Thanks Kyle!! Here are a couple of write ups from the Missoulian with some good information:
http://missoulian.com/sports/colleg...cle_0f1bb390-5f8b-56fe-b1d1-e808d2e7786a.html
Griz football: Vista High pipeline produces another for Montana
By Kyle Sample
Vista High coach Dan Williams jokes that the San Diego-area school might need to move closer to Missoula.
It's not likely that the Panthers will ever make the move, but the relationship between Williams' program and Montana has been a fruitful one. Jeremiah Kose, Montana's starting middle linebacker was a Panther before attending Palomar Junior College.
Earlier this year, Montana signed Vista product Mau Ena, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle who was one of the program's most highly prized targets, to its 2015 recruiting class.
Thursday, the pipeline generated its latest product as Vista linebacker David Faatuiese committed to Montana, adding to first-year coach Bob Stitt's seemingly ever-expanding initial recruiting class.
"He’s stoked. He’s really happy to be going up there," Williams said of the 6-foot-3, 235-pound inside linebacker.
Faatuiese became the 30th member of Montana's 2015 signing class, seven of whom have been added since the class was announced as a 23-member unit on National Signing Day on Feb. 5. The addition of Faatuiese, however, almost did not happen.
A standout performance at the Colorado Buffaloes camp in June 2014 led to a scholarship offer from the coaching staff. After careful discussion with Williams, who with his wife took in Faatuiese after family issues left him without a place to stay, the 2-star recruit committed to the Pac-12 school.
"I pushed him to commit, commit, commit and his thing was he wanted to see the facilities and see what it’s like, to go up there and understand," Williams recalled. "I said, ‘David, there is nothing wrong with that, but you have to understand in today’s day and age, man, people commit and once they fill they don’t have anything available.’"
Following the verbal commit, Faatuiese shut down his recruiting and anticipated his official visit to Colorado in December. The decision to focus on Colorado essentially turned down a scholarship offer from Sacramento State and was a signal to San Jose State, San Diego State, UNLV, San Diego and Montana that Faatuiese had decided where he would play his college football.
As Faatuiese's visit to Boulder neared, Buffaloes defensive coordinator Kent Baer left his post on Dec. 22 to accept the same position at UNLV on a newly formed staff under Tony Sanchez, who was hired by the Rebels on Dec. 8.
Two weeks before signing day, Colorado informed Williams and Faatuiese that it filled the linebacker's scholarship with another recruit and cut off communication.
"When the time came, the communication broke down. A poor, poor job by Colorado in my opinion," Williams said. "When the end came and he was supposed to take his recruit trip there was nothing there."
Williams called around to the schools who recruited Faatuiese, but it was too late. Sacramento State filled its scholarship offer and Montana, which had been in contact throughout the season, informed Williams it had shifted gears and was in pursuit of more offensive talent to fit Stitt's wide-open scheme.
"I was just kind of out there so I didn’t really have anywhere to go," Faatuiese remembers. "I was kind of lost for a bit. It was upsetting, but stuff happens. I was just going to go to a junior college and work my way up because I was a qualifier."
Without a Division I offer to accept, Faatuiese was set to follow in Kose's footsteps and join the program at Palomar, a junior college just down the road from Vista in San Marcos.
"Then out of nowhere I got lucky with Montana and they picked me up," Faatuiese said Friday.
After the Grizzlies had a scholarship open, running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Justin Green and defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa rekindled discussions with Faatuiese. Without a scheduled visit the coaches told Faatuiese about the campus and the program's tradition, which he was vaguely familiar with.
"They’ve got like 12 players in the NFL," said Faatuiese, who will sign his papers this week and accept a full-ride scholarship. "Last year they got like their three starting linebackers (drafted). I know their teams do well each year."
Now, Faatuiese will join Kose and his good friend, Ena, as the latest product of the Vista High pipeline.
