Two 16-point first-half leads in two weeks, two losses.
The Fort Lewis College football team held a 23-6 halftime lead Saturday against rival Adams State University at Rex Stadium in Alamosa. Then, everything turned ugly for the Skyhawks.
The Grizzlies hit a 44-yard touchdown pass right out of halftime to secure momentum, and 58 yards worth of penalties against FLC on their next drive led to another Adams State touchdown.
Still, the Skyhawks led 30-20 with 12 minutes to play in the game, but Adams State quarterback Auston Hillman led his team down the field for consecutive touchdown drives, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass to Harry Adjei, to give the Grizzlies a 34-30 victory.
It was the second consecutive week the Skyhawks lost after leading by 16 points. A week ago, FLC was stunned at home in a 27-26 loss to Western State.
“When you’re in a program that doesn’t know how to win, I guess it is hard to learn it,” FLC head coach John L. Smith said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald, referencing the team’s eight consecutive losing seasons. “We have to play harder in the second half than you do in the first half, especially when you’re ahead, and we don’t know that.”
It was the final home game of Adams State head coach Marty Heaton’s career. He announced his plan to retire at the end of the season earlier this year.
“We got outcoached, plain and simple. You gotta go in at halftime, make adjustments, game-plan for the second half,” Smith said. “When they come out and go up and down the field on you and score, and we can’t put any points on the board, then it comes down to us as coaches.”
Adams State (4-6, 3-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) improved its all-time record against the Skyhawks to 34-14-1. The Grizzlies reclaimed the traveling musket trophy, a Springfield .45-70 military issue rifle that FLC (3-7, 2-6 RMAC) won last season with a 27-24 win in Durango.
The Skyhawks appeared poised to retain the musket. Linebacker Shane Nelson intercepted Hillman and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown and the game’s opening score.
Adams State quickly replaced Hillman with backup quarterback Lamar McKnight, who led the Grizzlies down the field for a game-tying score, a 10-yard pass to Adjei.
But FLC settled in to score 16 unanswered points in the second quarter.
Cameron Padilla, an FLC junior running back who transferred from Division I University of New Mexico, had touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards, and a bad snap on a punt by Adams State led to a safety.
The Grizzlies put Hillman back in at quarterback to start the second half, and he didn’t disappoint.
After the 44-yard touchdown pass from Hillman to Denzel McCullum to open the third quarter, the Skyhawks began to fall apart from a discipline standpoint.
Junior linebacker Ryan Ross, the team’s leading tackler who had 10 more tackles Saturday, was flagged for 30 yards of penalties in one play. He hit Hillman late out of bounds, leading to a 15-yard personal foul, and then he was penalized another 15 yards for abusive language toward an official.
Just two plays later, FLC junior defensive end Sione Folaumoeloa also was flagged for abusive language toward an official, and he was ejected from the game. Folaumoeloa leads FLC with 3.5 sacks this year, and the Skyhawks failed to record a sack Saturday.
Adams State capitalized on the 58 yards of FLC penalties, including a pass interference in the endzone that put the ball on the 2-yard line, and Hillman hit Zach Bagby on a 2-yard touchdown to cut the FLC lead to just 23-20.
FLC was flagged 11 times for 126 yards in the game, and six Adams State first downs came compliments of FLC penalties.
“Oh man, the penalties; that will cost you a game,” Smith said. “It’s a matter of a lack of discipline. It is the coach’s obligation to discipline those players. If they aren’t, the coaches aren’t doing their job. The finger is pointed right at me.”
Padilla was injured late in the third quarter and did not return to the game for FLC. He started in placed of injured starter PJ Hall, who has a sprained left ankle, and FLC was down to just Louis Mensah at running back the rest of the game. The top three rushers this season for FLC – Hall, Jordan Doyle and Padilla – all were out of the game with injuries. Doyle, the Skyhawks’ starting quarterback, missed his second game since suffering a broken leg that will keep him out the rest of the year.
Padilla finished with 57 yards and two scores on 23 carries.
Mensah, who finished with 39 rushing yards on 12 carries, delivered a big play for FLC early in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks faced a fourth-and-4 situation from the Grizzlies’ 28-yard line, and FLC sophomore quarterback Trevor Bonifasi hit Mensah on a quick pass that the big running back turned into a 28-yard touchdown. That score gave FLC a 30-20 lead.
FLC cornerback Theo Chambers came up with his third interception of the season and Hillman’s second of the game on the ensuing drive.
But the Skyhawks’ offense played conservative and went three-and-out on their next two possessions behind their backup quarterback and third-string running back, a converted middle linebacker.
“It’s always easier when the top-line guys are in there. We would love to have our first-team guys available, but that’s not the case,” Smith said. “As a team, we have to be able to step in and play your role and do your job when given the opportunity to win. To me, it’s just making an excuse to point to not having our top-line guys available.”
