To the winner goes the musket-firing privileges, a right Adams State has owned while defeating Fort Lewis eight consecutive times.
In Saturday’s renewal of the rivalry, the Grizzlies celebrate homecoming fresh off their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference loss, while Fort Lewis (4-0) leads the RMAC.
Adams State discovered depth at running back in a 25-10 loss to Western New Mexico. Former Colorado Springs Mitchell High School athlete Kenny Jenkins, recently converted from defensive back, carried 23 times for 142 yards, the first 100-yarder this season for Adams State.
Jenkins wasn’t even listed on the two-deep roster a few days before the game.
“It took him a couple weeks to learn the system, and Tyree (Walton) couldn’t go, so we put Kenny in and he did a great job,” Adams State coach Wayne McGinn said.
The team’s rushing leader, Walton (223 yards on 43 carries) is expected to return Saturday and split time with Jenkins.
“They are two different types of running back, so that helps us in different situations,” McGinn said.
Jenkins (5-feet-11, 195 pounds) is a power back. Walton (5-6, 165) is a scat back.
McGinn also will continue using both quarterbacks, Billy Lindquist and Clint Buderus, if Buderus recovers from a knee injury that kept him out of Saturday’s loss.
Though peer coaches tabbed Fort Lewis to win the RMAC, Skyhawks coach Ed Rifilato is cautious.
“I think we have a lot of weaknesses,” he said. “We’re a long way from being any good. The reason we’re 4-0 is the order of the schedule. We have to get a lot better as coaches and players and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Adams State presents part one of a difficult period with No. 17 Chadron State looming Oct. 14.
As part of his team-oriented philosophy, Rifilato does not post stats in the locker room or praise individual players in his comments to the media.
“We have a good group of guys that are working hard and I’m very proud of them for that,” he said.
Footnotes
Colorado Mines senior quarterback Garrett Mehl has missed the past three games with an undisclosed injury and is questionable again for Saturday against New Mexico Highlands. If Mehl cannot play, Keenan Bruchez, a freshman from Hayden, is expected to start. …
The Colorado chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame chose Orediggers running back Bryan Florendo as its player of the week.
Florendo piled up a career-high 222 yards on just 16 carries, including three touchdowns, against Panhandle State.
