Jason Preston
BOBCAT CALENDAR: The Cats finished a successful season today in 1923, but in 1947 the program lost a beloved figure
11/29/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Frank Hatfield led the Bobcats to victory at New Mexico in 1923
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 29
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State played further from home than ever before today in 1923, when the Bobcats won a Thanksgiving Day game at New Mexico 34-7.
The Bobcats scored on the third play from scrimmage, when Jules Benton scored after long runs by Frank Hatfield and Floyd Romney. UNM scored early in the second quarter, but Hatfield's 63-yar run on the next possession and a 45-yard Romney pick-six blew the game open. Benton caught a 20-yard pass from Romney and Hatfield returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to account for the rest of the scoring.
The game capped a successful season for Montana State in Ott Romney's second season as head coach. The Cats finished 5-4, with the other wins coming against Carroll, Idaho State, Northern Colorado and Montana Wesleyan.
BONUS: Jason Preston, in many meaningful ways, exemplified what it meant to play football for the Bobcats in the pre-World War II era.
A starter for three years, he hailed from Bozeman at a time when many students chose to attend the college in their hometown (whatever town that may have been). Preston was an inveterate outdoorsman, with many mentions of his name accompanied by his passion for hunting and fishing, and nearly two decades after he played football for the Cats he was still involved with Montana State football, serving as the program's athletic trainer.
Today in 1947, Preston died from injuries suffered in a hunting accident more than two weeks earlier.
Preston's death left a huge hole in the Bobcat Athletics community. From the November 13, 1947 Exponent, upon his injury: "In the jinx section comes another sad note. Popular with all athletes on the Hill, Jason Preston, MSC trainer and 'pop' to stars and fledglings alike, met with a serious hunting accident near Livingston last weekend. Jason, whose sly look and occasional subtle comment has spurred many of the lockeroom constituents, suffered from extreme shock and considerable loss of blood when a heavy calibre (sic) rifle bullet pierced the lower section of both legs. In serious condition last Monday he is now on his way to recovery in the Livingston hospital."
The Exponent and Montanan memorialized him in this way:
"In 1929 a powerful Bobcat squad came forth to defeat the Grizzlies for the first time in 25 years. At center for the Cats was an eager youth, a fellow who was on the gridiron playing his heart out because he loved football. There was no subsidy in those days ... this lad had to scratch for a meager enough income to put his way through school.
For three years he fought for the Gridcats, and in no small way lent his measure of success to the Blue and Gold. He loved that life of sports.
A week ago last Sunday, this life was taken from him. Jason Preston, a true sportsman, a friend and inspiration to the many who frequented the locker room here at State, lost his greatest clash of all. Montana State lost a fine trainer, and the boys in the Blue and Gold a solid influence.
The M Club held a Jason Preston Memorial Dance on January 17, 1948, at National Guard Armory The requested donation of $1 per person was donated to the family
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - #14 South Dakota St 47, MSU 40
2003 - Northern Iowa 35, MSU 14
1928 - Carroll 19, MSU 0 Sheridan
1923 - MSU 34, at New Mexico 0
1900 - MSU 11, at UM 0
November 29
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State played further from home than ever before today in 1923, when the Bobcats won a Thanksgiving Day game at New Mexico 34-7.
The Bobcats scored on the third play from scrimmage, when Jules Benton scored after long runs by Frank Hatfield and Floyd Romney. UNM scored early in the second quarter, but Hatfield's 63-yar run on the next possession and a 45-yard Romney pick-six blew the game open. Benton caught a 20-yard pass from Romney and Hatfield returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to account for the rest of the scoring.
The game capped a successful season for Montana State in Ott Romney's second season as head coach. The Cats finished 5-4, with the other wins coming against Carroll, Idaho State, Northern Colorado and Montana Wesleyan.
BONUS: Jason Preston, in many meaningful ways, exemplified what it meant to play football for the Bobcats in the pre-World War II era.
A starter for three years, he hailed from Bozeman at a time when many students chose to attend the college in their hometown (whatever town that may have been). Preston was an inveterate outdoorsman, with many mentions of his name accompanied by his passion for hunting and fishing, and nearly two decades after he played football for the Cats he was still involved with Montana State football, serving as the program's athletic trainer.
Today in 1947, Preston died from injuries suffered in a hunting accident more than two weeks earlier.
Preston's death left a huge hole in the Bobcat Athletics community. From the November 13, 1947 Exponent, upon his injury: "In the jinx section comes another sad note. Popular with all athletes on the Hill, Jason Preston, MSC trainer and 'pop' to stars and fledglings alike, met with a serious hunting accident near Livingston last weekend. Jason, whose sly look and occasional subtle comment has spurred many of the lockeroom constituents, suffered from extreme shock and considerable loss of blood when a heavy calibre (sic) rifle bullet pierced the lower section of both legs. In serious condition last Monday he is now on his way to recovery in the Livingston hospital."
The Exponent and Montanan memorialized him in this way:
"In 1929 a powerful Bobcat squad came forth to defeat the Grizzlies for the first time in 25 years. At center for the Cats was an eager youth, a fellow who was on the gridiron playing his heart out because he loved football. There was no subsidy in those days ... this lad had to scratch for a meager enough income to put his way through school.
For three years he fought for the Gridcats, and in no small way lent his measure of success to the Blue and Gold. He loved that life of sports.
A week ago last Sunday, this life was taken from him. Jason Preston, a true sportsman, a friend and inspiration to the many who frequented the locker room here at State, lost his greatest clash of all. Montana State lost a fine trainer, and the boys in the Blue and Gold a solid influence.
The M Club held a Jason Preston Memorial Dance on January 17, 1948, at National Guard Armory The requested donation of $1 per person was donated to the family
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - #14 South Dakota St 47, MSU 40
2003 - Northern Iowa 35, MSU 14
1928 - Carroll 19, MSU 0 Sheridan
1923 - MSU 34, at New Mexico 0
1900 - MSU 11, at UM 0
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