As the Marauders open the 2026 season, meet the four student-athletes carrying the responsibility, pride, and promise of leading Marauder football forward.
Tonight, the wait is over.
The 2026 Marauders football season begins under the lights in Glendive, Montana, and four student-athletes will lead the way: Christian Arteaga, Christopher Federico, Ryan Blair, and Ethan Heinrich. They bring different strengths to the field, but they share the qualities that define a Marauder captain: preparation, accountability, toughness, and a commitment to the people beside them.
These are not simply four players wearing a captain’s title. They are four examples of what leadership looks like in the locker room, in the classroom, during the hardest practice of the week, and when the game is on the line.
Every strong team begins with dependable work in the trenches. Entering his fifth year, defensive lineman Christian Arteaga brings veteran strength, consistency, and a steady presence to the Marauders defense.
The 6-foot, 245-pound defensive lineman from Corcoran, Minnesota, played in all 11 games in 2025, starting 10. He finished the season with 18 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and a sack. More than the numbers, Arteaga has built his reputation through reliability. He has appeared in every game over the last three seasons, giving his teammates a leader they can count on snap after snap.
Arteaga’s leadership was formed long before he arrived in Bismarck. A two-time high school team captain at St. Louis Park High School, he understands that leadership is earned through daily habits: showing up, doing the work, and making the people around you better.
For the Marauders, No. 42 represents the kind of strength that does not need to be announced. It is felt in the meeting room, at the line of scrimmage, and throughout the defense.
If Arteaga brings stability to the front, linebacker Christopher Federico brings the intensity that drives the entire defensive unit.
The senior from Henderson, Nevada, has led the Marauders in tackles in each of the last two seasons. He recorded 79 tackles in 2024, followed by 73 tackles, including 53 solo stops, in 2025. His performance against Southwest Minnesota State last season — 11 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss — earned him NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Federico plays with the kind of urgency that changes the energy of a defense. He reads the moment, attacks the play, and sets a standard for effort that teammates can see and feel. That competitive edge was sharpened during his time at Silverado High School, where he helped win two state championships.
Now, as a Marauder captain, Federico’s challenge is bigger than making tackles. It is helping establish the expectation that every player prepares with purpose, plays with discipline, and refuses to take a single opportunity for granted.
No. 49 is not just chasing the ball. He is setting the tone.
Leadership looks different when every player in the huddle is looking your way. Fifth-year quarterback Ryan Blair embraces that responsibility with poise, confidence, and a proven ability to deliver when the moment demands it.
The 6-foot, 200-pound signal-caller from Spokane, Washington, made an immediate impact for the Marauders in 2025. Across three games, Blair completed 69 percent of his passes for 992 yards and nine touchdowns. His performance against Jamestown — 341 passing yards and three touchdowns — earned him NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Blair arrived at the University of Mary with an impressive résumé. In 2024, he set Whitworth University’s single-season passing touchdown record with 37 touchdowns and was named NWC Offensive Player of the Year.
But a quarterback’s influence cannot be measured by statistics alone. It is measured by communication, composure, and the ability to keep a team connected through every momentum swing. Blair’s role is to bring clarity to the huddle, confidence to the offense, and belief to every player wearing the Marauders uniform.
No. 3 has the ball in his hands, but his leadership reaches every part of the team.
Rounding out the captain group is senior tight end Ethan Heinrich, a versatile offensive weapon who brings physicality and dependability to the Marauders.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Chandler, Arizona, native appeared in all 11 games in 2025, starting four. He finished the season with nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including the first touchdown of his career in a win over Southwest Minnesota State.
Heinrich’s value extends beyond the stat sheet. Tight ends are asked to do a little of everything: block, release into routes, make tough catches, and create opportunities for teammates. That versatility makes Heinrich an important piece of the offense and a natural leader for a team that expects every player to contribute.
An All-State wide receiver at Valley Christian High School, Heinrich has the skill set to make plays in space and the size to bring a physical edge to the line of scrimmage. As a captain, he brings the same reliability to the locker room that he brings to the field.
No. 84 is ready for whatever the game requires — and ready to help his teammates do the same.
The Marauders open the season tonight against Rocky Mountain College in a Week 0 matchup at Oakland Athletic Complex’s Perham Field in Glendive. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Central Time, or 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
This is more than a season opener. It is the first meeting between the programs since 2005, when the Marauders earned a 38–14 road victory. Marauder leads the all-time series 11–3, but tonight begins a new chapter between two programs with deep connections across North Dakota and Montana.
The game also carries a personal homecoming feel for the Marauders coaching staff. Head coach Shann Schillinger is a Montana native who grew up in Baker, while offensive line coach Mike Person returns to Glendive, where he grew up before building a celebrated playing career at Montana State and in the NFL.
Under the lights, the captains will lead a team that represents more than a roster. They represent the work of current student-athletes, the belief of coaches and families, and the enduring pride of every former Marauder who helped build this program.
To every Marauder football alum, family member, supporter, and friend: tonight is your invitation to be part of the moment.
Watch the game. Share the story. Stand behind the players. Celebrate the leaders who are carrying the program into its next chapter.
The Marauder Football Alumni Association exists to connect past, present, and future . Membership is one way to stay connected, preserve the legacy, and help create greater opportunities for the players who will carry it forward.
Every Marauder. Every Gift. Every Impact.
Join the Marauder Football Alumni Association and help build a legacy that fuels the future.
Go Marauders.
*Not an Official Organization of the University of Mary.