DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State head football coach Pete Stanton announced the Blue Hawks’s 2019 signing class, including four Montanans, on Wednesday.
Tayson Hoerster of Glasgow, Keegan Mires of Glendive, Noah Nickoloffof Culbertson and Tristan Hirsch of Miles City will join the Blue Hawks in the fall. DSU is coming off a 9-3 season where it advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NAIA playoffs. The Blue Hawks upset No. 5 Northwestern College in the first round before losing a 43-40 heartbreaker to at No. 6 Kansas Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round.
Stanton is a Baker native and last year’s DSU roster featured 27 Montanans, including all-conference players Devin Schwanz of Plentywood, Cain Boschee of Kalispell Glacier, and Jeff Fisher and Jordan Walker of Baker. Stanton and the Blue Hawks are restocking the roster with a 28-player recruiting class.
Breakdowns, via Dickinson State, on the four Montanans are below.
Tayson Hoerster – 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, WR, Glasgow
Tayson was selected second-team allcConference as both a WR and DB helping lead his team to a playoff berth.
Stanton: “Tayson came to our camp last summer and his passion for football really stood out. He is an intelligent football player who brings toughness and length to DSU.”
Keegan Mires – 6-0, 275, OL, Glendive
Keegan was selected as a first-team all-state offensive lineman as well as a second-team all-conference DL and punter. He was selected to play in the 2019 Montana East-West Shrine Football game.
Stanton: “Keegan is a tough physical lineman with excellent feet. He is a very competitive player and he will be a good fit for our system.”
Noah Nickoloff – 5-11, 215, RB, Culbertson
Nickoloff played both running back and linebacker at Culbertson. He was first-team all-state as a running back and first-team all-conference at linebacker. He rushed for more than 1,200 yards and scored 27 TDs in 2018. He was named to the 8-Man All-Star game in Montana.
Stanton: “Noah is another guy who just did a lot of things for his team. He carried the load on offensive and his team had a great year. He is a physical player with a good upside.”
Tristan Hirsch – 5-8, 170, LB, Miles City
Hirsch was a first-team all-conference and all-state selection for Miles City. He helped lead his team to a playoff win, as well.
Stanton: “Tristan plays very hard. He is very physical and plays well on special teams as well. We love his competitive spirit and the desire he plays with.”
