GOLDEN — Everything in Gabe Kortz’s life seems to be moving only in one direction: forward.
He got married this past July to his longtime girlfriend. He recently landed a new job in Kansas City with an engineering company. And in a few short weeks, he’ll be leaving Colorado School of Mines with two degrees in hand, and a certificate for good measure.
But even with so much in front of him, he isn’t allowing the sun to set on a stellar football career just yet. With an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA after the 2020 season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the sixth-year senior is doing everything he can to keep his playing days alive one more weekend — and cap it off on his terms, with a trophy.
A shot at the Division II national title is in sight. But first Kortz and the Orediggers, making their first D-II semifinal appearance in program history, must beat four-time national champion Valdosta State on Saturday in Georgia.
“Every single week I’m playing football and not out in the real world is a win in my book,” Kortz said with a smirk following last weekend’s quarterfinal win over Angelo State.
Of course, Kortz is already in the real world. He got his bachelor’s degree in 2020, completed his Master of Science in May, and is now on track to earn a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in space resources while working as a 3D coordinator. He’s done all of this while also helping Mines reach unprecedented heights.
It’s stories like Kortz’s that have kept the Orediggers (12-1) alive and playing for much more. He is one of six sixth-year seniors on the roster — three on the offensive line (Blake Ray, Zach Budzik, Justin Wood) and two more on defense (NT Jack McAdams, OLB Chaffin Ross).
For head coach Gregg Brandon, having the added experience has made Mines stronger across the board.
“I think our senior leadership has done a tremendous job,” Brandon said. “To play this year, kids were like, ‘Hey, this could be gone in one second,’ and they’re all playing like itap their last snap, their last game. They’re playing with great heart and intensity.”
Kortz, a 6-foot, 215-pound redshirt senior from Centennial, was a three-time Class 5A state champion at Valor Christian. Brandon lured him to Mines as part of his first recruiting class. Six years later, he’s the team’s leading tackler (73) as an inside linebacker and has recorded 10 tackles for loss.
“Once you step on campus, watch one game, or see one practice, you see that, yeah, itap a good academic school, but they tend to undersell the level of football that we got here,” Kortz said.
In addition to his studies, Kortz is also an avid outdoorsman. His dad introduced him to the outdoors as a child, and he discovered a love of bow hunting through Scott Zimmerman, his inside linebacker coach at Valor.
“For that first second, the whole world kind of slows down,” Kortz said. “(Hunting) relates to football where you’ve gotta calm your nerves, and when the play comes, or the animal comes along, you gotta be able to execute. … Everything sets up, and as soon as you see your key, whether a lineman or a back steps a certain way, you just go 100 miles per hour. Thatap how our defense plays, too. We’re able to play smart, but play fast.”
After spending so much time on campus, Brandon joked it felt like Kortz has been in Golden for a decade. Itap gotten to the point where it’s a struggle to find academic programs for him to remain eligible.
But the coach said it’s impossible to overstate the impact Kortz and the other sixth-year seniors have had on the team. And with the foundation set for the future, they have two games left to leave behind a legacy that will echo long after they’re gone.
“Itap just another day to play football,” Kortz said. “Play the game that we love and honestly at this point itap about giving back to the guys who have gone before and didn’t have the opportunity to play in these types of games. Itap also for the younger guys out here setting up a culture of being excellent in the classroom and on the field.”
Colorado Mines (12-1) at Valdosta State (11-1)
When: 10 a.m. MST Saturday
Where: Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Ga.
How to watch: Streaming on ESPN+
A formidable Orediggers defense, led by LB Gabe Kortz, takes on a Blazers team that leads Division II in total offense (526.3 yards per game). The matchup to watch will be in the trenches, where the Blazers’ top pass-blocking unit (two sacks allowed) faces a Mines defense that leads the nation in sacks (52). They also have the fourth-highest turnover margin at plus-18, and are sixth in points allowed (13.2).
The Blazers, who reached their sixth Final Four in program history, are led by back Seth McGill (1,178 yards) and quarterback Ivory Durham, who has thrown for over 3,000 yards. On the other side is an equally scorching Orediggers offense, with four pass catchers with over 400 yards receiving and Harlon Hall finalist Michael Zeman (1,503 rushing yards, 26 total TDs) in the backfield.
