Babcock signs to play football for Saints

Columbia Falls High School Wildcat Jacob Babcock is now a Saint. The 6-foot-2 senior signed with the Carroll College Saints in Helena last week to play defensive line.

Babcock, 18, said he's been speaking with football coach Mike Van Diest for two months now. After a tour of the school on Jan. 29, Babcock made his decision. He joins several other Montana athletes on the Saints roster, including J.T. Linder and linebacker Zeke Koslosky, of Dillon.

"They have the qualities that have made Carroll College successful both on the football field and in the classroom," Van Diest said in a statement after the signing.

Babcock has a 4.0 grade-point average this semester and a 3.35 cumulative average over his high school career. He was an all-state offensive lineman as a junior but improved his work on defense as a senior.

"Coach Van Diest saw an improvement in my defensive technique from last year to this year, and that's what spurred his interest," Babcock said.

Babcock also wrestles in the 215-pound weight class and competes in track. After wrestling, he'll begin a weight-training program to add at least 15 pounds to his frame, he said last week. He also plans on competing in track this spring to further his conditioning.

Babcock said his athletic scholarship is weighted based on how well he does with the team - starters get more money for school. He is also pursuing academic scholarships offered by the school and plans on studying pre-pharmacy or psychology.

The blend of academics and athletics was his main attraction to Carroll.

"They have an 85 percent graduation rate," he said.

They've also had great success in their football program and have been featured on the front page of Sports Illustrated - not bad for a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school.

Over the past decade, the Saints have won six national titles and made eight appearances in the national championship.