"When I got lost Mau was saying hopefully Montana picks me up or when he goes to Montana he would try to help me get up there," Faatuiese said before adding, "I got lucky I guess because I got picked up."
http://grizsports.com/vista-high-calif-lb-david-faatuiese-joins-montana/
Vista High (Calif.) LB David Faatuiese joins Montana
By Kyle Sample
Montana added its latest recruit Thursday as Vista High (Calif.) linebacker David Faatuiese committed to the program. He estimated that he will sign his scholarship papers sometime this week.
Faatuiese is the second member from Vista’s 6-6 team to join Montana this offseason after Panthers defensive tackle Mau Ena, said to be Montana’s No. 1 recruiting target, committed the weekend before signing day.
The Panthers run a base 50 front that uses three down linemen and is designed to put its four linebackers in position to make plays.
“We put him on the edge a little bit as an outside linebacker, but predominately he played in the inside,” Vista coach Dan Williams said. “That goes back to our scheme of things because he was our play maker and we always tried to put him in the best possible situations.”
Traditionally, the Will and Sam are on the line of scrimmage in a 50 front and it looks a lot like a 3-4. But Vista used multiple looks. In any case, it made Faatuiese a play maker and put a lot of emphasis on him finding the ball and making tackles.
“I just made the plays that the D-line let me make,” Faatuiese said Thursday.
Williams said he doesn’t believe the transition to Montana’s more traditional 4-3 defense will be a problem for Faatuiese, who has only been playing football for five seasons and is one of very few players to have played three varsity seasons at Vista.
“He’s going to be a middle guy so playing tackle to tackle that’s essentially what he’s been doing for us as well,” Williams said. “Terminology is obviously going to be different and all that stuff. As far as the speed of the game and understanding it, I don’t think the transition is going to be that difficult for David. He is a total student of the game and is always asking questions to get an understanding.”
Despite his size — the newest addition to the roster stands 6-foot-3 and weights nearly 240 pounds — Faatuiese said Montana coaches told him they intend to keep him at middle linebacker.
http://missoulian.com/sports/colleg...cle_0f1bb390-5f8b-56fe-b1d1-e808d2e7786a.html
Griz football: Vista High pipeline produces another for Montana
By Kyle Sample
Vista High coach Dan Williams jokes that the San Diego-area school might need to move closer to Missoula.
It's not likely that the Panthers will ever make the move, but the relationship between Williams' program and Montana has been a fruitful one. Jeremiah Kose, Montana's starting middle linebacker was a Panther before attending Palomar Junior College.
Earlier this year, Montana signed Vista product Mau Ena, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle who was one of the program's most highly prized targets, to its 2015 recruiting class.
Thursday, the pipeline generated its latest product as Vista linebacker David Faatuiese committed to Montana, adding to first-year coach Bob Stitt's seemingly ever-expanding initial recruiting class.
"He’s stoked. He’s really happy to be going up there," Williams said of the 6-foot-3, 235-pound inside linebacker.
Faatuiese became the 30th member of Montana's 2015 signing class, seven of whom have been added since the class was announced as a 23-member unit on National Signing Day on Feb. 5. The addition of Faatuiese, however, almost did not happen.
A standout performance at the Colorado Buffaloes camp in June 2014 led to a scholarship offer from the coaching staff. After careful discussion with Williams, who with his wife took in Faatuiese after family issues left him without a place to stay, the 2-star recruit committed to the Pac-12 school.
"I pushed him to commit, commit, commit and his thing was he wanted to see the facilities and see what it’s like, to go up there and understand," Williams recalled. "I said, ‘David, there is nothing wrong with that, but you have to understand in today’s day and age, man, people commit and once they fill they don’t have anything available.’"
Following the verbal commit, Faatuiese shut down his recruiting and anticipated his official visit to Colorado in December. The decision to focus on Colorado essentially turned down a scholarship offer from Sacramento State and was a signal to San Jose State, San Diego State, UNLV, San Diego and Montana that Faatuiese had decided where he would play his college football.
