Coaches around the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference were clear when they made picks in the preseason football poll. They were confident in the top three teams and bottom three teams in the conference. What happens in the middle is anyone’s guess.
Fort Lewis College found itself in the middle when the coaches poll was unveiled Monday during RMAC Kickoff media day in Colorado Springs. The Skyhawks were picked eighth with 46 points. That was 16 points clear of ninth-place Adams State University. It also was only one point behind seventh-place Black Hills State University and two points back of sixth-place South Dakota Mines.
Second-year head coach Joe Morris has his sights set higher than eighth a year after the team went 5-6 overall and 5-5 in the RMAC to finish sixth in the conference.
“I think we have the ability to go out and win every single week,” Morris said. “Whether we get that done is yet to be seen. We are going to have to figure out who we are here after this offseason, but talent-wise, I think we are good enough to go out and win every game, not just compete. Of course, we have got to stay healthy.”
Colorado State University-Pueblo was once again picked to finish first in the conference. The ThunderWolves earned eight of a possible 11 first-place votes and 98 points. Colorado Mesa earned one first-place vote and 88 points to come in second, while Colorado School of Mines earned two first-place votes and 84 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
FLC landed five players on the Preseason All-RMAC team. Senior offensive lineman Jeffrey Brinkley was the lone offensive player selected. The Skyhawks have boasted one of the conference’s top defensive units in recent years, and this year it is the offense hoping to keep up and pick up the slack under first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Crosby.
“I’m really excited about the guys we have coming in,” Morris said. “Crosby is going to bring some new flair to what we’re doing on offense. We will do things a bit differently. Jeff Nady is also helping the O-line and brings a new energy to that crew.”
Defensively, senior lineman Christopher Blanton and junior lineman George Marpaung were named to the preseason all-conference team along with junior linebacker Darrian Stickney and senior defensive back Donell Pleasant III.
Pleasant had two interception returns for touchdowns last season and ranked third in the RMAC with four interceptions. He also had 65 tackles.
Stickney led the team in tackles last year with 100, and he had 1½ sacks, one interception and a fumble forced and recovered.
Blanton recorded 10½ tackles for a loss last year, including 7½ sacks. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one. He finished with 28 tackles.
Marpaung had 21 tackles and was a constant force in the backfield last season.
“Defense is a priority at Fort Lewis, and it’s been that way since 2013 when I came back to the staff,” Morris said. “With the returners we have on that side of the ball, we’re excited about them as good leaders. We have seven starters coming back, and they have control of the locker room.”
FLC will kick off the 2018 season at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Durango High School against New Mexico Highlands. It’s a chance for the Skyhawks to play a night game in front of the Durango crowd.
“I’ve spent 14 years in Durango since I was a player in 2001,” Morris said.
“There’s always been kind of a disconnect between our football program and the town of Durango. I know there are a lot of things to do in Durango other than watch a football game, but I think every community likes football. Our goal is to bring football down into Durango and see if we can get people interested and excited in our team.
“To play at the high school on a Friday night, we want to get the town behind us and excited. When we play Saturdays at noon, a lot of people are on mountain bikes and hiking around. But we hope fans come see us, get excited and that we can add them to our home games when we get back to the college and play on Saturdays.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
