Pair of Flathead gridders headed to Frontier schools

A pair of Flathead football standouts, Max Anderson and Chance Sheldon-Allen, signed letters of intent to join Frontier Conference programs Friday.

Anderson is headed to play offensive line at Montana Tech next fall, while Sheldon-Allen signed with UM-Western to play defensive back.

Both played key roles on the 2018 Braves’ squad that lost 20-14 to Billings West in the State AA championship. After that season Flathead coach Kyle Samson took the offensive coordinator’s job at Montana Tech, so Anderson will see at least one familiar face in Butte.

“He’s been a three-year starter for us,” Flathead coach Matt Upham said of Anderson, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound center. “He’s been a tremendous kid and a tremendous talent. He’ll be very comfortable in the offense with Kyle Samson, our former coach, being the coordinator. I don’t think there will be a language barrier there.”

Both Anderson and Sheldon-Allen were first-team all-conference and second-team All-State last fall, when Flathead when 2-8.

Upham noted that over the last two seasons Sheldon-Allen, 5-10 and 170, made seven interceptions and blocked four kicks.

“He’s a kid that has a lot of speed to burn,” Upham said. “I think he is a better defensive back than a receiver. He had a great senior season as a corner. He’s a player than can get it done on defense and on special teams.”

Montana-Western, in Dillon, went 7-3 and finished second in the Frontier this season, behind conference champion College of Idaho Coyotes.

Montana Tech went 6-4.