GUNNISON, CO — Chadron State opened RMAC play with signs of life on defense and special teams, but No. 8 Western Colorado still controlled the night in a 30-9 win Saturday at Mojo Field at the Mountaineer Bowl. Shay Prichard drilled three field goals, including a career-long 50-yarder, and the Eagles came up with three takeaways.
That was not enough to overcome a deep yardage gap. Western Colorado rolled up 433 total yards and held Chadron State to 157, then widened the margin after a 3-3 first quarter. The Eagles fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Mountaineers stayed unbeaten at 3-0 and moved to 1-0 in the RMAC.
Turnovers gave Chadron State early chances
The Eagles grabbed the first break when Western running back Damien Nevil lost a fumble on the Mountaineers’ third snap. Ryder True recovered, giving Chadron State the ball at the Western 30. Two Devon Rivers runs covered 19 yards, and Prichard finished the short drive with a 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Western answered after quarterback Aidan Thompson was sacked and fumbled near the Eagle 19. Chadron State’s defense prevented a touchdown and forced the Mountaineers into a 34-yard field goal, keeping the game tight early. The teams were tied 3-3 after one quarter, and the Eagles were still within one score at halftime at 13-6.
Jahmir Everett, a senior from Miami, Florida, delivered the Eagles’ other first-half takeaway when he intercepted Western quarterback Josiah Roy early in the second quarter. Chadron State turned that turnover into another long-enough drive for points, its best offensive sequence of the game by both plays and yardage.
Prichard's leg kept the score close in the first half
Chadron State’s second scoring drive covered 38 yards in nine plays, with Chase Nelson providing most of the push on the ground. Nelson ran twice for 29 yards on the march, and Prichard capped it with a second 26-yard field goal to make it 6-3.
Prichard’s accuracy was one of the Eagles’ biggest positives all night. He converted every chance he got, adding the 50-yard kick late and finishing the game with all nine Chadron State points. Even in a game where the offense struggled to sustain drives, the special teams unit kept the margin from getting out of hand much earlier.
Western then took control with five straight scores, beginning with a 10-yard touchdown run by Roy. The Mountaineers also added a field goal just before halftime to take a 13-6 lead into the locker room and set up a second-half separation.
Western Colorado pulled away after halftime
After the break, Western Colorado scored on its first second-half possession and kept building the lead. Roy later threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Nevil, the longest scoring play of the night, and the Mountaineers were ahead 30-6 with six minutes left.
Chadron State had only 35 yards of offense in the second half and managed just one yard over its final three plays after another turnover created one last short field. Jarred Marquez, the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, forced and recovered a fumble to give the Eagles the ball at the Western 34.
That takeaway set up Prichard’s 50-yard field goal, which trimmed the final deficit to 30-9. It was the last meaningful scoring answer for Chadron State, which never reached the end zone despite three takeaways and three made kicks.
Quarterback pressure and a stalled offense defined the loss
Western Colorado consistently shut down Chadron State’s passing game and spent much of the night in the backfield. The Mountaineers sacked the Eagles’ quarterbacks seven times, a major reason the offense never found a rhythm or sustained enough drives to threaten late.
Aidan Thompson and Wyatt Sprague split time at quarterback. Sprague completed 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards, while Thompson went 3 of 9 for 11 yards. On the ground, Devon Rivers led Chadron State with 33 yards on eight carries, while Thompson added 16 yards on 10 attempts and Daytuawn Pearson rushed eight times for 17 yards.
Chase Nelson was the most explosive runner, finishing with 30 yards on only three carries. But the Eagles had just two drives longer than six plays and only one that topped 30 yards, which left too much of the game in the hands of the defense and kicking game.
Defense and special teams supplied the Eagles' bright spots
Even in defeat, several Chadron State defenders produced notable plays. Aiden Kuester led the team with 10 tackles, including five solo stops. Jarred Marquez and Cooper Walton each added nine tackles, and Walton recorded two tackles for loss. William Stemler also registered a sack.
The special teams unit kept putting the Eagles in position to stay competitive. Triston Hite averaged 42.9 yards on nine punts, placed three inside the 20 and hit a long of 65 yards. Devon Sundgren did not catch a pass after his big receiving day the week before, but he returned two kickoffs for 50 yards.
Garet Schlabs led Chadron State with three catches for 15 yards. Pearson and Koye Gilbert each added a 19-yard reception on their lone catches as the Eagles searched for answers against one of the RMAC’s top teams.
CSU Pueblo brings another top-10 test to Chadron next week
Chadron State will not get much time to regroup. The Eagles are set to host CSU Pueblo on Saturday, Sept. 19, in their second straight game against a top-10 opponent.
The ThunderWolves entered the weekend ranked No. 5 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the D2Football.com poll, and they opened RMAC play with a 45-17 win over Colorado School of Mines. That sets up another early conference test for a Chadron State team trying to recover from a road loss but still carrying clear defensive and special teams positives into next week.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
