2016 Billings Xtreme

 

The city of Billings has re-gained a team in the RMFL after a one-year absence from the league.  Following the 2015 season, owner and head coach of the Loco Express, Ken Blankenship, planned to discontinue the team for the 2016 RMFL season.  There were many doubts as to what the future of the Express would look like throughout the off-season and even a handful of days before the league meeting.  However, despite these 

doubts, it would take Blankenship just hours before the league meeting to decide to continue the team’s efforts to be a part of the 2016 RMFL season.  From January 28 to January 30, the Loco Express rejoined the RMFL as a member of the Great North, and moved from Laurel to Billings with new colors and a new team name.  Presently, the Loco Express are known as the Billings Xtreme.

 

In 2015, the Loco Express finished the season with a 6-2 record and made the playoffs as the #1 seed in the North Division.  The Express defeated the Great Falls Gladiators, 30-0, in the first-round of the playoffs.  However, the following week, Laurel was sent home after a disappointing 29-14 loss to the Wasatch Revolution in the semi-final round.  Laurel made a historic run in 2015 in making it to their first semi-final game of the 

RMFL Championship playoffs.  In 2014, the team’s first season in the RMFL, the Express made it to the RMFL Tier II Championship, but were defeated by the Utah Shock, 24-13.

 

The Express are a winning organization that looks to continue much of the same success as the Billings Xtreme in 2016. Blankenship’s Xtreme offense adds strength, speed, and talent to the RMFL Great North this season with many familiar faces on the roster, as well as new additions that will help produce a championship run in 2016.  “We look to have a very strong and fast group of offensive weapons that will give us an opportunity to pretty much do what we need to do to be competitive,” said Blankenship of his offensive goals this season.  For the 2016 season, the Xtreme offense looks to running backs DJ Bergen and Wendell Nelson to impact the team’s performance and create a strong running game.  “DJ Bergen will be an impact player for us,” said Blankenship. “He’s a punishing runner who has the strength to run between the tackles and the speed to beat anyone to the 

edge.”  Bergen and Nelson will also be helpful to the team’s attempt to replace the loss of running back Mike Spence, who was a team leader in 2015 with 167 rushing yards on 42 carries and 2 touchdowns.  In 2014, Spence led the former Express in their high-powered rushing attack with 422 yards on 77 carries and 4 touchdowns.  

 

The Xtreme offense also looks forward to the return of receivers Blake Boston and Ryan Frank, as well as the addition of receivers Ceylon Elgin-Taylor and Levi Beck.  Last season, Boston led the team in receiving yards with 312 on 21 receptions and 4 touchdowns (also led the team).  Frank also produced for the team last season, as he caught 8 passes for 160 yards.  Elgin-Taylor was a member of the Montana Blaze in 2014, as well as a 

member of the Missoula Phoenix in 2013 and the Bitterroot Blaze in 2012.  In 2014, Elgin-Taylor led the Blaze offense with 810 receiving yards on 33 receptions and 12 touchdowns; in 2013, he would catch just 5 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown for the Phoenix; and as a member of the 2012 Blaze championship team, Elgin-Taylor would lead the team with 447 yards on 29 receptions and 12 touchdowns.  Beck also looks to make an impact on the team for the 2016 season.  “Receivers Blake Boston, Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, Levi Beck and Ryan Frank will give us size and speed to help stretch the field and give DC’s fits on how to cover it all,” said Blankenship. “We’ve added some experience and extremely talented “Big Dogs” up front that will give us the base to get it done.”  These new “Big Dogs” that Blankenship mentions are offensive tackles Bryan Singer and Kyle Taylor.  “Tackles Bryan Singer and Kyle Taylor are both extremely athletic, big, and strong,” said Blankenship.  “These guys will be dominant as well. ”

 

The Xtreme defense looks to return many of the same impact starters from the 2015 season.  “We have added what has been the best defense we’ve had yet, and we will be after the quarterback better than ever this year,” said Blankenship of his 2016 defense. “This is an extremely talented and athletic defense this year.”  One of those returners includes the talents of defensive end Tusi Ah-Mai, who was the 2015 RMFL sack leader with 9.5 on the season after playing just four games due to a season-ending injury.  Ah-Mai is no stranger to the defensive leaderboards.  In 2012, when he joined the Billings Bullets for his first RMFL season, Ah-Mai led the Bullet defense in tackles with 40, tackles for loss with 6, and sacks with 3.  The 2014 season would once again see Tusi at the top of the leaderboards for the Bullet defense, as he led in tackles with 26, tackles for loss with 10, and sacks with 7.  His leadership on defense will help carry the Xtreme through the regular season.Also joining the Xtreme defense as a leader from the 2015 Express defense is Chad Hofmann, who was the #3 RMFL sack leader last season with 8. Hofmann led the team in tackles with 32 and tackles for loss with 10.5 in 2015.  He is also no stranger to the defensive leaderboards, as he too made an impact in his first season in the RMFL with the Billings Bullets in 2012.  Hofmann was the #2 defensive player for the Bullet defense behind Tusi Ah-Mai with 36 tackles.  The following season, he increased the number of tackles with 44, but still came in second to Matt Groff.  However, in 2014, Hofmann would finish tied for second in the RMFL in sacks with 11 as a member of the Loco Express. Other familiar faces returning to the Billings Xtreme for the 2016 RMFL season includes: linebackers Shaun Sideris (23.5 tackles, 2 interceptions), Eddie Franke (14 tackles), and John Jansen (24.5 tackles, 2 interceptions) to anchor the middle of the field. In the secondary, the Xtreme have defensive backs Stephen Goodell (19.5 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 6 pass deflections), Dee Henderson (new addition), and Eric Rosas. “Linebackers Sideris, Franke, and Jansen are a force to be reckoned with and will get after the quarterback,” said Blankenship.  “Everyone knows we have a solid defensive front, but our secondary will be a force this season.” The new faces that will add to the Xtreme defense for 2016 are defensive tackles Rico Letuli from Hawaii and Alex Hildago from the University of Mary.  “Letuli and Hildago are powerful and fast defensive tackles that 

will dominate,” said Blankenship.  “We’ve added depth that we have not had in previous seasons and look forward to getting after it.”  Former Bullets linebacker Ron LaForge, Jr. will also join the Xtreme defense for 2016.  In 2014, LaForge was fourth on the Bullets with 23.5 tackles.

 

Billings opens the 2016 RMFL regular season in their new home at Daylis Stadium(Billings Senior High School) on Saturday, April 2 against the Great Falls Gladiators.  “Playing Great Falls is always the game we look at as being one of our toughest,” said Blankenship of his task for opening weekend.  “We respect those guys and always have an on-the-field battle.  Also, we look forward to seeing our former quarterback, Shane 

Jurasek, as he is a competitor.”