By Jody Genessy
Deseret Morning News
Junior college football fans from Sanpete County and Kansas might be the most emotionally attached viewers of this Saturday's Zions Bank Top of the Mountain Bowl. The most interested observers at Rice-Eccles Stadium, however, could be the scouts, recruiters and coaches watching No. 1 Snow College tangle with No. 2 Butler Community College in the national championship game.
Players such as Andrew Mitchell, Coleby Clawson and Tevita Hola are the reason why. They're among the many participating student-athletes from the NJCAA powerhouses who are taking advantage of their junior college experience to earn a shot at the next level.
"They are just dying to play football. ... It's an opportunity for them to really show what they can do," said Tyler Hughes, who splits duties as Snow College's sports information director and offensive coordinator. "They share a we're-hungry-and-driven attitude, and that goes a real long way here."
If history repeats itself, a few of the players who'll be battling Saturday will even make it to the next level after the next level: the NFL. Snow College has an impressive list of guys on current NFL rosters, including Kevin Curtis (Eagles receiver), Derek Smith (49ers linebacker), Brett Kiesel (Steelers defensive lineman) and John Madsen (Raiders tight end).
Former Badgers also dot big-time college football rosters across the country — from Nebraska (Victory Haines, OL), Oklahoma State (Tonga Tea, DL), Oregon (Cade Cooper, QB), Washington State (Devin Frischknecht, TE) to Utah (Matt Asiata, RB).
"Snow is basically a gateway for a lot of us players who didn't fit the prototype of a Division I school yet, because we get the opportunity," said Hola, a former Granger High standout. "We're able to show our true colors."
"The reason I came here was so I could transfer out to a bigger school," said Clawson, who grew up by the college in Wales, Sanpete County. "It's a good place to learn technique and learn how to play and get you out to a bigger school."
Clawson and Hola, who shore up the Badgers' strong defensive line, have committed to play for BYU next fall. Should Snow win Saturday, the first-team All-Western States Football Leaguers will have a common bond with their future coach. Bronco Mendenhall also made the most of his Snow College time. He was a captain and first-team all-conference cornerback for the Badgers when they went 11-0 and won the national title in 1985. Mendenall transferred to Oregon State to finish off his collegiate career.
Others have used Snow as a springboard to good college coaching jobs as well, including Gary Crowton (offensive coordinator at LSU/former BYU head coach), Andy Ludwig (Utah offensive coordinator), Mike Canales (South Florida offensive coordinator) and Paul Tidwell (BYU assistant).
Mitchell transferred to Snow College after an LDS mission and one season at Dixie State before it became Div. II. He credits Snow coach Steve Coburn and his staff for helping turn him from an "average tight end" into an offensive tackle with a potential NFL career. He is weighing offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Kansas.
"It's worked out extremely well," he said.
The long tradition of player development success combined with a current crop of outstanding guys has Ephraim buzzing in anticipation for this showdown of 11-0 teams.
"All the people I talk to are so fired up for this game," Hughes said. "In Provo, everybody's favorite team is BYU. In Salt Lake City, it's Utah. In Ephraim, it's Snow College. The kids and community are killing themselves to get up to this game."
And if they do happen to miss them Saturday, it's likely they'll be able to follow their favorites for at least two more years.
Top of Mountain Bowl
No. 1 Snow College (11-0) vs. No. 2 Butler Community College (11-0)
Saturday, noon
Rice-Eccles Stadium
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