New head coach Brandon Crosby didn’t pay much attention when the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll was released Wednesday. He was much happier to take in the environment of media day with four of his Fort Lewis College senior football players who grew up in Colorado and have played their entire careers for the Skyhawks.
Crosby and FLC joined the rest of the conference at the Denver Broncos training facility in Englewood for the RMAC Kickoff event. During the event, the preseason poll was released. A year after finishing last with a 1-9 record, the Skyhawks were picked last in the 11-team conference going into the 2019 season. FLC earned only 16 points, well behind Western Colorado University, picked 10th with 28 points.
Colorado State University-Pueblo was the clear favorite in the poll with 100 points and all 10 possible first-place votes. Colorado School of Mines was second with 88 points, and the other first-place vote from CSU-Pueblo head coach John Wristen, as coaches are not allowed to vote for their own school.
Chadron State came in third with 73 points, while Colorado Mesa was fourth with 72 points. In its last year of a two-year stint in the RMAC before going up to Division I in the Western Athletic Conference, Utah’s Dixie State came in fifth with 68 points. From there, it was a big dropoff.
“At this level, there’s a pretty big have and have nots in our conference,” said Crosby, who was named FLC’s interim head coach Jan. 10 after Joe Morris departed after two years leading the Skyhawks. “When you go 1-9 the year before, it doesn’t merit a better ranking. I’m not surprised, but it’s definitely motivation.
“Sometimes you gotta hit rock bottom before figuring it out and get where you want to be. I actually didn’t even know we were ranked last until people told me later (Wednesday). I don’t pay attention to that. I’m all about my team, my guys and making sure we’re doing what’s right.”
While in the Denver area, Crosby and his four players – Arealous Hughes, George Marpaung, Parker Strahler and Darrian Stickney – were able to take in Broncos practice and tour the facilities at the UCHealth Training Center.
“It was a really good experience,” Crosby said. “I brought up four Colorado high school kids who have been at Fort Lewis since they were freshmen. They’ve been through the ringer with Fort Lewis football, the ebbs and flows of it. They are guys who have a good idea of where the program should be going and were a good representation of what we want and the things we are trying to accomplish as a team and the foundations I’m trying to get laid out.
“Our guys are bought in and ready to go this season. Every player, especially after last year, wants to give it their all and end it with a bang. They are excited and moving in the right direction.”
Hughes, a wide receiver and kick returner, was the lone FLC athlete named to the RMAC preseason players to watch list, which replaced the All-RMAC preseason team. Marpaung, a two-time All-RMAC First Team award winner, was left off the list despite being recognized in consecutive years as one of the top defensive linemen in the conference.
Last season, CSU-Pueblo and Mines tied atop the conference with 9-1 records in conference play, while Chadron State and Dixie State tied for third at 7-3 in RMAC games.
FLC will kick off this season on the road Sept. 7 at New Mexico Highlands University and will open at home Sept. 14 against Dixie State at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. The Skyhawks went 0-5 on the road last season.
The Skyhawks will face a tough three-game road trip beginning Oct. 12 at Colorado Mesa University, followed by a trip to Mines and Western Colorado before finishing the regular season with two home games, Nov. 2 against CSU-Pueblo and Nov. 16 against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
FLC players will report to campus Aug. 12 and begin practice Aug. 13.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
