Mike and MaryAnne Engle
MaryAnne and Mike Engle have a unique view on college football this season, as their son, Dalton Engle, son-in-law Tim Walstad and “honorary Engle,” Mitch Pelroy have all left Coupeville for the brave new world of Montana, where, backed by their wives and the support of family, friends and Wolf fans everywhere, the trio have embarked on a new odyssey at Montana Western University.
These are the words of Momma and Padre Engle, as we take that journey with them this year.
It was like dropping my kids off at kindergarten all over again. Only this time they were too big to cling to our legs and a few less tears. None the less it was a long 12 hour drive back home.
The trip was eventful, stressful and by no means a “vacation” but all the kids, Dalton and Amy Engle, Tim and Erin Walstad and “honorary Engle” Mitch Pelroy got settled in and the boys all disappeared Friday night and the only sightings from that point forward were from the sidelines watching them on the football field at practices or between meetings.
I’m pretty sure we knew what the boys were thinking because when we saw the size of some of those football players, our jaws dropped. When they max out the weight and height on the scale which comes out something like 350 plus pounds and 6 foot 6 inches plus, we weren’t in Coupeville anymore. The practice field looked like there was two or three teams using it at the same time.
Needless to say the boys had never seen anything like this before, and unlike playing at Coupeville they had to compete for 3rd or 4th string. As a freshman and unknown and unproven the best they could hope for was getting on the traveling squad. A small fish in a big pond.
As you might guess, the question came to our Coupeville boys mind, with maybe the exception of Mitch, was what did I just get myself into?
Add a dry 80ish degrees, 5100-foot elevation and a haze of smoke lingering in the air from forest fires in Montana and Idaho, that question gets repeated over and over — “What did I get myself into?”
By the fourth and fifth day, things started falling into place. The schedule got better, the altitude wasn’t as much a factor and they started to get to know some of the guys.
The new defensive schemes started making sense. At least it made sense to them. All we heard was “short, Rader, Tuscon” and then “Halo, Halo”. Lord only knows what the hand signals from the coaches meant!
It didn’t make sense to me but it did to them. Dalton, Tim and Mitch started making some plays … pretty cool.
I think I was more excited than they were. It did our hearts good to see them after practice tired, sweaty, dirty and happy. Gosh, I love football season!
Since then we found out that Dalton has been red-shirted (not sure about the other 2 yet) so I thought, cool, he gets a new shirt, and in my favorite color … not the case.
Just kidding!
We were kind of hoping he would get red-shirted. It’s a great opportunity to learn the program, get stronger, faster and smarter before knocking heads with 350 plus and 6’6” plus, and I am OK with that. They get to practice, lift weights, and go to school.
We are excited to see what is in store for these three Wolves, now UMW Bulldogs.
We will keep you up to date with what is happening. My amazing husband, Mike, and I will be doing the writing together. He is a huge part of, well … everything, and as Mike has said, he feels like he left his right arm in Montana. I think having a mother and fathers view will be much more valuable, and interesting.
Gridiron Momma & Padre
Coupeville Sports 
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