8/28: Northern Looks to Reverse Trend at Augustana
Vikings have had Wolves' number in each of the past three season-opening games

Complete News Release (.pdf)

NSU's offensive line will be key to NSU's early success this season,
as the lone three returning starters on offense hail from that position.

8/13: Northern Begins Fall Camp

Northern State's football program began fall camp August 13.

The Wolves will try to regain their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship form from the 1999 season this fall.

The team will have to do it with a largely untested group, as the Wolves lost 15 starters to graduation, but head coach Ken Heupel says the talent level at fall camp rivals any team Northern has had during his tenure as a coach. Counting his 11 seasons as head assistant coach before he took the reigns in 1998, that’s 14 years.

NSU’s offensive line will again fuel the team’s offense. All three of NSU’s returning offensive starters are from the line. Sophomore tackle Casey Knutson (Shakopee, Minn.) earned all-conference honorable mention honors last season, while fellow sophomore tackle Brett Goodwin (Fruitdale, S.D.) shared time with senior Jeff Solomon (Haaula, Hawaii) at the other tackle position. Senior Charles Hermansen (Eureka, S.D.) rounds out the cast leading the group up front. Hermansen will move from center to guard to help fill the hole of two four-year starting guards lost to graduation, including 2000 all-American Eric Cuka. Sophomore Paul Krahmer (Fairmont, S.D.) will likely take over at center, where he played at the end of last season when an injury sidelined Hermansen. Newell Matavao, a 6-foot-8, 360-pound transfer student from Ricks College (Rexburg, Idaho), is also expected to make immediate impact.

At quarterback, redshirt freshman Lance Yuker (Timber Lake, Minn.) will battle it out with transfer students Jake Parten (junior, Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa) and Scott Ackley (junior, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, Calif.) to fill the vacated role. Tim Barnaud (Nisland, S.D.) and Aaron Feterl (Deadwood, S.D.) come in as freshmen quarterbacks.

At running back, Tefua Bloomfield (Kearns, Utah) will return to the backfield after sitting out last season. The senior played for NSU in 1999 and for Brigham Young University before that. Some talented younger backs will compete for time with Bloomfield, as the Wolves try to return their running game to national prominence with the departure of 2000 senior Harlon Hill candidate Tyrone Morgan.

The wide receiver positions are wide open, as returning players and transfer students will battle in fall camp to take the place of last year’s seniors. Senior Josh Graves (Volga, S.D.) is regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in the conference, while Motulalo Otuafi (Fernley, Nev.) will return from a year off to compete for time at the spot.

On defense, NSU’s experienced linebacking corps will anchor the group. The Wolves return five players with starting experience at linebacker, led by senior outside backer and leading returning tackler Booker T. Bell III (Diamond Bar, Calif.). Also in the mix with this top-notch group will be junior Eric Rambow (Litchfield, Minn.), senior Eddie Hernandez (Miami, Fla.), senior Kiano Misa (Long Beach, Calif.), junior Sal Roseland (Faulkton, S.D.), and junior Sam Mounga (Kearns, Utah), who is looking to move from his starting defensive tackle slot to middle linebacker.

The defensive line, however, is a polar opposite to the linebacking corps in terms of experience. Senior Rob Schelske (Tripp, S.D.) will look to lead the group as the team’s only returning player with extensive playing experience. The crafty veteran will be able to line up at all four positions on the line this fall, in addition to helping underclassmen and transfer students understand their roles in NSU’s defensive schemes.

At defensive back, third-year starter Tell Hammerstrom (Sturgis, S.D.) is the most experienced player on the entire defense and will look to be a vocal leader from his safety slot. Senior Jared Harward (American Fork, Utah) was penciled in at the other safety slot after spring practice, with the cornerback positions wide open and to be decided at fall camp.

On special teams, sophomores EJ Hoffart (Gregory, S.D.) and Owen Olson (Denver, Colo.) will compete for kicking duties with transfer student Dane Albach (Culpepper, Va.). Senior all-NSIC HM Cody Jamison (Murray, Utah) will lead the squad’s potent kickoff and punt return units.

The Wolves are the only program in the nation to rank among the top 10 in team kickoff return yardage in 1998 (4th), 99 (5th) and 2000 (10th). Last season, Jamison ranked 15th in individual kickoff return yards. Jamison also achieved a rarely tied and never broken NCAA record last year, returning a kickoff 100 yards to paydirt at Minnesota-Morris.

The team's numerical roster will be issued later this week.

