BUTTE – The season opener is over two weeks away for Montana Tech and they are still trying to decide who will get the nod under center. It’s a three-way battle between two Butte natives, Danny Peoples and Tanner Kump, as well Cole Hauptman, who hails from California.
But for Orediggers head coach Chuck Morrell, he’s in no rush to name a starter.
“I think we’ve got some time here at camp and we have to make sure we get through the entire install, which we are not even close to being through yet,” said Morrell. “Once we’ve done that and had some scrimmage time, we’ll be able to make that determination.”
The coaching staff will get a little more clarity as the Diggers are holding a scrimmage this Saturday at Alumni Coliseum. But for the offense, they are getting used to taking snaps from three different quarterbacks.
“Right now, they are all doing really well. So it’s challenging because you don’t know exactly who (will start), but it’s also nice because we are getting everyone in there,” said senior offensive lineman Trevor Hopf. “They are rotating a bunch and we get everyone and they are all doing really well. I’m going to be excited for whoever does show up and pulls out to be our number one quarterback.”
And as each grows hungrier for the job, it has begun to elevate the level of play from everyone during fall camp.
“I like to sit back and watch and see how these guys go at it for a spot, because all three of them want the spot really bad. It actually makes everybody better at the same time. That’s what I like to see, I like to see competition and it makes the whole team better in the end,” said junior running back Jed Fike.
For Hopf, there is one defining quality he wants to see from whoever is named the starter.
“The quarterback has to trust (the offensive line) no matter what. There are certain pass plays where there is a blind spot and he has to trust us,” said Hopf. “And we have to trust him making the right slide protection. … I talk to all of them off the field, they are great guys, we have their back, they have our back.”
Montana Tech still has a lot of time to find the right fit at quarterback as they open up the season on the road against College of Idaho on Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m.
