Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!

<div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - 10/28/25" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qempz-19a83f9-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!<figure>
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🔊 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - 10/28/25

Story by NU Athletic Communication

*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).

*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.

*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench

*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14

*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins

*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foes

On using the next week to figure out rotation spots.

“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.

“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”

“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the

2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.

On what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season

“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”

Fred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.

On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league

“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”

Story by NU Athletic Communication*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foesNebraska Head Coach Fred HoibergOn using the next week to figure out rotation spots.“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.On narrowing down the guard spot“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”On Braden Frager“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.Midland Head coach Tyler ErwinOn what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”On defensive intensity in the first halfFred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”

Huskers cruise past Midland, 91-50

🏐 Nebraska Prep Subdistrict &amp; District Playoff Brackets

B-7 District ◼ #1 Gering vs #4 Omaha Mercy 10/30 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Bennington vs #3 Gretna East 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Bennington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;

B-6 District ◼ #1 Columbus Lakeview vs #4 Lexington 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Lakeview ◼ #2 Lincoln Pius X vs #3 Sidney 10/30 - 5:30 MT at Lexington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;

B-3 District ◼ #4 Alliance vs #5 Schuyler 10/28 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Scottsbluff vs #3 Seward 10/30 - 4:00 MT at McCook CC ◼ #1 Omaha Skutt vs ALL/SCH Winner 10/30 - TBD ◼ 11/1 - Finals

C1-10 Subdistrict at Ogallala ◼ #4 Chadron vs #5 Cozad - Chadron 3-1 10/27 - 1:00 MT ◼ #3 Chase County vs #6 Bridgeport - Chase County 3-0 10/27 - 2:30 ◼ #1 Ogallala vs CHD/COZ Winner - Ogallala 3-0 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Gothenburg vs CC/BPT Winner - Gothenburg 3-2 10/27 - 5:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 MT - Ogallala vs Gothenburg

C2-10 Subdistrict at Valentine ◼ #4 Kimball vs #5 Gordon-Rushville - Kimball 3-1 10/27 - 5:00 at Hemingford ◼ #3 Hemingford vs #6 Mitchell - Hemingford 2-1 10/27 - 6:30 at Hemingford ◼ #1 Valentine vs Kimball 10/28 - 5:00 MT ◼ #2 Perkins County vs Hemingford 10/28 - 6:30 MT ◼ 10/29 - Finals - 6:00 MT

D1-12 Subdistrict at Morrill ◼ #1 Morrill vs #4 Bayard - Morrill 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 ◼ #2 Wauneta-Palisade vs #3 Sutherland - WP 3-0 10/27 - 5:30 MT at WP ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Morrill vs WP

D2-12 at Hay Springs ◼ #1 Hay Springs vs #4 Cody-Kilgore - Hay Springs 3-0 10/27 - 5:00 ◼ #2 Crawford vs #3 Minatare - Crawford 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼&nbsp; 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 - Hay Springs vs Crawford

D2-11 Subdistrict at Garden County ◼ #4 Banner County vs #5 Creek Valley - Banner County 3-1 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Potter-Dix vs #3 Leyton - Potter-Dix 3-0 10/27 - 5:15 ◼ #1 Garden County vs BC/CV Winner - Garden County 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Garden County vs Potter-Dix

D2-10 Subdistrict at Thedford ◼ #1 Sandhills/Thedford vs #4 Arthur County - S/T 3-0 10/27 - 4:30 MT ◼ #2 Mullen vs #3 Hyannis - Mullen 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 MT ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 MT - S/T vs Mullen

