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Solomon Latimer vs. William Jewell College
Kaitlyn Silva
Solomon Latimer (8) lines up on the outside against the Cardinals on Ray Dennison Memorial Field (Aug. 30, 2025)

Football heads to Rapid City for Saturday showdown with Hardrockers

9/26/2025 12:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
Fort Lewis College at South Dakota Mines
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2 p.m. | O'Harra Stadium | Rapid City, S.D.
Watch (RMAC Network) | Live Stats | Tickets | FLC Game Notes

DURANGO, Colo. – Fort Lewis football is headed north for a 2 p.m. kickoff in O'Harra Stadium up in Rapid City, S.D., on Saturday afternoon as the Skyhawks (1-2, 0-1 RMAC) look to get back on track in their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road test against the Hardrockers at South Dakota Mines (0-4, 0-2 RMAC).  
 
Defense Sets the Tone
Fort Lewis' defense has stepped up to the challenge thus far, holding opponents to 23 points per game, marking nearly a 20-point improvement from last fall. The Skyhawks' aggressive and adaptive three-man front has forced seven fumbles, recovering four of them, and picked off opposing quarterbacks six times. While six different Skyhawks have hauled in interceptions, none have put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks than Kalib Davis, who boasts one pick, two pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry.
 
At the helm of Fort Lewis defense stands Jake Penney, a redshirt junior inside linebacker from Sparks, Nev., who already boasts 34 total tackles in 2025, including 19 solo, 15 assisted, and 3.5 tackles for loss, as well as a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Penney has led the RMAC and ranked inside the top 10 in NCAA Division II in tackles per game since the start of last season. Additionally, Penney is currently tenth in DII in career tackles among active players.
 
Mixing Up Looks
With a mix of three quarterbacks under center, Fort Lewis has developed a more balanced attack than in recent years, with eight different non-quarterbacks finding the end zone thus far. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Morris leads the passing game, making 24 completions in 41 attempts (58.5% completion percentage) for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Sophomore Solomon Latimer has emerged as one of the top targets, making seven receptions for a team-leading 143 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, five different tailbacks have found the end zone, but Jamal Johnson leads the group with 23 carries for 97 net yards and one score. Orlando Guevara trails close behind with 93 net yards and one score on just 13 carries.
 
Soaring Skyhawks
  • Jacob Morris (R-So., QB) (295 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 59% completion percentage, 147.5 yards per game)
  • Jamal Johnson (R-So., RB) (97 yards, 1 touchdown, 23 carries, 4.2 yards per carry)
  • Orlando Guevara (So., RB) (93 yards, 1 touchdown, 13 carries, 7.2 yards per carry)
  • Solomon Latimer (So., WR) (143 yards, 2 touchdowns, 7 receptions, 20.4 yards per catch)
  • Jamille Humphrey (Sr., WR) (129 yards, 1 touchdown, 10 receptions, 12.9 yards per catch)
  • Jake Penney (R-Jr., ILB) (34 tackles, 3.5 tackles for 5 yards lost, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)
  • Elijah Portela (R-Jr., BS) (18 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup)
 
Series with South Dakota Mines
South Dakota Mines leads Fort Lewis 6-3 all-time since the two squads met on Sept. 3, 2011. The Skyhawks won the first three matchups, including a 53-52 overtime victory (Oct. 29, 2016) up in Rapid City, S.D., but the Hardrockers have since won six straight games, including three straight at O'Harra Stadium. FLC has been held to 20 points or fewer in four of the six games.
 
Hardrockers in the Early Going
The Hardrockers have had an uncharacteristic start to the 2025 season, losing their first four games to open the season for the first time since 2012. After dropping the season-opener 43-0 on the road at then No. 6-ranked CSU Pueblo (3-1, 2-0 RMAC), SDM then fell back-to-back to (RV) Michigan Tech University (3-1, 0-0 GLIAC) and Upper Iowa University (2-1, 0-0 GLVC) and was outscored by a combined 103-23. Last Saturday, however, South Dakota Mines nearly got back on track, losing 48-42 in overtime on the road at New Mexico Highlands (3-0, 1-0 RMAC).
 
With redshirt freshman Gage Baker, a six-foot gunslinger out of Surprise, Arizona, under center, the South Dakota Mines offense has averaged 294.5 yards per game, primarily through 223.25 yards per game through the air. Baker boasts 826 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions on 93 completions in 147 attempts (63.3% completion percentage). Dawson Dunbar and Jacoby Ogbonna lead all receivers with 153 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 246 yards and two touchdowns, respectively. The Hardrockers defense, however, has allowed opponents to average 48.5 points per game on 481.5 yards of total offense.
 
Top Hardrockers
  • Gage Baker (R-Fr., QB) (826 yards, 6 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 63% completion percentage, 206.5 yards per game)
  • Ty Harris (Sr., RB) (124 yards, 0 touchdowns, 23 carries, 5.4 yards per carry)
  • Dawson Dunbar (R-Jr., RB) (107 yards rushing, 0 rushing touchdowns, 28 carries, 3.8 yards per carry, 153 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 12 receptions, 12.8 yards per catch)
  • Jacoby Ogbonna (Fr., WR) (246 yards, 2 touchdowns, 24 catches, 10.3 yards per catch)
  • Joshua Morales (R-Fr., WR) (158 yards, 1 touchdown, 14 catches, 11.3 yards per catch)
  • Will Lester (Sr., DB) (36 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 1 blocked kick)
  • Charlie Johnson (Jr., LB) (31 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup)
 
Looking Ahead
Fort Lewis will face its toughest test of the season next Saturday, Oct. 4, as the Skyhawks welcome the top 10 Mountaineers from No. 7/5-ranked Western Colorado University (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) for its annual Pink Game, presented by CommonSpirit and Alpine Bank, at 12 p.m. on Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
 
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