The #MTTop40, MTN Sports’ list profiling some of the best football players in Montana history, reached its conclusion last week with Dave Dickenson taking the top spot in the quarterback rankings.
The series, which started with the defensive backs in early July, featured five players per week, plus positional honorable mentions and breakout rankings of Montana’s top specialists and 6-Man players, totaling more than 130 names during the eight-week series. Even still, there were some worthy players left off the list.
Terry Maki is one of those players who certainly could have been included. After graduating from Libby High School in 1982, Maki played college football at Air Force, where he became arguably the best linebacker in program history. Maki still holds Air Force records for single-game (30), single-season (195) and career (475) tackles.
On the offensive side of the ball, Laurel’s Vince Henman was one of the bigger omissions. Henman totaled 4,647 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns during his career at Laurel, according to Class A statistician Brian Reed, who also noted that Henman still has more career yards, carries, 100-yard games and 200-yard games than any other runner in Class A history. After helping Laurel to the Class A state championship in 1999, Henman ultimately ended up at Northern Arizona, where he had two solid seasons at linebacker alongside former Laurel teammate John Perrigo.
Maki and Henman are just two of a number of other athletes deserving of recognition on the #MTTop40. With that, we present the “Best of the Rest,” a list including players who, for whatever reason, were not featured in the weekly countdowns or on the positional honorable mentions.
#MTTop40 Best of the Rest
Butch Beaudry, Great Falls High
Dusty Birkenbuel, Great Falls High
Rob Compson, Great Falls High
Dallas Cook, Butte High
Ed Cummings, Anaconda
Tom Davis, Butte High
Paul Dennehy, Butte High
Brady Gustafson, Billings West
Gary Gustafson, Simms
Scott Hanser, Billings Central
Vince Henman, Laurel
Matt Hustad, Helena High
Matt Kegel, Havre
Dave Kempfert, Missoula Hellgate
Vic Lindskog, Roundup
Terry Maki, Libby
Jack Muhlbeier, Hardin
Jim Morrow, Moore
Eric Simonson, Plentywood
Rob Tesch, Choteau
Ron Ueland (Don and Dan), Butte Central
Rick Vancleeve, Great Falls CMR
Ron Warzeka, Great Falls High
