Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information
DILLON, Mont. – The Frontier Conference has announced its postseason football awards for the 2023 season. Montana Western had eight players receive all-conference honors, and two individuals given yearly awards. The all-conference teams are chosen in voting by the league's coaches.
Montana Western quarterback Michael Palandri was chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year. This is the third consecutive season a Bulldog quarterback has been voted as the Frontier's top offensive player. Palandri leads the conference by passing for 273.1 yards per game and with a 169.0 pass efficiency rating. He has 25 touchdown passes to three interceptions.
After guiding Montana Western to a 9-1 record and the conference title, Ryan Nourse was selected as this year's Frontier Conference Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs closed the regular season with eight straight victories to win their first outright conference crown since 1995.
Montana Western leads all conference teams with seven First Team All-Frontier selections. Montana Tech had five named to the first team with Carroll and College of Idaho receiving four each. College of Idaho has a Frontier-best 11 selections to both the first and second team.
Bulldog first team all-conference selections:
Michael Palandri – QB (Maple Valley, Wash. / R-SO)
Eli Nourse – WR (Dillon, Mont. / FR)
Marcus Lombard – OL (Laie, Hawaii / R-JR)
Reese Artz – DL (Battle Mountain, Nev. / R-SR)
Tanner Harrell – DL (Shepherd, Mont. / R-SR)
Kameron Rauser – LB (Townsend, Mont. / SR)
John Mears – K (Belgrade, Mont. / R-JR)
Bulldog second team all-conference selections:
Rocco Beccari – OL (Kalispell, Mont. / JR)
Montana Western Champions of Character selection:
Zack Rouse - LB (Saint Maries, Idaho / SR)
The full list of All-Conference selections can be found HERE.
