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Jacob Morris at Colorado Mesa
Enrique Quintero
Jacob Morris (13) drops back in the pocket against the Mavericks at Stocker Stadium (Oct. 25, 2025)

Skyhawks face Cardinals in Liberty to kick off 2026

8/28/2026 12:15:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
DURANGO, Colo. – The 64th season of Fort Lewis College football gets underway on Saturday, Aug. 29, from Greene Stadium in Liberty, Mo., as the Skyhawks soar east to challenge the Cardinals of William Jewell College.
 
Game Details
Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. from Greene Stadium. Tickets are available now through WJC Athletics. Fans at home can stream the game live with the purchase of a single-game pass on the Great Lakes Valley Conference Network, or follow along with live statistics courtesy of William Jewell. In addition, it will be the first true home game in the series between the Cardinals and Skyhawks, as 2023's contest was held at Liberty North High School due to stadium construction.   
 
A Quick Look at 2025
Fort Lewis was 2-9 overall last season, including a 1-8 record against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents, and was defeated by less than six points on two occasions. The Skyhawks offense fired off at its best since 2017, averaging 302.7 yards and 20.73 points per game behind first-year starting quarterback Jacob Morris.
 
On the defensive side, powered by D2Football.com Elite 100 Defense Squad member, Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-Super Region 4 Linebacker, and All-RMAC First-Teamer Jake Penney, Fort Lewis sat seventh in the league in points allowed per game (33.1), first in forced fumbles (15), third in interceptions (11), and sixth in sacks (17-98 yards). Junior offensive tackle Mikel Udengwu joined Penney on the All-RMAC First Team.  
 
RMAC Preseason Polls
The Skyhawks were picked ninth in the 2026 RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, capturing 16 points to edge out tenth-place Adams State University with 10 points. Defending RMAC Champions Colorado State University Pueblo was picked to win the league, earning 80 points on the back of eight first-place votes and one second-place vote. The ThunderWolves are followed by Western Colorado University (69 pts) in second, Colorado School of Mines (62 pts) in third, Chadron State College (60 pts) in fourth, Colorado Mesa University (52 pts) in fifth, New Mexico Highlands University (38 pts) in sixth, South Dakota Mines (34 pts) in seventh, and Black Hills State University (29 pts) in eighth.
 
The RMAC was well represented on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D2Football.com Top 25 Preseason Polls, led by CSU Pueblo, which checked in at No. 6 and No. 10, respectively. Western Colorado is close behind at No. 11 on both polls. Both Colorado School of Mines and Chadron State both received votes on the AFCA poll, but the Eagles get the edge with a nod at No. 21 on the D2Football.com poll.
 
Skilled Veterans
Fort Lewis returns plenty of skilled position players, but there may be no bigger threat than senior wide receiver Zachary Gaumont. The RMAC Indoor Track & Field 60-Meter Dash Champion led the Skyhawks with 577 yards and four touchdowns on just 28 catches last fall. Junior Solomon Latimer looks to take the next step as well, with the six-foot-two receiver hauling in 23 catches for 295 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore tight end Michael Collins is yet another threat downfield, adding another 122 yards and three touchdowns on just eight catches.
 
Fifth-year defensive back Trenton Sullivan has stepped into the Skyhawks' "Agent 0" title and looks to return from injuries as the spark plug on defense. In his last full season in 2024, Sullivan started all 11 games and racked up 56 tackles, including 43 solo stops, 10.5 tackles for a combined 48 yards lost, 7.0 sacks for 37 yards lost, forced and recovered a fumble, brought down an interception, and broke up one pass. Fifth-year defensive end Walter Stauffer will set the edge, boasting 99 tackles, 25 tackles for a combined 90 yards lost, and 12 sacks for 62 yards across his 33 career games. Safety Elijah Portela will lurk in the secondary, where the fifth-year hauled in two interceptions, broke up six passes, forced one fumble and recovered another two, and made 54 tackles a season ago.
 
New Pieces on the Board
The Skyhawks brought in a mix of 47 student-athletes in 2026, primarily through 42 new freshmen up on the rim. The NCAA's newest eligibility model removes the previous 30 percent of competition barrier to retain a year of eligibility, paving the way for all 42 freshmen to have an equal shot at securing a place in the rotation.
 
Fort Lewis also added five veteran collegiate talents, including senior running back Brennen Hills (Nebraska Wesleyan University), junior linebacker Coleman Morning (Pasadena City College), junior linebacker Tyler Schlappatha (El Camino College), linebacker JaVaun Lewis Jr. (Los Angeles Southwest College), and kicker Sebastian Stapleton (Mt. San Jacinto College).
 
Scouting the Cardinals
William Jewell enters the season picked to finish eighth among the GLVC's nine teams on the GLVC Football Preseason Poll. The Cardinals totaled 22 points after a 3-8 campaign in 2025, with a 1-7 mark against GLVC opponents. The Cardinals' three wins came by way of a 34-14 victory over the Skyhawks, a 48-21 rout of Kentucky Wesleyan College (0-11, 0-9 GMAC), and a 43-13 conference win in the season finale at home over Lincoln University of Missouri (2-9, 0-8 GLVC).
 
The Cardinals return fourth-year quarterback Tyler Kubat, who completed 174 passes in 260 attempts (66.9 percent) for 2,156 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Kubat will have a slew of new targets downfield, however, as the Cardinals' top nine receivers have since departed. Junior running back Cameron Emmons returns with the most receiving yards, 28 in total on four catches, and added another 98 yards rushing on 50 carries. Junior running back MicahJo Barnett returns as well, having rushed for 366 yards and four touchdowns on 71 attempts.
 
The linebacker combination of juniors Jonny Williams and Kyler Craigg looks to command William Jewell's defense once more, with the pair leading the roster with 65 total tackles and two forced fumbles each last season. In addition, Williams added another two fumble recoveries, an interception, three pass breakups, and 5.0 tackles for a combined 21 yards lost. Up front, Fort Lewis will have to prepare for fifth-year defensive lineman Derrick Von Hubbard, as the six-foot-one threat in the trenches racked up 13.0 tackles for a combined 60 yards lost, including 7.0 sacks for 53 yards.
 
Welcome to Saturday Night Lights
Fort Lewis will host Arizona Christian University for its first-ever "Black Out" themed contest under the brand-new lights of Ray Dennison Memorial Field next Saturday, Sept. 5. Kickoff against the Firestorm is scheduled for 6 p.m. Free Black Out T-shirts will be available for the first 400 fans in attendance, and tailgating will begin in the Art Lot two hours before kickoff. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of game day through HomeTown Ticketing.
 
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