Junior transfer Bryce Sterk has exploded onto the scene during the Bobcats 2018 campaign. During his six games in the defensive end/linebacker position Sterk leads the Big Sky Conference in tackles for loss and sacks per game, averaging an impressive 1.6 and 0.83 respectively.
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But prior to becoming a Bobcats Sterk made a few stops along the way., He spent his prep career playing football at Lynden High School, a AA prep program in Washington State. During his four years, Sterk and his team, led by the late coach Kramme, who he described as "being like a second father," went to four consecutive state championships, and won three. They also managed to string together an extraordinary 32-game winning streak.
Apart from football, Sterk participated in track and field during high school. While he said he wasn't putting up huge numbers, he competed in the 4×400 relay, 300 meter hurdles, shotput, the 200 meter dash, and the 4×100 relay. The kid basically did it all.
During his senior year Sterk was heavily recruited by Jeff Choate — who was an assistant for the Washington Huskies at the time. After forming a strong relationship with Choate, he elected to sign with Washington.
During his first year, Sterk redshirted and won the "Ultimate Dirt Dawg Award." He described how he won the award in a weekly contest held by the head strength and conditioning coach. Players competed in various events such as tug-of-war and sled drills and points were awarded based on their performance.
At the end of the year Sterk scored the most points, earning him the title. He stayed at Washington two more years befoe he chose to transfer before ahead of junior season.
When asked about his decision to transfer Sterk responded, "I decided to transfer because I wasn’t playing as much as I would have liked. It was frustrating because I was doing really well in fall camp and felt like I was competing at a high enough level to play."
He sent his transfer forms to several schools. "I sent one to Montana State and they called me about an hour after I sent that form," he recounted.
Now reunited with Montana State Head Coach Jeff Choate, he is happy with his decision. Sterk even went so far as to say, "If I was offered the starting job at Washington or to come here I would choose here." He later expressed how much he enjoys his teammates and the feeling of community the team embraces, reciting stories of spending the Fourth of July on Flathead Lake and going to Colstrip Days with some of the Montana State guys during this past summer.
Throughout his six games as a Bobcat, Sterk has been impactful on defense. During his first game as a Cat, Sterk made a crucial tackle to force a turnover on downs late in the game. Since then, he has continued to make plays. He attributes his success to the other three defensive lineman, adding, "We all compliment each other really well."
On Saturday the Bobcats travel to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State, an FCS top-10 outfit. Bobcat fans can expect Sterk to maintain his impressive play against the Wildcats.
