Kaitlyn Silva

Stone Walker (7) keeps it and rushes out to the right side against the Firestorm on Ray Dennison Memorial Field (Sep. 14, 2024)

Skyhawks host Cowboys for Nike N7, Senior Day game up on the rim

11/8/2024 12:45:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

Fort Lewis vs. New Mexico Highlands
Saturday, Nov. 9, 12 p.m. | Ray Dennison Memorial Field | Durango, Colo.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets

DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College football team (2-7, 1-6 RMAC) will square off with New Mexico Highlands (2-7, 2-5 RMAC) this Saturday up on Ray Dennison Memorial Field as the Skyhawks celebrate senior day and its first Nike N7 game in its final home game of the regular season.

Senior Day
The Skyhawks will celebrate 14 graduating seniors including Asa Roberson, Calvin Raab, Xavier Rawls, Jacob Burr, Trey Goughnour, Soliz Sanchez, Hunter Villavicencio, Nicholas Minacapelli, Ayden Madrid, Jack Hanenburg, James Rogers, Jacob LaCroix, Noah Salazar, and Kabe Merhish.

Nike N7
Since its creation in 2009, the Nike N7 Fund has awarded over $7.5 million in grants to 259 Native American and Aboriginal communities and organizations, reaching more than 500,000 youths. The N7 Fund supports organizations that provide sports and physical activity programming to youth in these communities. Fort Lewis College is honored to be one of just 11 institutions nationwide selected to participate in the games.

Veterans, First Responders, and Service Personnel Week
This week, Fort Lewis College Athletics is proud to offer free admission to either football or basketball games for veterans, first responders, and service personnel. Fans will need to show a valid Military or service ID. Fort Lewis College also offers free admission to any regular-season home athletic events to anyone who displays a CIB card or Tribal Card. Tickets purchased to either football or basketball will grant admission to both events. Fans looking to attend the Skyhawks women's soccer RMAC Tournament First-Round match tomorrow will need to purchase a separate ticket through the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Conference Leaders
Last Saturday, junior defensive end Walter Stauffer had quite the night up-front as he made 2.5 tackles for five yards lost. Stauffer now has 12.5 tackles for 35 yards lost on the season, a team-high, and is tied for the third-most in the RMAC with Colorado Mesa's Colin Stuhr. In the middle of the Fort Lewis defense stands redshirt sophomore Jacob Penney who continues to dominate the league with a conference-leading 93 total tackles on the season. Boasting 58 solo and 35 assisted tackles, Penney is tied for the ninth-most tackles per game (10.3) and has the ninth-most total tackles in all of NCAA Division II.

Old West Shootout
New Mexico Highlands enters Saturday with an identical record to the Skyhawks of 2-7, but has picked up both wins in conference play for a 2-5 RMAC record. Most recently, NMHU is coming off a 56-21 loss at home to then-no. 18-ranked Colorado School of Mines (7-2, 5-2 RMAC). The Cowboys are averaging 26.3 points per game while allowing 43.7 points per game, and has not scored fewer than 10 points in a game this season.

The Cowboys have lived by the ground game this season, rushing for 216.9 yards per game against 167.7 yards passing for a combined 384.6 yards of total offense. Tevita Valeti headlines the rushing attack averaging 90.2 yards a game and 5.4 yards per carry for 812 net yards and seven touchdowns through 149 attempts. Quarterback Joey Cave leads the passing game with 914 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 68 completions in 119 attempts (57.1 percent).

Season Finale
Fort Lewis is on the road next week for its final game of the 2024 campaign. The Skyhawks will head up to Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium to challenge the no. 14/21-ranked Orediggers at Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Nov. 16, at noon.

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