Two bruisers with similar wrestling backgrounds and Flathead roots seem to have come of age for the Montana State Bobcats.
Joel Horn, a fifth-year senior center out of Kalispell Glacier, and Conner Thomas, a senior who graduated from Flathead High in 2011, figure to be key cogs if the Bobcats hope to chase the Big Sky title that’s eluded them since 2012. To watch each behemoth practice now, it’s hard to imagine either experienced adversity but it’s been an interesting path for each to reach their spots as key contributors for a team that has made the playoffs four of the last five seasons.
Horn came to Montana State as a guard with prototype size. The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder never held illusions of touching the football. He figured to be a road grating guard who used his mass and toughness more than a cerebral center. But when Matthew Devereux left the program abruptly before spring football in 2014, MSU was without a center.
Through spring drills and fall camp, Horn struggled mightily with his ability to snap the ball to first-year starting quarterback Dakota Prukop.
“When I got here two years ago, I was very open with Joel: I didn’t think he was the guy,” Cramsey said. “He proved everybody wrong last year.”
By the end of the 2014 campaign, Horn had affirmed himself not just as a serviceable replacement but as one of the best centers in the Big Sky. He earned third-team All-Big Sky honors and received Skyline Sports’ preseason All-Big Sky team vote entering his final year.
“He may be one of the most improved guys on this football team from the day he reported until right now,” Montana State ninth-year head coach Rob Ash said. “If you noticed this camp, knock on wood but we haven’t had any issues at all. He’s a smart guy and he’s developed into, honestly, and I’ll say this with all sincerity, one of the best centers in the entire conference.”
“I’ll tell you right now that Joel is the best center I’ve ever played with,” added junior guard J.P. Flynn, a preseason All-America himself. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts. When Joel is out there, he knows exactly what he wants you to do, which in turn helps everyone else on the offensive line.”
Horn came to Montana State after a standout career at Glacier that included a runner-up finish in the heavyweight division of the Class AA state wrestling meet. He always had the strength, flexibility and ability to create a low center of gravity. He just had to learn the nuances of playing in the middle.
“I love playing center now,” Horn said. “The guy behind me (Prukop) is always going to make me right even if the snap is way left or dead on. I’m not worried at all about the snaps. I’m definitely kind of locked in and sitting comfortably right now.”
Thomas encountered a different sort of adversity before and during his time in Bozeman. After a standout career at Flathead, Thomas signed with Montana State in February of 2011 after a prep career that included a state championship in wrestling and state medals in track and field. That June, he was charged with felony distribution of dangerous drugs stemming from an incident at the high school’s all-night graduation party. Thomas admitted to baking brownies laced with marijuana and giving them to classmates who ended up going to the hospital. Thomas pled guilty to lesser charges.
Ash pulled Thomas’ scholarship but gave him a second chance with a caveat. He told Thomas — who was Flathead’s valedictorian and an otherwise exemplary citizen — if he could complete a year at Flathead Valley Community College and get perfect grades, he’d give him a chance to walk on. Thomas did just that.
But more than a year away from football plagued Thomas. He injured his back right away upon return and the injury lingered for more than a year. Last fall, Thomas proved to be effective in spot duty. He notched 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack as he played behind Taylor Sheridan and Taylor Dees. But Thomas missed all of spring drills earlier this year after rupturing the planter plate and having the ligaments around it removed.
Thomas is back healthy now and he’s battling for a starting spot. He’s run as the No. 1 nose tackle next to Sheridan each of the first three days of fall camp.
“He’s always been a tremendous athlete with unbelievable potential,” Ash said. “He’s had the injury bug for a long time. He had a bad back when he got here. He had the toe last spring. If he can manage to stay healthy and get into really good shape, he’s always been a really, superior athlete. He’s big and mobile and strong. I hope he can really contribute. I think he can.”
“You can trust him when you are on the field,” added Sheridan, a team captain who earned second-team All-Big Sky honors as a junior last fall. “He’s never been the guy who needs all the glory and those are the best people to play with because he’s here for us. He’s not out there for every award. He wants the team to win.”
Montana State’s new defensive scheme is predicated on multiplicity and an emphasis on rotating. Thomas is one of a group that also includes Sheridan, senior Nate Bignell, redshirt freshman Tucker Yates, junior college transfer Joe Naotala and sophomore walk-on Matt Brownlow vying for time in the rotation.
“Nothing is set in stone but there’s a few of us working at nose,” Thomas said. “Sheridan has probably locked it down at tackle. I think we will all work in and there won’t be the set starters there was in the past where there was two dominant tackles. I think we will rotate a lot more so I don’t think anything is set in stone. But it’s nice to know that I will be hitting the field a lot more this year.”
At one time, he doubted his potential. Now Cramsey calls Horn “the most important guy” on an offensive line unit that includes a pair of All-Americas in Flynn and left tackle John Weidenaar.
“He’s the one making all the calls. You can say Weidenaar is the leader or J.P. Flynn is the leader, but Joel Horn is the guy who runs that offensive line,” MSU’s third-year offensive coordinator said. “He’s the one making all the calls. His confidence level is something that has really helped him come along.”
Thomas may not be as irreplaceable on Montana State’s suddenly deep defensive line. But reviewing film on Monday, Beck saw something he hasn’t seen in years.
“When I was watching film with him, watching him run to the ball, I looked at him and said, ‘That’s the best you’ve ever ran since you’ve been here.’ He said, ‘Well, my back feels good.’ Finally, we got him 100 percent,” Beck said. “He’s got that stuff to him, state champion wrestler and leverage. He’s got a chance to be damn good.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
