Pine Island grad named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Week

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Aug. 31—FARGO, N.D. — Blake Schiltz kicked off his college football career with a bang.

The 2025 Pine Island graduate and Division I-FBS North Dakota State University defensive end was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday.

In his NDSU debut, a 33-7 victory over Jacksonville State on Aug. 29, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound redshirt freshman recorded a solo tackle, a sack and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Bison up by 20 points in the third quarter. Schiltz's fourth-quarter sack forced Jacksonville State to attempt and miss a 52-yard field goal.

Schiltz's standout performance came in NDSU's first game at the FBS level. The university announced in February that it was making the jump from FCS and joining the Mountain West.

Schiltz redshirted and did not see the field during the 2025 season, NDSU's last in FCS and the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Before college, Schiltz was a three-year starter and team captain for the Panthers, playing for his father, head coach Mitch Schiltz. As a senior, Blake recorded 79 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles, making him a Post Bulletin All-Area First Team Defense selection.

Schiltz was a three-sport athlete in high school in football, basketball and track and field. He won the 2025 Section 1, Class 1A title in shot put, later finishing seventh at the state meet. He was also on P.I's state qualifying 4×400 relay that season.

His younger brother Cody, a senior at Pine Island this fall, recently committed to Bemidji State University.

Blake Schiltz and the Bison are 1-0 this season and will host Fordham at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5.

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