In late November, Bayfield’s Wyatt Freier led a dynamite defense to the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A State Championship. On Wednesday, he decided to stay close to home and play football for Fort Lewis College.
Freier led the Wolverines in receiving yards and was third on the defense with 47 tackles. He was one of many commitments to choose the Skyhawks on National Signing Day as Fort Lewis landed recruits in football, soccer and softball.
Joining the Bayfield linebacker/wide receiver on the gridiron at FLC under new head coach Ed Rifilato will be a five more hopefuls on both sides of the ball.
At the quarterback position, the Skyhawks nabbed a player from one of the state’s top teams in Jake Lowry from Columbine High School.
Lowry led Columbine to a 12-1 record. The team’s only loss was a 21-20 heartbreaker in the semifinals of CHSAA’s Class 5A State Football Playoffs. As a dual threat, Lowry threw for 943 yards and 13 touchdowns without throwing an interception. Also dangerous on his feet, he racked up 1,049 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
In the trenches, Fort Lewis picked up some muscle on both sides of the ball. Offensive tackle Ethan Reddell will come to Durango from Winnie, Texas, where he played five sports at East Chambers High School.
On the defensive end, junior defensive tackle Dominic Surace will come to Fort Lewis from Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. Surace had 40 tackles and four sacks last season.
Cade Hairgrove from Fort Collins’ Rocky Mountain High School hopes to help in the offensive and defensive backfields as a corner and running back. Last season he ran for 21 touchdowns while piling up 1,230 yards.
Tight end and defensive end Sam Kullberg led Brighton High School in catches and touchdowns.
Junior college transfers Jake Anderson, Joshua Cuellar, Doniel Kennedy and Matthew Roy will bring talent and a bit of experience to Fort Lewis.
Anderson and Cuellar are coming from Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, and hope to provide a lift to the defense. Anderson plays safety and Cuellar is an interior defensive lineman.
At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and 6-7, 250, Kennedy and Roy will be a load to stop no matter who plays at tight end.
The Skyhawks’ women’s soccer team swept up forward Meredith Curran from Austin, Texas. Curran was a four-year varsity player at Austin High School.
Also signing with Fort Lewis was softball player Madison Stanich from Mission Hills High School in California.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
