It hasn’t been easy for the Fort Lewis football team over the past few years. The Skyhawks haven’t won a game since Oct. 5, 2019. Last season, FLC went 0-11 overall last year and 0-9 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
FLC head coach Johnny Cox and the Skyhawks had a close call last season in a 25-24 loss at Adams State on Sept. 23. But they also lost 85-7 at home to CSU Pueblo and 82-0 at home to Colorado School of Mines last season.
Despite the losing streak and some real struggles over Cox’s first two years, he’s optimistic all the hours of work he’s put into the program will pay off.
“I’m very optimistic about the team,” Cox said. “They have a really good attitude. Guys really worked hard for these moments in the preseason. We have a very unselfish team and a very confident team. So we're really excited about how we've improved. More importantly, the players can see why we're a lot better than we have been. So that's great.”
FLC football had an eight-day acclimation period mandated by the NCAA before it could begin full practice on Aug. 15. During those eight days, the Skyhawks were limited with how much time they could spend in pads. Cox said it was a good time for players to get acclimated to the elevation again. Since Aug. 15, the team has been practicing at 7 a.m. to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms.
Cox said the coaching staff has tried to push the players to make them uncomfortable which will help them grow. He said the players have done an excellent job of responding.
One of the few bright spots last year was quarterback Braden Wingle. The senior threw 11 touchdowns to six interceptions. He threw for 2,276 yards with a 60.17 completion percentage.
But Wingle is gone and the quarterback spot is a question mark heading into the 2024 season. The Skyhawks have six quarterbacks on their roster. Five of those six quarterbacks are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
“We're really excited about the offense and the potential offense that we can put on there on the field,” Cox said. “We have some unproven quarterbacks, but we have some very talented quarterbacks so that always makes you optimistic and excited. But you also know that there should be some growth that happens in college football. It’s not going to be smooth sailing to get us playing the best there. But we're really excited about that.”
Cox and FLC have named redshirt freshman Stone Walker as the starting quarterback. The 6-foot 3-inch 175-pound quarterback is from Houston, Texas and played in three games last year before utilizing his redshirt season.
Walker is a very intelligent and athletic quarterback. Cox said he can get first downs with his feet and with his arm. He should open up the Skyhawks’ offense this year. Since Walker has gotten on campus, his presnap plan and his post-snap eyes have improved. Cox also said redshirt freshman Jacob Morris and redshirt sophomore Sam Jones are ready to play quarterback. Cox didn’t rule out playing a few quarterbacks early in the season as the team finds its offensive identity.
In the backfield, the Skyhawks have a lot of returning talent. Junior Cameron Mack returns after leading FLC with 443 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Junior Croix Burney also returns after finishing second on the team last year in rushing yards with 283 yards.
At 5-8 and 165 pounds, Cox said Burney can hit the one-play touchdown if he has the seam. He has great speed and is an all-purpose back. Cox said the running backs have been working on their footwork and breaking tackles to get more yards after contact.
FLC also returns a lot of talent at wide receiver. Sophomore Zachary Gaumont returns after leading FLC with 436 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Junior receiver Christopher Thomas Jr. also returns after having 392 receiving yards and four touchdowns last year.
“Zach is one of the fastest kids in the conference,” Cox said. “He runs track for the track team, and he’s an extremely fast receiver, a 10.5 kid (100-meter dash). He's a very good college athlete and he's a good football player. When he's out there, defenses have to consider his speed and play him accordingly, or they should. Then Chris Thomas may not have the track times like that, but he's what you call football fast. Football fast is just a great body lean, great arm action. Guys can get the most out of their talent playing that way.”
Cox is also excited about the progress junior wide receiver Jamille Humphrey has made and Cox thinks he’ll play a lot in the slot. The Skyhawks have recruited some bigger receivers and the coaches will see how they hold up when they’re given their opportunities.
On the offensive line, senior Jacob LaCroix returns after earning All-RMAC Honorable Mention last year. Junior Raef Wilkins also returns after not finishing last year due to an injury.
Defensively, Cox is excited about the strength of the linebacking core. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Penny returns after leading the Skyhawks in tackles. He’s been very consistent and exciting as a leader on the defense.
Sophomore cornerback Jordan Thomas returns for the Skyhawks. Cox has liked the competition level between Thomas and fellow cornerback sophomore Juma Kashanda and sophomore linebacker Kalib Davis.
FLC will start the season with a home game against William Jewell College on Aug. 31. Last season, the Skyhawks lost to William Jewel 42-6 in their opening game. Cox doesn’t know as much about William Jewel as they have a new coaching staff.
After that, FLC plays Arizona Christian University at home on Sept. 14. Then the RMAC schedule begins. Cox thinks the top-tier teams like CSU Pueblo, Colorado School of Mines and Western Colorado University will stay at the top.
Cox said the way he’s building the FLC program, once the Skyhawks get to that level they want sustained success. But first, FLC needs to get over the hurdle of winning it’s first game in almost five years.
“We feel like we're a good football team,” Cox said. “So our goal is to prove that every week and be very competitive. So it's not as simple as winning one game or nothing like that. We feel like that's definitely going to happen. We're not limited to something low like that. We want to be the best. When you go down a path that is valuable, it's not always easy. We've gone down the path for two years, building it. So now the rewards of that are in our face and we've worked toward these. So it's now taking the next step of playing our best with experienced players now and good attitude, good athletes. Winning is going to take care of itself.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
