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Cameron Mack (34) against Arizona Christian 2022-23
Shaun Stanley Photography
Cameron Mack (34) takes the hand-off from Braden Wingle (14) and splits the gap up the middle.

Fort Lewis Football opens conference schedule at New Mexico Highlands

9/16/2022 12:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Athletic Communications Assistant
DURANGO, Colo. – After a tough season-opener at home last Saturday, the Fort Lewis College football team is headed to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to open its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule against the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys & Cowgirls.
 
"I think Highlands is a talented team and we are excited for the challenge this Saturday," Fort Lewis Head Coach Johnny Cox said. "They have a new staff, new schemes, they're organized, and they play hard. I believe we have a high character team that's focused on getting better and we'll see drastic improvements from week one to week two."
 
Game Information
Saturday, Sept. 17
1:00 p.m. MDT.
Vs. New Mexico Highlands University
Sanchez Family Stadium
RMAC Network | Live Stats
Purchase Tickets | FLC Game Notes
 
Last Week's Season Opener
The Skyhawks kicked off their 2022 campaign at home last week against the Arizona Christian Firestorm, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. While Fort Lewis was able to score more points (12) in Saturday's game alone then on eight separate occasions in 2021, they were unable to catch the Firestorm and fell 52-12.
 
Braden Wingle gave the offense life to start the second quarter, marching 65 yards down field and connecting with Zach Russell for an 18-yard touchdown; the first of the season. Wingle finished the afternoon 21 for 39 on pass attempts (53%) with one touchdown and four interceptions. On the ground Wingle finished with a loss of three yards after being sacked five times by the Firestorm defense.
 
Arizona Christian's Tyler Duncan led the opposition, completing 13 of his 24 passes through the air (54%) including three touchdowns and one interception. Duncan was also a strong force for the ACU running game, rushing for 35 yards and a single touchdown on 11 total attempts.
 
Scouting New Mexico Highlands
The Cowboys are 0-1 this season after dropping their home opener to Eastern New Mexico University, a member of the Lone Star Conference, 34-18. New Mexico Highlands produced 331 yards of total offense, just 53 yards less than ENMU (384). It was a lost fumble, a missed red-zone opportunity, and converting on just five of 16 third downs that gave the Eastern New Mexico the edge.
 
True freshman quarterback Michael Jackson spearheaded the Cowboys offense, connecting on 23 of his 39 pass attempts (58%) for 206 total yards. Jackson also connected with two different receivers, CJ Sims and Quavon Beckford, for a pair of NMHU touchdowns. Sims finished with 11 catches for a total of 88 yards while Beckford caught just four passes for 48 yards.
 
On the ground Jackson took a loss of 15 yards on five attempts with a pair of sacks thanks to Eastern New Mexico's David Sweet and Kevin McCracken. Malakai Rango was the Cowboys leading rusher, securing 81 net yards on eight touches.
 
Skyhawks Leaders
After Saturday's game Wingle stands as the Skyhawks leader at the quarterback position. While he did finish with four interceptions, Wingle had an effective completion percentage of 53% and 154 total yards with FLC receivers. Russell is the Fort Lewis leading receiver, picking up 58 yards and a touchdown on six catches. Drake Cortez is right on his heels after securing 42 yards on six catches last Saturday.
 
True freshman Cameron Mack emerged as Fort Lewis' leading rusher on Saturday. While four different Skyhawks secured carries, Mack led the group with 12 total yards. Keegan Hagger was the workhorse on special teams, completing his first field goal of the season alongside three kickoffs for 183 total yards and a 61.0-yard average.
 
Looking Ahead
Next week Fort Lewis is back at home next Saturday, Sept. 24, to welcome Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival Adams State. The Skyhawks and Grizzlies will kick off at 2:00 p.m. MDT.
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