Frenchtown is in, Ronan is out.

That's the big news surrounding Northwestern A football for 2011.

"It's a great addition to our conference," Polson coach Scott Wilson said.

"Year-in and year-out, they are always solid. Overall, I think it will bring it up a level."

Columbia Falls, Polson and Libby secured the three playoff spots from Northwestern A a year ago. Now with Frenchtown in the mix, those three spots will likely be harder to come by.

"When you bring a program that's traditionally a playoff team into your conference, that places much more emphasis on every conference game you play," Wilson said.

Which should make the regular season even more entertaining.

Ronan, which just missed out on qualifying for the playoffs last year, leaves the conference because its dropping down to the Class B ranks.

The Frenchtown Broncs spent the last eight years as a member of Southwestern A.

"With Frenchtown coming in, it will be a lot tougher, more competitive," Columbia Falls coach Bill Coleman said.

"That's definitely a good thing for everyone in the conference. You have to raise your level of play, step up for the competition as it comes in. It will help everybody, especially teams moving into the playoffs."

"I'm excited," Whitefish coach Chad Ross said of the adding the Broncs.

"I'd rather play good teams all the way through. If you want to be successful, you want to do that."

Frenchtown, which claimed a state championship in 2009, was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last year by Polson in double overtime in Frenchtown, 27-21.

Polson also opened the season at Frenchtown, winning 21-16.

Frenchtown also played Libby in the regular season last fall, pulling out a 13-7 road win.

"It will be great," Libby coach Neil Fuller said of having Frenchtown in the league.

"I have a great deal of respect for (coach) Steve (Pinsoneault). He's done a great job with that program. You can never count those guys out."

Polson has advanced to the postseason nine of the last 10 seasons.

Libby qualified last year after a two-year break.

And Columbia Falls qualified for the fourth-straight year.

"Columbia Falls will still be the team to beat," Wilson, who is in his 11th season with the Pirates, said.

"They have a lot of good kids returning. They have to replace some like everybody else, but they have a really good quarterback and good linemen."

Columbia Falls

Coleman admits he has some mighty big shoes to fill with the departure of Northwestern A's offensive MVP Nate Thompson, a running back, and defensive MVP Kaleb Johnson, a safety.

"That's tough to replace," he said.

"Big shoes that kids are trying to slip into. But over time, they (replacements) will be moving in that same direction. We'll be competitive in those two positions."

Dan Jones is moving from fullback to tailback to keep the ground game churning.

"We have high expectations for Dan," Coleman said.

"He's a good-sized kid. He's extremely fast. Our run game will be solid again this year."

Quarterback Austin Barth is back for his final prep season. Next fall he will be in Bozeman playing for Montana State.

"He's already off the radar," Coleman said of Barth committing to MSU.

"This is his second year as a starter at quarterback."

Coleman said Barth showed steady improvement all season long a year ago.

"The game was moving awfully fast those first few games," Coleman said.

"Once he settled in, the game slowed down for him a little bit and he had a great year.

"He's the best kid in that position I've ever coached," he continued.

"He's the best I've seen in that position in 26 years of coaching."

Protecting Barth and opening holes for the run game are a talented group of linemen. All-stater Jacob Babcock returns, along with all-conference trenchmen Nate Carr and Garrett Houston.

"Offensively, we will be just as potent as last year," Coleman promises.

Defensively, the Wildcats will be just as salty.

"The defensive interior will be solid," Coleman said.

"Six out of our seven starters are coming back."

The lone question mark on the team is the secondary.

"How those skill guys develop," he said.

Polson

The good news: seven starters return on both sides of the ball.

The one problem area: depth.

"I think the biggest concern we will have is we don't have a whole lot of depth at certain positions," Wilson said.

"That will probably be the biggest obstacle (we face)."

Offensively, Vince DiGiallonardo returns for his final season. The senior will be behind center as a starter for the third straight year. The all-state player has started in the defensive backfield since his freshman season.

Polson's other returning all-state player is Josiah Clairmont, a senior offensive and defensive lineman.

"We will try to be as balanced as we can," Wilson said of the offense.

"With a quarterback that can run the ball, we'll have several things we can do. He can also throw the ball."

Who will be catching it, though, is still up for grabs.

"We'll be young age-wise (at receiver)," Wilson said.

"We lost two really good receivers. That's been our focus (in fall camp) to replace those guys (all-state Kyle Bagnell and Louis Mohr)."

The leading candidates are Ian Laimbeer, Will Davey, Justin Hoel and Kienan Keniston. Laimbeer is a big target at 6-2. Hoel is the smallest at 5-8.

"The thing with all four, they run really good routes," Wilson said.

At running back, two seniors are battling it out - Chris Cote and Paul McClurg.

Cote was in the starting lineup last year, but suffered a season-ending high ankle sprain midway through the schedule.

"We're not big up front," Wilson said of his line.

"Average 225 (pounds). The thing I like the most about our front this year, all the kids we have up there are multiple sport athletes. I'm pleased with the mobility they have."

Defensively, Wilson expects to field another solid unit.

"We're hoping that will be our stronger side of the ball this year," he said.

