Before the season, Ed Rifilato said opening the season 0-2 would create a hole almost too big too crawl out of. His Skyhawks need to avoid doing just that Saturday.
Black Hills State (1-0, 1-0 RMAC) comes to town this week for a showdown noon Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Stadium in Durango. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 34-33 win against Adams State in Alamosa (0-1, 0-1 RMAC).
Rifilato, the head coach of the Fort Lewis College football team, is ready for the Skyhawks’ home opener after a 17-10 loss at Chadron State in the season opener in Nebraska. It was also the first game of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule, as the Skyhawks will play all but one RMAC team this season.
“When you start league first game of the year, nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Rifilato said Thursday in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “You hate to have that, because you would like to get more info about your team.”
Last week, the Skyhawks (0-1, 0-1 RMAC) learned that their defense is still as potent as a season ago, but the offense has a long way to go. Quarterbacks Larry Cutbirth III and Bo Coleman combined for only 91 passing yards. Coleman led a late 80-yard touchdown drive for FLC’s only touchdown of the game. Cutbirth used his feet to extend plays in the first half but was intercepted to set up a Chadron State score.
FLC’s two-time leading rusher PJ Hall fumbled twice and lost one while being held to 57 yards on 19 carries. Drake Griffin paced the offense with 85 rushing yards on 16 carries along with an 8-yard touchdown reception.
But FLC’s defense held Chadron State to zero points in the second half and only 110 rushing yards and 56 passing yards in the game.
This week, the Skyhawks will face a tough test in Black Hills State quarterback Ryan Hommel, who threw for 217 yards, two touchdowns and one interception at Adams State. Running back Phydell Harris is also a threat, as he demonstrated with 136 yards in Alamosa.
“Their quarterback, he’s a good quarterback,” Rifilato said. “I really like the guy, and I liked him when he was in high school. He’s an exciting player.”
Last year, the Skyhawks blasted the Yellow Jackets 48-7, as FLC amasses 458 yards of total offense.
Rifilato hopes home fans will get to see a glimpse of that same kind of game Saturday.
“I want to see them go out and play hard and have great passion for the game,” Rifilato said of his team. “I think they will do that. I’d like to seem them all look like leaders out there giving everything and being a class act. The rest of it will take care of itself.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
Black Hills State at Fort Lewis
What:
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football
When:
noon Saturday
Where:
Ray Dennison Memorial Field
Listen Live:
KIUP 930 AM, 97.3, 106.3 FM
Twitter:
@jlivi2