More first-day camp pictures

-- 2000 Recap --

Northern State's football program, which ranks 10th nationally in all-time victories and 11th in winning percentage among all NCAA II schools, ended the 2000 season with a 6-5 overall record and finished 5-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (tied for third). The Wolves placed 10 players on the all-conference squad, with three making the first team, one making the second and six earning honorable mention laurels.

Northern State peaked with three straight wins during midseason, highlighted by a 56-17 rout of Southwest State on homecoming and a 49-26 win two weeks later against Minnesota-Duluth on Swisher Field. An overtime loss to eventual conference champion Winona State ended the team's back-to-back conference title bid.

In addition to another winning season on the field, the Wolves were also commended for their work off the field, as four players earned academic all-district honors. Chief among those selections was senior running back Troy Hoff of Scotland. Hoff earned second-team honors for the second straight year. The biology and secondary education major is also a two-time third team recipient Last season, Hoff earned Burger King National Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors, which earned the University a check in his name for $10,000. Hoff was also named NSU's co-male athlete of the year for the 2000-01 season.

The Recruiting Trail ...
Here's a list of player who will join the Wolves in 2001

Name                Pos. Ht.   Wt.    Yr.    Hometown
Nicholas Allen      DL   6-1   235    Fr.    Belle Fourche
Kyle Anderson       WR   6-0   190    Fr.    Dell Rapids
Timothy Barnaud     QB   5-10  185    Fr.    Nisland
Garrett Bergemann   DL   6-2   250    Fr.    Bloomington, Minn.
Deacon Burns        RB   5-8   185    Fr.    Brownwood, Texas
Jarred Campton      DL   6-1   220    Fr.    Aberdeen
John Howard-Carrol  OL   6-4   265    Fr.    Rochester, Minn.
Casey Crabtree      DB   6-2   190    Fr.    Arlington
Paul Denton         DL   6-2   245    Fr.    Pierre
Marcus Ewert        LB   6-0   215    Fr.    Shakopee, Minn.
Aaron Feterl        QB   6-1   180    Fr.    Deadwood
Dustin Haefner      WR   6-1   180    Fr.    Mound City
Eric Hamiel         DB   5-10  180    Fr.    St. Lawrence
Travis Harmening    WR   6-3   180    Fr.    Lakefield, Minn.
Brian Hogie         DB   6-0   170    Fr.    Deubrook
Ryan Huber          LB   6-0   225    Fr.    Herreid
Adam Hunt           LB   6-3   245    Fr.    Milbank
Taylor Johnson      DB   6-0   180    Fr.    Groton
Calvin Kapule       RB   5-9   200    Fr.    Custer
Chris Klozenbucher  WR   6-2   195    Fr.    Huron
Chad Little         OL   6-2   280    Fr.    Raymond, Wash.
Eric Medhaug        DL   6-0   235    Fr.    Veblen
Isak Rasmus         LB   6-0   215    Fr.    Sleepy Eye, Minn.
Justin Remus        OL   6-0   240    Fr.    Sleepy Eye, Minn.
Ross Sandine        RB   5-10  175    Fr.    Sioux Falls
Brett Steinocker    LB   6-3   210    Fr.    Summit
James Strang        DL   5-11  260    Fr.    Strandburg
Tony Volk           DB   5-11  195    Fr.    Ipswich
Mitchell Wendorff   WR   6-2   195    Fr.    Windom, Minn.
Daniel White        LB   6-0   210    Fr.    St. Paul, Minn.
Ryan Williams       OL   6-6   285    Fr.    Aurora, Colo.
Justin Wulf         LB   6-3   225    Fr.    Owanka
Devin Yelkin        OL   6-4   270    Fr.    Britton

Transfer Students
Name                Pos. Ht.   Wt.    Yr.    Hometown (Previous School)
Keith Cowins        DL   6-4   225    Jr.    Simi Valley, Calif. (Moorpark College)
Justin Garland      DL   6-3   250    Jr.    Torrance, Calif. (Los Angeles SW)
Newell Matavao      OL   6-8   355    Jr.    Rexburg, Idaho (Ricks Junior College)
Clint Merz          DL   6-4   255    Jr.    Petaluma, Calif. (Sanata Rosa JC)
Kevin Moore         DB   6-0   190    Jr.    Long Beach, Calif. (Compton College)
Derrick Sheffield   RB   5-10  225    So.    Hawthorne, Fla. (Coffeyville College)
Brice Montgomery    DB   5-11  185    Jr.    Ukiah, Calif. (Mendocino College)