As Faatuiese's visit to Boulder neared, Buffaloes defensive coordinator Kent Baer left his post on Dec. 22 to accept the same position at UNLV on a newly formed staff under Tony Sanchez, who was hired by the Rebels on Dec. 8.
Two weeks before signing day, Colorado informed Williams and Faatuiese that it filled the linebacker's scholarship with another recruit and cut off communication.
"When the time came, the communication broke down. A poor, poor job by Colorado in my opinion," Williams said. "When the end came and he was supposed to take his recruit trip there was nothing there."
Williams called around to the schools who recruited Faatuiese, but it was too late. Sacramento State filled its scholarship offer and Montana, which had been in contact throughout the season, informed Williams it had shifted gears and was in pursuit of more offensive talent to fit Stitt's wide-open scheme.
"I was just kind of out there so I didn’t really have anywhere to go," Faatuiese remembers. "I was kind of lost for a bit. It was upsetting, but stuff happens. I was just going to go to a junior college and work my way up because I was a qualifier."
Without a Division I offer to accept, Faatuiese was set to follow in Kose's footsteps and join the program at Palomar, a junior college just down the road from Vista in San Marcos.
"Then out of nowhere I got lucky with Montana and they picked me up," Faatuiese said Friday.
After the Grizzlies had a scholarship open, running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Justin Green and defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa rekindled discussions with Faatuiese. Without a scheduled visit the coaches told Faatuiese about the campus and the program's tradition, which he was vaguely familiar with.
"They’ve got like 12 players in the NFL," said Faatuiese, who will sign his papers this week and accept a full-ride scholarship. "Last year they got like their three starting linebackers (drafted). I know their teams do well each year."
Now, Faatuiese will join Kose and his good friend, Ena, as the latest product of the Vista High pipeline.
"When I got lost Mau was saying hopefully Montana picks me up or when he goes to Montana he would try to help me get up there," Faatuiese said before adding, "I got lucky I guess because I got picked up."
http://grizsports.com/vista-high-calif-lb-david-faatuiese-joins-montana/
Vista High (Calif.) LB David Faatuiese joins Montana
By Kyle Sample
Montana added its latest recruit Thursday as Vista High (Calif.) linebacker David Faatuiese committed to the program. He estimated that he will sign his scholarship papers sometime this week.
Faatuiese is the second member from Vista’s 6-6 team to join Montana this offseason after Panthers defensive tackle Mau Ena, said to be Montana’s No. 1 recruiting target, committed the weekend before signing day.
The Panthers run a base 50 front that uses three down linemen and is designed to put its four linebackers in position to make plays.
“We put him on the edge a little bit as an outside linebacker, but predominately he played in the inside,” Vista coach Dan Williams said. “That goes back to our scheme of things because he was our play maker and we always tried to put him in the best possible situations.”
Traditionally, the Will and Sam are on the line of scrimmage in a 50 front and it looks a lot like a 3-4. But Vista used multiple looks. In any case, it made Faatuiese a play maker and put a lot of emphasis on him finding the ball and making tackles.
“I just made the plays that the D-line let me make,” Faatuiese said Thursday.
Williams said he doesn’t believe the transition to Montana’s more traditional 4-3 defense will be a problem for Faatuiese, who has only been playing football for five seasons and is one of very few players to have played three varsity seasons at Vista.
“He’s going to be a middle guy so playing tackle to tackle that’s essentially what he’s been doing for us as well,” Williams said. “Terminology is obviously going to be different and all that stuff. As far as the speed of the game and understanding it, I don’t think the transition is going to be that difficult for David. He is a total student of the game and is always asking questions to get an understanding.”
Despite his size — the newest addition to the roster stands 6-foot-3 and weights nearly 240 pounds — Faatuiese said Montana coaches told him they intend to keep him at middle linebacker.
