Ewoniuk, Pittsley headed to U-Mary

• Seth Ewoniuk

Press Photo by Royal McGregor Heart River running back Seth Ewoniuk runs during a game against Killdeer on Sept. 28.

Talk about it

Seth Ewoniuk or Brock Pittsley both stayed home sick from school Wednesday.

It didn’t stop either from finding a way to fax their National Letter of Intent to the University of Mary.

Ewoniuk, a running back from Heart River, and Pittsley, a defensive tackle from Killdeer, officially signed to play football with the Marauders next fall.

“It’s a relief,” Ewoniuk said. “Not knowing where I was going to go the whole time, through my senior year, now I know and I know I’m going to have four more years of football to play. It’s a relief for sure.”

Ewoniuk and Pittsley were regarded as two of southwest North Dakota’s top football recruits.

Pittsley was named Class 1A, Region 4 Senior Athlete of the Year by the coaches, edging out Ewoniuk and Hazen quarterback-defensive back Stetson Carr in the voting. Both were all-state first team selections.

Pittsley, the heart of Killdeer’s line on both sides of the football, said he chose U-Mary because he feels he has a chance to play there.

“I fit well in their system and they have a lack of D-line on their depth chart, so I have a good chance of coming in and playing right away,” he said.

Ewoniuk will leave Belfield High School as the Belfield and South Heart football cooperative’s all-time leading rusher.

He rushed for 1,519 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior and finished his career with 4,241 rushing yards and 88 total touchdowns, including many on returns and receptions.

Ewoniuk said U-Mary coaches have told him they would like him to play a slot receiver role in their spread offense.

“It’s definitely somewhere I saw myself playing,” Ewoniuk said. “But this way, I don’t have to get beat up inside trying to block big, blitzing linebackers. It’s an easier way to get me out in open space, which I completely agreed with.”

U-Mary had good luck with western North Dakota recruits. Including among their recruits are: Bismarck High quarterback Nick Jolliffe, wide receiver Nick Kottre and linebacker Bronte Liggins, Mandan running back Seth Westby, defensive back Brady Zittleman and linebacker Tyler Sadowsky, Bismarck Century linebacker Riley Riehl and offensive lineman Daniel Murphy, and Beulah running back and linebacker Mark Muscha.

Tags: college football, seth ewoniuk, brock pittsley, u-mary marauders, sports