school since forever. I always thought that if I didn’t take that I’d always wonder back, wonder what could have been, so it’s just a risk I had to take,” McPherson told MTN Sports. “Coming from Montana, every Montana kid wants to either go up to the Cats or Griz.”
McPherson was a menace for Savage on both sides of the ball. Defensively McPherson racked up 47.5 tackles. Offensively he had 270 receiving yards, 154 rushing yards and 369 passing yards with 11 total touchdowns. He also made 17 point-after attempts, which are worth two points in 6-Man football.
Savage rode its standout senior to a second-place finish in the 6-Man East and a 57-14 win over Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap in the opening round of the 6-Man playoffs. Savage fell in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up White Sulphur Springs. A playoff run such as that can energize a small town.
“It’s just really good for the community and all these other kids. A lot of kids here had never been to the playoffs, so bringing back the tradition and having the community experience all the perks of a strong football team, that was really nice,” McPherson said.
Savage hadn’t been to the postseason since a semifinal run in 2015. The Warriors had a deep push prior to that, as well, finishing runner-up in 2010 and 2011. Those teams left a mark on McPherson and his teammates.
“They’ve been our heroes and we always hoped to be like them, all the support they got. Being able to watch them enjoy what they do and we just wanted to be a part of something like that,” McPherson said.
For now, McPherson is hoping for a basketball season. But he’ll surely have his eyes locked in on Montana football in the spring.
