The Fort Lewis College football team will get its first glimpse at the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Monday when head coach Joe Morris and three players attend the RMAC Kickoff, a media day event to be hosted at the Colorado Springs Marriott.
This is the 12th year the RMAC will provide teams a kickoff event. Morris, FLC’s second-year head coach, will be joined by senior wide receiver Mason Hatton, senior defensive back Donell Pleasant III and senior linebacker Isiah Mayberry, a 2014 graduate of Durango High School.
A year ago, Mayberry was an All-RMAC Second Team selection after he recorded 77 tackles, two sacks and one interception. He has played 29 games for FLC dating back to his true freshman season.
Hatton, originally from Phoenix, hauled in 38 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns last season. He is also on special teams as a sure-handed punt returner. He has played for the Skyhawks all four years of his college career.
Pleasant, originally from San Diego, will enter his second season with FLC. As a transfer from Howard University and Southwestern College, the defensive back earned All-RMAC First Team honors last year. His four interceptions ranked third in the conference, and he returned two for touchdowns. He also made 65 tackles.
FLC went 5-6 last season with a 5-5 mark in conference play. The Skyhawks will get a chance to showcase their team in a unique season opener this year. New Mexico Highlands will visit Durango at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 for a Friday night game under the lights at Durango High School.
Seven-time RMAC champion and 2014 national champion Colorado State University-Pueblo will likely be picked first in the preseason poll. The ThunderWolves split the 2017 conference title with Colorado Mesa and was involved in a three-way tie atop the conference in 2016 with Colorado Mesa and Colorado Mines. Fort Lewis hasn’t won a conference title since 1984.
Colorado Mesa quarterback Eystin Salum was named the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year Thursday. He averaged 224.1 passing yards per game last season and completed 56 percent of his passes. He threw 20 touchdowns.
CSU-Pueblo’s Brandon Payer was named the preseason defensive player of the year. Last year, he had 110 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and a conference-high 12 tackles for a loss.
Chadron State’s Zack Kozlik was named the preseason special teams player of the year. The Eagles’ punter set a school record with an average of 41.37 yards per punt.
The rest of the RMAC preseason awards and coaches poll will be released Monday morning before the kickoff event. FLC is scheduled to take the podium for its 10-minute press conference at 9:05 a.m. The press conference can be streamed on the RMAC Network.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
