PUEBLO — Cameron McDondle took an off-tackle handoff then bucked off would-be tacklers like he was flicking fleas, rumbling and tumbling 58 yards toward the end zone. But he didn’t make it.
All that straight-ahead strength left him 5 yards short.
“I gotta get some wheels so I can finish those runs,” McDondle said. Maybe the Colorado State-Pueblo senior running back meant he needed more speed. Or maybe he actually wants wheels to ride around on.
No matter. On the next play — in a season-turning victory against perennial rival Colorado Mines two weeks ago — McDondle walked to the sideline and younger brother Bernard McDondle, a sophomore, swept the final 5 yards for a touchdown.
Defending Division II national champion CSU-Pueblo continues to roll as a national power, helped in big part by the McDondle brothers.
On Saturday, No. 4 CSU-Pueblo (8-1) will host No. 16 Colorado Mesa (8-1) in a 2 p.m. game at the ThunderBowl in a game that will decide the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title.
“People see how we play,” Cameron McDondle said. “It’s not like we do anything tricky. It’s just hard-nosed football. If you like football, that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
One of the toughest aspects of college football, whether it’s Alabama or Alabama A&M, is handling the constant turnover of players. By the time a team builds up its young talent, the players are ready to leave.
But in the football-mad city of Pueblo, the ThunderWolves have turned over top teams continually since 2011, just four years after reviving their program. Behind coach John Wristen, a former University of Colorado assistant under Gary Barnett, CSU-Pueblo has won four consecutive RMAC titles, with a 56-5 record during that span.
“It’s a point we try to make when we recruit,” Wristen said. “We want kids here who want their degree and want to play at a high level. And we’ve got a good bunch of kids who love to compete.”
Pueblo’s ability to flip from one winning year to the next can best be seen, as an example, in the McDondle tag-team.
Cameron McDondle leads Division II with 1,783 rushing yards and 199.2 yards per game, along with 22 rushing TDs. Although he’s just 5-foot-7, he’s able to shoulder enough of the running load to allow the ThunderWolves a balanced attack.
But after Cameron plays out his final season, Bernard McDondle will slot right into his spot as the bellcow back. As his brother’s backup, Bernard has rushed for 788 yards.
“I used to come to the games to watch my brother,” Bernard said. “And I just wanted to be with these guys (at CSU-Pueblo). I saw what they did on the field, and I really wanted to be a part of it.”
The brothers played together in high school, helping lead Columbine to the Class 5A title in 2011.
“I did a little begging,” Cameron said of recruiting his brother. “I said, “You know you want to play with me again.’ It wasn’t too hard. But I nudged him a little. Now that he’s here, he loves it.”
Other former area prep standouts dot the roster. Defensive leaders include senior linebacker Joe Rosenbrock from Brush High and junior safety Joseph Jones from Fountain-Fort Carson High, the team’s leading tackler. The ThunderWolves are allowing 14.7 points, the sixth-fewest nationally but trailing Colorado Mesa, second best in Division II at 13.0 points per game.
“They bring in a lot of guys who come in, buy into what Wristo’s coaching and we stay a tight-knit group,” Cameron McDondle said. “It just works out. Everybody trusts in our goal.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or @nickgroke
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Running roughshod
CSU-Pueblo, defending Division II national champion, has won four consecutive RMAC titles. The McDondle brothers, Cameron and Bernard, are a big key to their success this season.
| Category | Cameron | Bernard |
| High School | Columbine ’11 | Columbine ’13 |
| Height | 5-7 | 5-9 |
| Weight | 200 | 170 |
| Year | Senior | Sophomore |
| Position | RB | RB |
| Rushing yards | 1,783 | 788 |
| Yards per game | 199.2 | 98.5 |
| Rush TDs | 22 | 10 |
