Mike Zier is going back to his alma mater - Mayville State - as the head coach of the 9-man West Team for the North Dakota Shrine Bowl.
The Beach head coach was selected to lead the 9-man West team against the 9-man East team. They square off July 13 at the Fargodome. The West team will practice in Mayville.
“It’s a great honor for me to be associated with the game and it’s a special honor to be named the head coach,” said Zier, who is making his first appearance as a head coach in the Shrine Bowl and third trip as a coach. “I’ve had the opportunity to go to the Shrine game in the past and it’s a worthwhile week. It’s extra special to me because we practice at my alma mater.”
Zier won’t be the lone Buccaneer going to the Shrine Bowl either. Beach’s Marshall Nunberg and Tyler Steffen were selected to represent 9-man West.
Zier helped lead the Buccaneers to back-to-back playoff appearances. Beach compiled a 12-7 record the past two seasons.
“It’s really special when you can go with a couple of your players that you’ve seen since they were seventh-graders,” Zier said. “For (Marshall and Tyler), this will be the last time that they are going to put the pads on. They aren’t going to pursue football in college. Football has been a special part to them.”
The rest of the 9-man West team is filled with Region 4 players Zier has game planned against multiple times. Those players are Hettinger-Scranton’s Ben Pearson and Kye Erickson, Richardton-Taylor-Hebron’s Lane Aune and Logan Lacher, Center-Stanton’s Noah Johnson, Grant County-Flasher’s J.W. Froelich, Taylor Krenz and Zackary Schmidt, and Shiloh Christian’s James Inman, Josh Wood and Marshall Marsland.
The 9-man West team also has two players - Luke Bacon of Towner-Granville-Upham and Drake-Anamoose’s Tanner Volson - who signed to play football for the three-time defending FCS national champions North Dakota State.
“You get to coach players that you played against, strategize against and now someone else gets to strategize against them,” Zier said.
Jordheim, Killdeer duo on 11-man West team
The 11-man West team is headlined by NDSU recruit Levi Jordheim of Dickinson High and University of North Dakota recruit Austin Cieslak of Hazen.
Jordheim and Cieslak have also been named to the Badlands Bowl roster.
Jordheim was a three-year starter for the Midgets. Cieslak helped Hazen win back-to-back Class 1A state titles and was named Class 1A senior athlete of the year.
Killdeer’s Calum Blankenship and David Dukart were also selected for the 11-man West. The Cowboys finished with a 7-2 record. They lost to Velva in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs.
The head coach for the 11-man West team is Bismarck High’s Mark Gibson. He coached the Demons to a runner-up finish in the 2013 Class 3A state championship. Gibson was the head coach of North Dakota during last year’s Badlands Bowl.
11-man East
Grand Forks Red River: Jake Robson. EGF Senior High: Brock Scheving. Devils Lake: Austin Erickson, Blake Prozinski. Larimore: Brayden Hofer. North Border: Kyle Wieler. Hillsboro-Central Valley: Gust Riemer. Northern Freeze: Steele Spilde. Mayville-Portland-C-G: Bennie Bradner. North Prairie: Trenton McCloud, Grayson Marty. Mahnomen: Trevor Haugo. Fargo South: Cole Staigle, Dallas Raftevold, Tyler Trefethren. Fargo Davies: Caleb Wagner, Chris Ennen, Jordan Hjelseth. Fargo North: Hunter Slemmons, Olaf Hanson. West Fargo: Patjim Lika, Scott Cameron. Wahpeton: Brock Lingen, Kameron McNary. Valley City: Dustin Lindgren, Jesse Hass. Central Cass: Connor Rienerts, Ryan Nelson. Kindred: Charlie Plankers, Eric Bachmeier. Linton-HMB: Aloysius Gefroh. Milnor-North Sargent: Andrew Martinson, Dillon Morlock. Oakes: Cole Ehrlin. Enderlin-Maple Valley: Dylan Claus. Lisbon: Jenner Manske, Tyler Smith. Kidder County: Tanner Kessel.