Whitefish

It was a rough start for first-year coach Ross and the Bulldogs last fall.

Injuries ravaged a team already in a rebuilding phase.

"At one time, we started seven sophomores on both sides of the ball," Ross said.

The end result was a winless campaign in Northwestern A play and a 1-7 mark overall.

So what lies ahead?

"They're all back," he said of those sophomores.

And there's more good news.

"The turnout is good," Ross said.

"We only had five seniors (last year). This year there are 11 seniors. Of those 11, nine will start."

Connor Donahue, who was pressed into the signal calling duties a year ago because of an injury, is back. He is sharing snaps right now with Chris Forrest.

The receiving corps includes Logan Harwood, Jace Vasquez, Bryce Wehrli, Connor Ellis and Max Guerico. If Forrest, an all-conference first-team selection in 2010, is not behind center, he will join this group.

Ross said the running back situation right now is "by committee." The leading candidates are Shane Marcial, Blake Boucher and Koler Kanistanux.

Ross says Marcial has great hands, Boucher has excellent speed and Kanistanux "is the big guy, the power running back."

Ross is hoping Whitefish can be more balanced offensively than last year, when it led the league in passing.

Defensively, Whitefish will look to shore up a unit that surrendered a ton of points and yardage.

Maximilian Smith, a linebacker/tackle, will be in the starting lineup for the third straight fall.

Jacob Forrest, who injured his knee in the second week of the season last year, is back. He starts at defensive end, in addition to playing center.

Libby

The Loggers return one all-state standout - Sawyer Zimmerman, a 6-1, 230, senior lineman - and four all-conference selections - seniors Joey Emery, 6-3, 220, lineman; Dylan Bergett, 5-10, 175, defensive end; Phil Nelson, 5-11, 185, defensive back; and junior kicker Pat Valentine, 5-10, 165.

"Emery and Zimmerman have played since they were freshmen," Fuller said.

"Our line on both sides of the ball is the strength of our football team.

"Since I've been here, we've had a decent lineman or two every year. Across the board, this is the most athletic and capable group of kids we've had up front."

Fuller, in his ninth season, has five starters back on offense and three on defense.

Micah Germany has been given the controls of the offense. The 5-10, 180, senior started as a sophomore and played some quarterback last year.

"We expect big things from him," Fuller said.

"He runs the offense real well, does a real good job of scrambling. He throws a nice ball."

Sophomore Jared Winslow, 6-0, 180, will also see some time behind center when not playing wide receiver.

"If our quarterbacks do a good job of managing the game, we should be in good shape," Fuller said.

The coach is high on Nic Robertson, a 6-1, 230, sophomore fullback, and sophomore transfer DJ Maefau, 5-8, 160, running back/linebacker.

"He's gonna be a dandy," Fuller said of Robertson.

"For a big kid, he has very good agility. If he gets in better physical condition, his speed will improve."

Maefau is from California.

Defensively, there are some concerns.

"We have a lot of inexperience in some spots, but we have a lot of athletic kids," Fuller said.

One of those is Nolan Broden, 6-0, 185. The senior hasn't played football since his freshman season, but is expected to see action at linebacker.

Marcel Getz, 5-10, 170, junior, and Robertson are two more names to watch for at linebacker.

Northwestern A

2010 Final Standings

League All Games

W L W L

Columbia Falls 3 1 4 4

Libby 3 1 5 4

Polson 2 2 6 2

Ronan 2 2 5 4

Whitefish 0 4 1 7

Northwestern A 2011 Schedules

All Times 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted

Columbia Falls

Sept. 2 - Corvallis

Sept. 9 - Stevensville

Sept. 16 - at Browning

Sept. 23 - Polson (homecoming)

Sept. 30 - at Livingston

Oct. 7 - Whitefish

Oct. 14 - at Frenchtown

Oct. 21 - at Libby

Frenchtown

Sept. 2 - at Stevensville

Sept. 9 - Dillon

Sept. 16 - at Hamilton

Sept. 23 - Lewistown

Sept. 30 - Libby

Oct. 7 - at Polson

Oct. 14 - Columbia Falls

Oct. 21 - at Whitefish

Libby

Today - at Timberlake High School (Idaho), 7 p.m. PDT

Sept. 2 - Browning

Sept. 9 - at Corvallis

Sept. 16 - at Stevensville

Sept. 23 - Whitefish

Sept. 30 - at Frenchtown

Oct. 7 - Havre (homecoming)

Oct. 14 - at Polson

Oct. 21 - Columbia Falls

Polson

Sept. 2 - at Belgrade

Sept. 9 - Hamilton

Sept. 16 - Anaconda

Sept. 23 - at Columbia Falls

Sept. 30 - at Whitefish

Oct. 7 - Frenchtown

Oct. 14 - Libby

Oct. 21 - at Browning

Whitefish

Today - at Havre, 2 p.m.

Sept. 2 - Hamilton

Sept. 10 - Browning, 2 p.m.

Sept. 23 - at Libby

Sept. 30 - Polson (homecoming)

Oct. 7 - at Columbia Falls

Oct. 14 - at Belgrade

Oct. 21 - Frenchtown