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633474113203.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏐 Nebraska Prep Subdistrict &amp; District Playoff BracketsB-7 District ◼ #1 Gering vs #4 Omaha Mercy 10/30 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Bennington vs #3 Gretna East 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Bennington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;B-6 District ◼ #1 Columbus Lakeview vs #4 Lexington 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Lakeview ◼ #2 Lincoln Pius X vs #3 Sidney 10/30 - 5:30 MT at Lexington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;B-3 District ◼ #4 Alliance vs #5 Schuyler 10/28 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Scottsbluff vs #3 Seward 10/30 - 4:00 MT at McCook CC ◼ #1 Omaha Skutt vs ALL/SCH Winner 10/30 - TBD ◼ 11/1 - Finals<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>C1-10 Subdistrict at Ogallala ◼ #4 Chadron vs #5 Cozad - Chadron 3-1 10/27 - 1:00 MT ◼ #3 Chase County vs #6 Bridgeport - Chase County 3-0 10/27 - 2:30 ◼ #1 Ogallala vs CHD/COZ Winner - Ogallala 3-0 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Gothenburg vs CC/BPT Winner - Gothenburg 3-2 10/27 - 5:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 MT - Ogallala vs GothenburgC2-10 Subdistrict at Valentine ◼ #4 Kimball vs #5 Gordon-Rushville - Kimball 3-1 10/27 - 5:00 at Hemingford ◼ #3 Hemingford vs #6 Mitchell - Hemingford 2-1 10/27 - 6:30 at Hemingford ◼ #1 Valentine vs Kimball 10/28 - 5:00 MT ◼ #2 Perkins County vs Hemingford 10/28 - 6:30 MT ◼ 10/29 - Finals - 6:00 MT D1-12 Subdistrict at Morrill ◼ #1 Morrill vs #4 Bayard - Morrill 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 ◼ #2 Wauneta-Palisade vs #3 Sutherland - WP 3-0 10/27 - 5:30 MT at WP ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Morrill vs WP D2-12 at Hay Springs ◼ #1 Hay Springs vs #4 Cody-Kilgore - Hay Springs 3-0 10/27 - 5:00 ◼ #2 Crawford vs #3 Minatare - Crawford 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼&nbsp; 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 - Hay Springs vs CrawfordD2-11 Subdistrict at Garden County ◼ #4 Banner County vs #5 Creek Valley - Banner County 3-1 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Potter-Dix vs #3 Leyton - Potter-Dix 3-0 10/27 - 5:15 ◼ #1 Garden County vs BC/CV Winner - Garden County 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Garden County vs Potter-DixD2-10 Subdistrict at Thedford ◼ #1 Sandhills/Thedford vs #4 Arthur County - S/T 3-0 10/27 - 4:30 MT ◼ #2 Mullen vs #3 Hyannis - Mullen 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 MT ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 MT - S/T vs Mullen

🏐 UPDATE: Nebraska Prep Subdistrict Playoff Brackets & Scores

🏈 Nebraska Class D 8-Man Playoffs: Round 1 Scoreboard

◼ D1: #13 Hemingford 64, #20 East Butler 14

◼ D1: #6 Bridgeport 48, #27 Clarkson/Leigh 26

◼ D1: #5 Crofton 90,&nbsp;#28 Kimball 20

◼ D2: #1 Howells/Dodge 60, #32 Hyannis 12

◼ D2: #11 Mullen 54,&nbsp;#22 Maxwell 13

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601073390785.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏈 Nebraska Class D 8-Man Playoffs: Round 1 Scoreboard◼ D1: #13 Hemingford 64, #20 East Butler 14◼ D1: #6 Bridgeport 48, #27 Clarkson/Leigh 26◼ D1: #5 Crofton 90,&nbsp;#28 Kimball 20◼ D2: #1 Howells/Dodge 60, #32 Hyannis 12◼ D2: #11 Mullen 54,&nbsp;#22 Maxwell 13

🏈 Nebraska Class D 8-Man Playoffs: Round 1 Scoreboard

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team announced its 2026 schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 22. It features four home meets at the Bob Devaney Sports Center amongst 11 competitions.

NU will open its season at home as it hosts the Ameritas Masters Classic on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. (CT). The event will feature Missouri, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Stout.

The Huskers will open Big Ten competition with an away meet at UCLA in Los Angeles on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. (CT). Nebraska will then host Minnesota at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;

The Big Red will host Ohio State the following week on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. (CT). Nebraska will follow that up with a road competition in Iowa City against Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. (CT).

NU will compete at the Bob Devaney Sports Center again on Sunday, Feb. 15 against Illinois at 2 p.m. (CT), before heading to two road conference matches — Friday, Feb. 20 at Maryland at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and the Big Fours meet in College Park, Pa., on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. (CT), where Nebraska will compete against Penn State, Michigan and Washington.

