GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Colorado Mesa scored the first 38 points and Chadron State the final 22 in a rather bizarre Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football game played in Grand Junction on Saturday afternoon.
             
The Mavericks led 17-0 at halftime and scored 21 more points in the first 3 minutes and 35 seconds of the third quarter after intercepting three consecutive passes and turning them into touchdowns.
             
About three minute later the Eagles used a turnover to jump-start a rally. Defensive end Gabe Perkins forced a fumble that linebacker Joey Geil took 65 yards to the Mesa 15-yard line. Three plays later substitute quarterback Mason Hamilton scored on a 13-yard run. 
             
On the Mavericks' ensuing possession, Chadron State's All-American defender Hunter O'Connor sacked the Mesa quarterback, forcing a punt.  On the Eagles' first play after taking possession at midfield, Hamilton connected with wide receiver Brodie Roden deep downfield on a pass that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown.  It cut Mesa's lead to 38-14 following Wilson Yee's conversion kick. 
             
Chadron State closed the gap some more two minutes into the fourth period when running back James Marschall scored on a one-yard plunge.  The opportunity was set up when true freshman Tucker Peterson stole a Mesa pass at the Mavs' 28-yard line.  CSC added a two-point conversion when its punter and placekick-holder, Brodie Eisenbraun, ran the ball into the end zone.
             
It appeared that Eagles were going to score again with about six minutes remaining  when a 19-yard pass thrown by wide receiver Simeon Marton was on target to fellow wideout Rollin George in the end zone, but at the last instant was broken up by Mesa linebacker LaMarkus Reed.
             
The Mavericks, now 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the RMAC, dominated the first half, picking up 13 first downs and gaining 237 total net yards while limiting the Eagles to just five first downs and 70 yards.
             
Mesa initially scored on the final play of the first quarter by completing an 11-play, 95-yard drive when Keyshawn Ashford went the last two yards.  After Henry Katleman, who also added the extra point all five Mesa TDs,  had kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8:22 left in the second period, Ashford scored again with six seconds remaining before halftime on a one-yard tote. It came on the next play after quarterback Gavin Herberg had connected with his leading receiver, David O'Connell, on a 40-yard pass.
             
Chadron State got first possession of the ball in the second half. Misfortune struck the visitors almost immediately.
             
On the second play, quarterback Preston Pearson's pass was intercepted by Mesa cornerback Ja'Carl Williams, who returned the pick 23 yards to the CSC 25. Three plays later, Herberg hit Keenan Brown with a 13-yard pass in the end zone.
             
Williams, who is just 5-7, also swiped the initial pass on the Eagles' next possession and this time took the pigskin 40 yards to the goal line for another touchdown.  Only 80 seconds later, the Mavericks scored again after linebacker Colin Stuhr had intercepted a third CSC pass at the Eagles' 23 and Herberg raced to the end zone on the ensuing play.
             
Herberg was both the game's leading passer and rusher. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 192 yards and carried 10 times for 46 yards.  O'Connell caught five passes for 94 yards to lead the receivers.
             
The Mavericks finished with 333 total net yards
             
Chadron State finished with 281 yards. Hamilton, seeing his most action of the season, completed 12 of 22 passes for 162 yards.  His 51-yard touchdown pass to Roden was the game's longest play. Roden finished with five receptions for 72 yards and returned three kickoffs 43 yards. Jeydon Cox caught four passes for 51 yards out of the backfield.
             
Linebacker Logan O'Brien led Chadron State in tackles with nine, one more than both Reed Henkel and O'Conner made. Peterson added seven to go with his interception.
             
The Eagles are now 4-6 for the season and 3-5 in the conference.  They'll wrap up the schedule this Saturday by hosting South Dakota Mines for a noon kickoff.


                                           CSC                      CMU
First Downs                        15                         19
Total Net Yards               281                        333
Rushes, Yards                31-80                     46-141
Passing Yards                   201                         192
Passing                           16-34-4                  15-24-1
Return Yards                      152                       100
Punts. Average                4-43.1                 6-41.0
Fumbles, Lost                     2-1                       2-1
Penalties, Yards                8-93                    8-71


Chadron State           0            0            14          8      ---22
Colorado Mesa          7         10             21          0     ---38
CMU—Keyshawn Ashford 2 run (Henry Katleman) kick.
CMU—Katleman 27 field goal.
CMU—Ashford 1 run (Katleman kick)
CMU—Keenan Brown 13 pass from Gavin Herberg (Katleman kick)
CMU—JaCarl Williams 40 interception return (Katleman kick)
CMU—Herberg 23 run (Katleman kick)
CSC—Mason Hamilton 13 run (Wilson Yee kick)
CSC—Brodie Roden 51 pass from Hamilton (Yee kick)
CSC—Jake Marschall 1 run (Brodie Eisenbraun run)

Volleyball loses but clinches playoff berth

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The Chadron State College volleyball team fell 3-1 against the Hardrockers from South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, Saturday night, 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, and 25-21, but clinched its first playoff berth since 2003 in the process.
 
The loss drops CSC to 14-11 overall and 7-6 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play but they remain in sixth place.
 