Coaches: Eric Olson, Milnor-North Sargent, head coach; assisted by Brian Dokken, Wahpeton; Mark Moss, Lisbon; and Kelly Kalina, Fargo North.
11-man West
Jamestown: Marc Wagner, Rob Bollinger, Taylor Orr. Dickinson: Levi Jordheim. Rugby: Chris Hamilton. Hazen: Austin Cieslak. Bismarck High: Jaden Friedt, Jay Liggins, Stanley Jones, Zach Scalzo. Bismarck Century: Aaron Doan, Grant Gall, Jacob Barth. Bismarck St. Mary’s: Darius Sparks. Mandan: Derrick Markel. Minot: Alex Yanosko, Ben Love, Jacob Holmen, Jordan Seideman, Josh Pizzo, Kolton Larson, Tre Kinchen. Des Lacs-Burlington: Austin Schestler, Cole Edwards. Minot Ryan: Brody Bosch, Mason Kramer. Velva: Michael Thingstad, Tucker Wojahn. Killdeer: Calum Blankenship, David Dukart. Detroit Lakes: Casey Paskey, Kirby Siewert. Bottineau: Cody Bedlion. New Salem-Almont-Glen Ullin: Ethan Hoger. Beulah: Kamron Unruh. Stanley-Powers Lake: Levi Hoiby. Lake Park-Audubon: Mason Swegarden. Lewis & Clark-Our Redeemer’s: Mitchel White.
Coaches: Mark Gibson, Bismarck High, head coach; assistants Brad Borkhuis, Minot Ryan; James Johnson, Des Lacs-Burlington; and Matt Weidler, Velva.
9-man East
Cavalier: Ryan Chrest, Chase Walton, Justin Gibson. Thompson: Ty Myron. Hatton-Northwood: Cody Ellis, Riley Korsmo, Tyler Holden. Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Minn.: Jesse Pineda. Clearbrook-Gonvick, Minn.: Nick Bodensteiner. Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page: Clay Montag, Joseph Ihry, Nick Gullicks. Oak Grove: Coulton Dangerfield. Park Christian, Minn.: Jared Olsgaard. Richland: Kayne Griffith, Travis Myers. Lidgerwood: Luke Oster. South Border: Adam Jacobson, James Thielges, Tucker Meidinger. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter: Cory Koenig, Trent Fettig, Trenten Jangula. Hankinson: Brady Theede. Sargent Central: Devin Arp, Hunter Diegel. Strasburg-Zeeland: Nic Kramer, Seth Aberle.
Coaches: Sandy Laxdal, Cavalier, head coach; assistants Kevin Nesemeier and Michael Jacobson, Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page; and Kelly McCleary, Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter.
9-man West
Kittson County Central, Minn.: Fernando Blanco. Win-E-Mac, Minn.: Luke Syverson. St. John: Nick Martin, Tanner Langan, Keifer Langan. Ada-Borup, Minn.: Lance Ruebke. Drake-Anamoose: Darin McClintock, Tanner Volson. Divide County: Drake Babineaux, Isaac Jacobs. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn: Ethan Miller. Towner-Granville-Upham: Ethan Bachmeier, Kendal Green, Luke Bacon. Grant County-Flasher: J.W. Froelich, Taylor Krenz, Zackary Schmidt. Shiloh Christian: James Inman, Josh Wood, Marshall Marsland. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood: Jess Asheim. Hettinger-Scranton: Ben Pearson, Kye Erickson. Richardton-Taylor-Hebron: Lane Aune, Logan Lacher. Beach: Marshall Nunberg, Tyler Steffen. Center-Stanton: Noah Johnson.
Coaches: Mike Zier, Beach, head coach; assistants Funnon Barker, Shiloh Christian; Jamie Krenz, Grant County-Flasher and Cale Peterson, Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood.
