For all of the offensive firepower that the Fort Lewis College football team produced Saturday afternoon against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, it was ultimately its kicking game that brought the season to an end in Rapid City.
The Hardrockers (5-6, 5-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) won 35-34 in overtime after Fort Lewis had two chances to put the game on ice.
FLC freshman Beau McCannon missed a potential 36-yard game-winning kick as time expired in the fourth quarter and also missed an extra point after the Skyhawks scored on their first possession of overtime. It was uncharacteristic for McCannon, who was 3-of-4 on field goals going into the day, and he had made a 49-yard field goal against Adams State earlier in the season to send the game to overtime.
Skyhawks’ second-year head coach Joe Morris said it was a tough way to end the season, but he also saw plenty of improvement from his team.
“Everybody was so supportive of Beau, and he’s such a great kid,” Morris said. “We had plenty of chances to win the game before overtime, and we couldn’t get it done. At the end of the day, we’re a team, and it’s a team loss tonight. We can’t pin it on one guy; we have to get back out there and pick ourselves up from here and look forward to where we can improve in the offseason.”
Fort Lewis (1-9, 1-9 RMAC) took the lead on its first and only possession of overtime on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by sophomore Erik Ornduff. McCannon’s extra point was wide right.
The Hardrockers would find an answer. Senior quarterback Jake Sullivan completed a pass on third-and-5, which brought the ball to the Skyhawks’ 12-yard line. Sullivan then found sophomore wide receiver Collin Zur for a touchdown on a fade route, and that tied the game at 34. Sophomore kicker Enis Sefa won the game with the following extra point.
Fort Lewis was in position to win the game in regulation thanks to a late turnover. Junior defensive back Suli Tukumoeatu forced a fumble on Hardrockers’ redshirt freshman wide receiver, and FLC defensive back Cam Thierry recovered the ball with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.
Ornduff led the Skyhawks to the 18-yard line. The Hardrockers attempted to ice McCannon, and it worked, as his kick sailed wide left as time expired.
The Skyhawks finished with 115 rushing yards and 245 receiving yards, one of the best offensive performances from an offense that struggled all season. Ornduff went 13-of-19 and threw three touchdown passes on the afternoon. Sullivan was able to out-duel Ornduff, as he finished 26-of-50 and threw four touchdowns.
Morris thought the offense improved dramatically, especially at the quarterback position.
“I thought our offense improved a ton, and that bye week really helped us,” Morris said. “It was so great for Erik to have the game like he did. He had a broken hand coming into this game, and he decided to play without his cast and was terrific. He showed a lot about the type of player that he, is and it was fun to watch.”
The next step for the Skyhawks is to fill the void of replacing 16 seniors who will graduate.
“We’re hoping to do a good job of recruiting and filling that void that these seniors left because they definitely left a positive mark on the program,” Morris said. “Hopefully, we will have the resources we need, and we are looking forward to that next step. Tomorrow is the start of the 2019 season for us, really.”
With Colorado School of Mines 49-20 win over Chadron State and Colorado State University-Pueblo’s 41-3 win over Western Colorado State Colorado University on Saturday, both the Orediggers and ThunderWolves finished atop the conference at 9-1. The teams will square off against each other in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs next Saturday in Golden. Morris said that every season the conference has gotten better.
“It looks like we’re going to get two teams into the playoffs,” Morris said. “The level of play goes up all the time, and if you look at the team we played today in South Dakota Mines, they’ve got one of the best quarterbacks and offenses around, and I think our defense did a good job of that. But, again, the level of play has gone up every year, and we’re hoping to take that next step in the upcoming offseason.”
bploen@durangoherald.com