The first RMAC playoff berth by CSC volleyball since 2003 may not look guaranteed when looking at the RMAC standings, but if CSC Sports Information office's math is correct, a playoff berth is guaranteed.
 
Chadron State hosts New Mexico Highlands on Friday night, who they defeated in three sets earlier this season. An in-depth breakdown of playoff seeding will be provided in the preview article for that match.
 
In short, due to Fort Lewis and Colorado Mines still having a match against each other remaining, no matter what the results of next weekends contests are, Chadron State will remain a top eight team in the RMAC.
 
Today, South Dakota Mines hit a season high .374 in the victory compared to CSC's .182.
 
Mayson Fago, a senior from Evans, Colorado led the Eagles offensively at the net with 13 kills while hitting .273. Lexi Hurtado added nine kills while Bella Adams and Aiyana Fujiyama each had seven and hit .429. The Hardrockers were led by Ivy Vindivich with 19 and Alessandra Meoni with 18 kills.
 
CSC's setters, Kendyl Kirkwood and Rylee Ward, had 20 and 11 assists, respectively.
 
Defensively, Alondra Hernandez, a junior from Provo, Utah, had a team high 16 digs while Fujiyama, a junior from Wahiawa, Hawaii had four blocks.
 
The matchup with New Mexico Highlands begins at 4 p.m., on Saturday. CSC Volleyball seniors will be honored at the match.

Eagles compete at Maverick Open

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- The Chadron State College women's wrestling team competed at the Maverick Open hosted by Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado, Saturday.
 
The Eagles were led by a second-place finish from Kamila Montenegro, a senior from Las Vegas, Nevada, at 191 pounds.
 
Montenegro started her day with an 11-0 tech fall in the quarterfinals before pinning her opponent in 3:24 in the semifinals. Jayleen Sekona from Colorado Mesa, who defeated Montenegro last night, won the title with a 4-1 decision.
 
Three different Eagles competed in the 101-pound bracket. Mana Chanthasone, a freshman from Liberal, Kansas, defeated her teammate Britley Lopez, a sophomore from Borger, Texas, for fifth place.
 
At 109 pounds, Heavynne Robles-Wright, a sophomore from Las Cruces, New Mexico, earned a third-place finish after defeating her teammate Brianna Vollendroff in the third-place match.
 
Robles-Wright started her day by being defeated in the bracket's quarterfinals. She proceeded to pin her following three opponents before defeating Vollendroff with a 9-3 decision.
 
Vollendroff, a sophomore from Oroville, California, had a similar path but only needed two pins to reach the third-place match. In the match before the matchup with her teammate, Vollendroff recorded a 10 second pin.
 
At 136 pounds, Annika Lee recorded a pin in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals and eventually losing the fifth-place match, placing her sixth.
 
Ana Rojas Zamora, Shania Wear and Raquel Moore each went 2-2 in their respective weight classes while Emma Meadows finished her day with a 1-2 record.
 
The Eagles travel to Forest City, Iowa for a matchup with Waldorf University on November 11.

Cross Country season concludes at Regionals

LUBBOCK, Texas -- The Chadron State College men's cross-country team placed 12th and the women placed 16th at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional held in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday.
 
Compared to last season, the men jumped 10 spots in the team's standings and the women jumped eight. This year, there were a total of 26 teams and 173 runners on the women's side. The men's side had 168 runners and 25 teams.
 
Charles Fossey, a sophomore form Rock Springs, Wyoming, had the highest finish for both Chadron State teams, placing 43rd after running the 10k in 31:28.50.
 
Next to cross the finish line on the men's side was Topi Alahuhta, a sophomore from Pine, Colorado. Alahuhta finished in 31:56.083, placing him 55th.
 
Cale Schafer and Nate Mann finished in 72nd and 82nd place, respectively. Schafer, a junior from LaSalle, Colorado ran his race in 32:30.338 while Mann, a junior from Queen Creek, Arizona, finished in 32:43.597.
 
Kyle Shirley, a senior from Queen Creek, Arizona, was the last athlete on the men's side to score for the Eagles. Shirley placed 124th after finishing in 34:09.917.
 
Josie Diffendaffer led the women's team for CSC. Diffendaffer, a sophomore from Berthoud, Colorado, ran the 6k race in 23:31.158, placing her 88th.
 
Next to cross the finish line was Samantha Rodewall in 95th place. Rodewall, a freshman from McCook, Nebraska, finished in 23:40.156.
 
Alissa Wieman and Lydia Peters were the next two to cross the finish line for Chadron State. Wieman, a junior from Box Elder, South Dakota, placed 102nd at 23:53.151, while Peters, a sophomore from Sidney, Nebraska, crossed the finish line in 24:00.901, placing her 105th.
 
In 117th place was Kinsey Poulson, a freshman from Commerce City, Colorado. Poulson finished in 24:32.390, being the last one to score for the CSC women.
 
Freshmen Misti Schlabach and Katelyn Beshara crossed the finish line in 126th and 154th for the women while Wyatt Bly and Miles Mitchell placed 139th and 151st, respectively for the men.