Hillman broke a 30-yard run down to the FLC 4-yard line, and he scored on a run one play later to get the Grizzlies within 30-27. Hillman finished with a game-high 81 rushing yards.
After another FLC punt, the Grizzlies had the ball with a chance to win the musket with less than 4 minutes to play.
Hillman, who finished 13-of-18 passing for 168 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, led the team down the field and hit Adjei to complete a 7-play, 75-yard go-ahead drive.
FLC got the ball back with 1:25 to play, but Bonifasi was intercepted on the first play, effectively ending the game.
Bonifasi finished the game 13-of-24 for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He added 49 rushing yards on seven carries.
Phil Romero had a game-high 105 yards on six catches for Adams State. Adjei added 66 yards and two touchdowns on five catches.
FLC will finish its regular season at noon Saturday against Chadron State (7-3, 6-2 RMAC). The Skyhawks still are winless this season against opponents with a losing record. FLC will have a chance to match last season’s record of 4-7 with a win against the Eagles.
“I’ve said it and will say it again: The good thing about athletics is there’s no time to celebrate wins and not a lot of time to cry about losses,” Smith said. “We will get going (Sunday), pick up and try to get a win next week.”
jlivingston@ durangoherald.com
Screamin’ Eagles gone in 60 seconds
CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State Eagles needed every last minute to fight off Western New Mexico at home.
Danny O’Boyle hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from John McLain with 57 seconds remaining in the game to send Chadron State to a 48-45 home win against the Mustangs on Saturday.
Western N.M. (4-6, 3-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) had pulled ahead 45-41 with 1 minute, 52 seconds to play on a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mitch Glassman.
Chadron State (7-3, 6-2 RMAC) led 31-27 going into the fourth quarter after coming back from a 17-7 first-quarter deficit.
McLain had a career day with 352 yards and five touchdown passes. Glassman had four touchdown passes of his own to go with 253 yards.
O’Boyle was on the receiving end of three of McLain’s touchdown tosses. He finished with 55 yards on seven receptions.
In a rare feat, the Mustangs outran the running-rich Eagles 336 yards to 175. Marques Rodgers had 205 yards and one touchdown on 36 carries for Western N.M.
Chadron State will finish its regular season next week against Fort Lewis College at Ray Dennison Memorial Field in Durango. Western N.M. will return home to Silver City, New Mexico, to host Black Hills State.
No. 8 CSU-Pueblo 52, Colorado Mesa 3
GRAND JUNCTION – Since losing to Fort Lewis College, the Mavericks’ losing streak now stands at three games.
The ThunderWolves (9-1, 7-1 RMAC) ran all over Colorado Mesa (5-5, 4-4 RMAC) to the tune of 209 yards on 42 carries. Meanwhile, the Mavericks rushed for only 72 yards and threw for another 104.
Cameron McDondle rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Chris Bonner was 22-of-37 for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and CSU-Pueblo routed the Mavericks in Grand Junction.
The ThunderWolves will try to wrap up an RMAC title at 2 p.m. Saturday at home against New Mexico Highlands. Colorado Mesa will complete its season by hosting Western State at 7 p.m. Saturday.
No. 19 Colorado Mines 35, Western State 26
GUNNISON – The Orediggers dug out of a 14-0 hole in the first quarter and a 20-14 halftime deficit to beat the Mountaineers.
Tevin Champagne ran for 181 yards and one touchdown, Justin Dvorak passed for 233 yards and four touchdowns, and Colorado Mines (9-1, 7-1 RMAC) rallied to beat Western State (4-6, 3-5 RMAC).
The Mountaineers were led by Brett Arrivey’s 209 yards and two passing touchdowns. Austin Ekeler ran for 101 yards and hauled in one touchdown pass.
Western State will complete its schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday at Colorado Mesa. The Orediggers will return home to host Adams State at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Black Hills State 30, N.M. Highlands 27
SPEARFISH, S.D. – A win lifted the Yellow Jackets out of the RMAC gutter. Replacing them: Fort Lewis College.
Black Hills State (3-7, 2-6 RMAC) secured a big home win against the Cowboys (4-6, 3-5 RMAC) on Saturday.
Steven Soderstrom was 3-for-4 kicking field goals for the Yellow Jackets, helping the team build a 30-13 lead before the Cowboys mounted a comeback that fell just short.
Ward Anderson threw for 296 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 48 yards and one score for Black Hills State.
Lance Orender passed for 159 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while backup quarterback Tanner Wright was 13-of-18 for 97 yards and one touchdown for the Cowboys.
The win put Black Hills State in ninth out of 10 teams in the RMAC. Though they have identical records as FLC, Black Hills State has the advantage with a head-to-head win against the Skyhawks this year.
The Yellow Jackets will wrap up the season at Western New Mexico at noon Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico. N.M. Highlands will travel to face No. 8 CSU-Pueblo at 2 p.m. Saturday in Pueblo.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
