UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, Sept. 10 2016 | 12 p.m.
Fort Lewis Vs. Black Hills State
Durango, Colo. | Ray Dennison Memorial Field
Audio: http://www.radiodurango.com/ 
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/fortlewis/football 
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fortlewis/

NEWS & NOTES
Fort Lewis College will play their first home game of the 2016 season this Saturday at 12 p.m. against Black Hills State University.  The Skyhawks charted their first win against the Yellow Jackets last season at home, 48-7.
 
Black Hills State University leads the all-time series against the Skyhawks, 3-1.  FLC is 1-1 when facing BHSU at Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
 
The Yellow Jackets (1-0, 1-0 RMAC) squeaked by Adams State University last Saturday, 34-33.  ASU had a chance to tie the game with five seconds remaining but their two-point conversion attempt failed.
 
The Yellow Jackets' 34 points are the third most in the RMAC.  The 217 rushing yards against BHSU are the second most in the league.  BHSU sacked the Grizzlies three times, tying the most by any team in the opening weekend.
 
FLC dropped their first game of the season last Saturday at Chadron State College, 17-10.  The Skyhawks held the Eagles scoreless in the second half, and held them to 166 yards of total offense.
 
The Skyhawks rank No. 1 in the league in total defense (166.0 yards), almost 100 yards less than the next team.  FLC also leads the league in pass defense (56.0 yards), opponent first downs (10), and time of possession (35:54).  The Skyhawks defense is also second in the league in rushing defense (110.0 yards).
 
Running back Drake Griffith carried the 16 times against the Eagles for 85 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
 
Senior wide receiver Jordan Gillen caught six passes for 63 yards, the fifth most in the league.  He also ranks seventh in the RMAC in kick return yardage after returning two kickoffs for 19 yards.
 
Joseph Cavale made his first field goal attempt on Saturday after splitting the uprights on a 24-yard field goal attempt.  He added another point on a PAT conversion.  Cavale punted four times and averaged 42.2 yards per punt, the second most in the RMAC this season.
 
Junior running back PJ Hall became only the third running back in school history to rack up at least 1,000 yards in a season.  Hall carried the ball 230 times for 1,128 yards in 2015, the second most by any FLC back (Scott Stamper-1,206 yards, 1982 and Joe Moore-1,058 yards, 2000).  Hall needs 1,677 yards to tie the all-time rushing leader Joe Moore (3,566 yards, 2000-2004).
 
The Skyhawks are under the direction of head coach Ed Rifilato.  Rifilato is in his second term as head coach at FLC.  He was previously head coach of the Skyhawks from 2004-2009. 
 
The 2016 season is Rifilato's 11th season with the Skyhawks football program.
 
FLC returns six offensive starters (Preston Geib, Jordan Gillen, PJ Hall, Matt Mahe, Austin Shaw and Kenny Shinley) from the 2015 campaign, and four defensive starters (Andrew Ike, Shane Nelson, Kohlton Tegeler and Daniel Walker).
 
The Skyhawks received 59 points in the 2016 RMAC Football Preseason Poll and were fifth overall in the poll.  FLC was behind preseason favorite CSU-Pueblo (100 points), Colorado Mesa (88 points), Colorado Mines (83 points), Western State (67 points) and Chadron State (64 points). 
 
Fort Lewis finished the 2015 season 7-4 overall and 6-3 in the RMAC.  The seven wins and six league wins are the most since 2006.
 
Andrew Ike was voted to the 2016 RMAC Preseason Team.  As a junior in 2015, Ike was named to the All-RMAC First Team, the All-National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter Second Team, and the NFFCC All-Academic Honorable Mention team. He ranked 14th in league in tackles with 78 and led the RMAC in forced fumbles with three.
 
Also earning preseason honors is offensive lineman Kenny Shinley.  Shinley earned All-RMAC Second Team accolades as a junior last season.  He was part of an offensive line unit that led the Skyhawks to the second most rushing yards in the conference (234.0 yards per game) and the fourth highest scoring offense (33.9 points per games).