One of the Battle Mountain Longhorns’ best football players from this past season, Reese Artz officially announced the school he plans on attending next fall.
Artz held a small announcement ceremony in the commons of Battle Mountain High School (BMHS).
The 6’3” senior led the 2017 Longhorns in receiving yards (650) and touchdowns (11) on the year, while helping his team reach the Nevada 2A state title game.
At the end of the season, the high school football coaches submit a vote, recognizing the effort provided by athletes throughout the season. Artz came out on top of those votes, as the All-State and All-League MVP.
Artz, with his size and talent, started to capture the attention of college programs and on Wednesday, Jan. 24, he decided to settle on the school of his choice.
Artz officially committed to Montana Western University, where he will represent the Bulldogs on a football scholarship with the program.
“I had one other school offering me a scholarship, which was the University of Jamestown out of North Dakota and CSU-Pueblo was holding a spot for me as a walk-on,” Artz said. “Western Montana seemed like the perfect fit for me because it was a small community, similar to Battle Mountain. The college was the perfect size for me. I felt that I could quickly become comfortable there and meet new people easily. The community has a lot of interest in the sports at the college which excited me because everyone loves a large crowd to play for.”
At Montana Western, Artz will play for head coach Ryan Nourse, who is in his fourth year with the university. After taking over a 1-10 football team, Nourse has built the program to a respectable 7-4 record in 2016.
Artz’s father Randy Artz and mother Tamara Artz proudly sat next to their senior student son as he announced his future in football and education. He has one older sister Jayda Artz.
Reese Artz will graduate from BMHS in May 2018.
His dad, Randy is also his coach. “I am so excited for him to play college ball and get the opportunity to coach him all the way through his senior year, he is a great young man and I look forward to his future,” he said, “We went up to visit the college in Dillon and the coaches were amazing. It is a lot like home town Battle Mountain, it is a small campus and the people are great.”
“It was awesome and I am so excited for him. When he decided to go to Montana Western, it allowed him to relax and sit back to enjoy his choice,” said Tamara Artz.
After committing to the school, Artz will have to report to campus earlier than most students for off-season workouts.
His dad, Randy Artz mentioned the blocking system with the Bulldogs will benefit Reese’s skills in the program. Artz is expected to be a red-shirt freshman but has not yet been so designated. If he is, it would give him an extra year of athletic growth at the school
