Family tradition provides inspiration for CMR's Hartman

The C.M. Russell High athletic heritage means a lot of things to a lot of the Rustlers.

To Kellen Hartman it means everything.

“My whole family graduated from CMR,” said the Russell senior quarterback. “This is my last year here. I know I’ve got some big shoes to fill and I know I can do it.”

Hartman and the Rustlers, 0-1 after last week’s 16-6 loss at Helena High, open the home season Friday night against the Wolfpack of Kalispell Glacier. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

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“Kellen is our guy at quarterback and we have confidence in him,” said CMR head coach Gary Lowry. “He’s a good leader and knows what’s going on. He’s been around for a long time. He didn’t have great stats in our first game, but it wasn’t all his fault. We had some other issues. I think he’ll have a good year for us.”

Hartman’s family has a lengthy history of athletic success at CMR. His father, Scott, was a star football player for both the Rustlers and Montana Grizzlies. His mother, Debbie, is a CMR graduate and longtime grade-school teacher in town.

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A sister, Quinn, was a great softball pitcher a few years ago at Russell.

“She won a state championship and that motivates me to get it done,” Kellen said.

Cousins Justin and Travis Hartman also won state titles for CMR in football and basketball. Justin is a former superstar CMR quarterback who wore No. 14, just like Kellen.

“I look up to him a lot, so I’m trying to rep the ‘14’ and have the same success he did,” Kellen said.

The Rustlers led 6-3 early on last week in Helena after Hartman scored a touchdown. But that was all the offense CMR could muster and the Bengals rallied for the victory.

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“Our defense played pretty good, and our offense is going to be OK,” Lowry said. “Helena High, that’s a good football team. They’re physical. If we have a couple things go our way we’re up 14-3 early in the fourth quarter and things might have been a little different.”

The Russell defense was led by junior cornerback Kaden Gardner and senior defensive end Bryce Depping.

“They wore us down in the fourth quarter,” Lowry said. “(The Bengals) have their entire offensive line back, but our kids on defense gave them all they wanted for most of the game.

“We made some mistakes, yes, but will we get better? Yes.”

Said Hartman: “There were some lows, but there were some highs, too. Once the proportion starts swinging the other way, we’re going to be fine. I think we’re going to be good.”

Glacier is also 0-1, thanks to a 27-26 loss to defending state champion Billings Senior. The Wolfpack of coach Grady Bennett are led by veteran quarterback Evan Todd, halfback Preston Blain and receiver Drew Deck.

Todd passed for 219 yards and Blain rushed for 146 against Senior.

“Glacier is a pretty good football team,” Lowry said. “They probably should have beaten Senior. They’ve got a good quarterback and a good receiver, plus a couple of quick kids. We’ve got to play a lot better than we did last week, and I think we will.”

So does the Rustlers’ senior quarterback. Kellen Hartman promises there will be no jitters under the Friday night lights.

“Last year playing wide receiver really helped, because I got all the nerves out,” Hartman said. “This year it’s strictly business. I want to win. I have that much more drive and determination to win.”

C.M. RUSSELL HIGH

Offense

QB: Kellen Hartman, 6-1, 179, sr; TB: Jayson Ingalls, 5-10, 190, sr; HB: Bryce Depping, 6-3, 190, sr; SB: Keegan Barnes, 6-2, 186, jr; SE: Tucker Greenwell, 6-0, 176, sr; C: William Harr, 5-11, 237, jr; OG: Connor Rearden, 6-1, 224, sr., Cole Rearden, 6-1, 220, sr; OT: Nick Hergesheimer, 6-3, 267, jr; Chase Mora, 6-0, 192, jr; TE: Hunter Clark, 6-2, 219, sr

Defense

NG: Nick Bowley, 5-9, 229, sr; DT: Nick Konesky, 6-1, 247, sr; DE: Bryce Depping, 6-3, 190, sr; Keegan Barnes, 6-2, 186, jr; ILB: Wesley Tilleman, 6-0, 200, jr; Chance Buday, 5-10, 210, sr; OLB: Bryce Nelson, 6-0, 170, jr; Connor Zander, 5-11, 177, sr; CB: Cason Taylor, 5-10, 158, sr; Kaden Gardner, 5-11, 154, jr; FS: Tucker Greenwell, 6-0, 176, sr; PK: Cason Taylor, 5-10, 158, sr; P: Kellen Hartman, 6-1, 179, sr