The Huskers will end their regular season with two more road competitions at TWU at 7 p.m. (CT) on Friday, March 6, and at North Carolina on Friday, March 13 at 5:45 p.m. (CT). The North Carolina meet will also feature Penn State.&nbsp;

Nebraska will have 13 returnees this season, including Second-Team All-Big Ten member Whitney Jencks.&nbsp;

NU welcomes seven freshmen in Ahnna Kalmes, Karys Griffin, Hailee Bowen, Merideth Brandt, Aubrey Gilliland, Peyton Pech and Tegan Shaver.&nbsp;

2026 Nebraska Women’s Gymnastics Schedule

Jan. 10 - Ameritas Masters Classic (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.

Jan. 17 - UCLA (Los Angeles, Calif.) - 5 p.m.*

Jan. 24 - Minnesota (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.*

Jan. 31 - Ohio State (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.*

Feb. 7 - Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa) - 6 p.m.*

Feb. 15 - Illinois (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 2 p.m.*

Feb. 20 - Maryland (College Park, Md.) - 6:30 p.m.*

Feb. 28 – Big Four (College Park, Pa.) – 5 p.m.*

March 13 - North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.) - 5:45 p.m.

Schedule subject to change. For the most updated schedule with postseason information, check huskers.com.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska women’s gymnastics team announced its 2026 schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 22. It features four home meets at the Bob Devaney Sports Center amongst 11 competitions.NU will open its season at home as it hosts the Ameritas Masters Classic on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. (CT). The event will feature Missouri, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Wisconsin-Stout.The Huskers will open Big Ten competition with an away meet at UCLA in Los Angeles on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. (CT). Nebraska will then host Minnesota at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;The Big Red will host Ohio State the following week on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. (CT). Nebraska will follow that up with a road competition in Iowa City against Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. (CT).NU will compete at the Bob Devaney Sports Center again on Sunday, Feb. 15 against Illinois at 2 p.m. (CT), before heading to two road conference matches — Friday, Feb. 20 at Maryland at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and the Big Fours meet in College Park, Pa., on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. (CT), where Nebraska will compete against Penn State, Michigan and Washington.The Huskers will end their regular season with two more road competitions at TWU at 7 p.m. (CT) on Friday, March 6, and at North Carolina on Friday, March 13 at 5:45 p.m. (CT). The North Carolina meet will also feature Penn State.&nbsp;Nebraska will have 13 returnees this season, including Second-Team All-Big Ten member Whitney Jencks.&nbsp;NU welcomes seven freshmen in Ahnna Kalmes, Karys Griffin, Hailee Bowen, Merideth Brandt, Aubrey Gilliland, Peyton Pech and Tegan Shaver.&nbsp;2026 Nebraska Women’s Gymnastics ScheduleJan. 10 - Ameritas Masters Classic (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.Jan. 17 - UCLA (Los Angeles, Calif.) - 5 p.m.*Jan. 24 - Minnesota (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.*Jan. 31 - Ohio State (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 3 p.m.*Feb. 7 - Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa) - 6 p.m.*Feb. 15 - Illinois (Bob Devaney Sports Center) - 2 p.m.*Feb. 20 - Maryland (College Park, Md.) - 6:30 p.m.*Feb. 28 – Big Four (College Park, Pa.) – 5 p.m.*March 6 – TWU (Denton, Texas) - 7 p.m.March 13 - North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.) - 5:45 p.m.*Big Ten matchupAll times are CTSchedule subject to change. For the most updated schedule with postseason information, check huskers.com.

Huskers release 2026 gymnastics schedule

On this episode of the Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show, brought to you by Harris Sales, Jake Schrantz talks with head football coach, Tristin "TD" Stein, as well as Alliance High School Activities Director, Brent Bauer. They break down the recent events of the Bulldogs football program, as well as the significance of ending the regular season against Ogallala on Friday, October 24.

By Jake Schrantz<div><iframe title="Alliance Bulldogs Coach's SHow - 10/22/25 (Football & AD Brent Bauer)" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=d8k5s-199f64a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show, brought to you by Harris Sales, Jake Schrantz talks with head football coach, Tristin "TD" Stein, as well as Alliance High School Activities Director, Brent Bauer. They break down the recent events of the Bulldogs football program, as well as the significance of ending the regular season against Ogallala on Friday, October 24.

Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show - 10/22/25 (Football & AD Brent Bauer)

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information Director

CHADRON, Neb. – Year one of the Chris Francis era has left a positive impression on the rest of the conference, with the Eagle men's basketball program receiving one first-place vote and finishing seventh overall in the 2025-26 RMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.

The seventh-place projection comes after the Eagles were picked 15th but finished eighth in 2024-25, sealing the program's third consecutive trip to the RMAC Tournament.

The poll is based on a vote of the league's 15 head coaches, who all rank the opposing 14 schools without voting for their own program.

Black Hills State is the preseason pick to win the league, receiving 10 of 15 first-place votes and 183 points overall. Colorado School of Mines, the defending league champions, are second with three first-place votes, six second-place votes and two third-place votes with 167 total points. 

Colorado Mesa received one first-place vote and the most third-place votes of any school (six), finishing third in the poll at 158 points, while UCCS (144 points) and Fort Lewis (143) were neck-and-neck to round out the top five. 

The remainder of the projected RMAC Tournament spots in the poll are filled by MSU Denver (137 points), Chadron State (102) and Colorado Christian (90). Adams State is ninth, followed by Westminster, New Mexico Highlands, CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, Regis and South Dakota Mines. 

Including Chadron State, nine of the league's 15 schools received at least one first-place, second-place or third-place vote. 

Along with the poll, the RMAC also released a 10-player Preseason All-RMAC team, made up of the top returning players from last year's all-conference voting. Chadron State did not have a selection, due in large part to only one player who recorded minutes for last year's roster (Zach Smith) coming back to the Eagles in 2025-26. 

Black Hills State also led the way on the preseason team with three of the 10 picks, while Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa each had two.

Chadron State will open the season on November 14 with the first of back-to-back games against West Texas A&amp;M. CSC's home opener will be the following Wednesday, November 19 against the University of Mary at 1 p.m.

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Year one of the Chris Francis era has left a positive impression on the rest of the conference, with the Eagle men's basketball program receiving one first-place vote and finishing seventh overall in the 2025-26 RMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.The seventh-place projection comes after the Eagles were picked 15th but finished eighth in 2024-25, sealing the program's third consecutive trip to the RMAC Tournament.The poll is based on a vote of the league's 15 head coaches, who all rank the opposing 14 schools without voting for their own program.Black Hills State is the preseason pick to win the league, receiving 10 of 15 first-place votes and 183 points overall. Colorado School of Mines, the defending league champions, are second with three first-place votes, six second-place votes and two third-place votes with 167 total points. Colorado Mesa received one first-place vote and the most third-place votes of any school (six), finishing third in the poll at 158 points, while UCCS (144 points) and Fort Lewis (143) were neck-and-neck to round out the top five. The remainder of the projected RMAC Tournament spots in the poll are filled by MSU Denver (137 points), Chadron State (102) and Colorado Christian (90). Adams State is ninth, followed by Westminster, New Mexico Highlands, CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, Regis and South Dakota Mines. Including Chadron State, nine of the league's 15 schools received at least one first-place, second-place or third-place vote. Along with the poll, the RMAC also released a 10-player Preseason All-RMAC team, made up of the top returning players from last year's all-conference voting. Chadron State did not have a selection, due in large part to only one player who recorded minutes for last year's roster (Zach Smith) coming back to the Eagles in 2025-26. Black Hills State also led the way on the preseason team with three of the 10 picks, while Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa each had two.Chadron State will open the season on November 14 with the first of back-to-back games against West Texas A&amp;M. CSC's home opener will be the following Wednesday, November 19 against the University of Mary at 1 p.m.

CSC men's basketball picked 7th in RMAC pre-season poll; earn one first-place vote

Chadron State shut out FLC 41-0 to stay at the top of the RMAC. Head Coach Jay Long breaks down the key plays in the game, Tommy Thomas' record-setting day, having 3 TDs taken off the board and answers the big question: should CSC be ranked?!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661545665356.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Chadron State shut out FLC 41-0 to stay at the top of the RMAC. Head Coach Jay Long breaks down the key plays in the game, Tommy Thomas' record-setting day, having 3 TDs taken off the board and answers the big question: should CSC be ranked?!<div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - 10/21/25" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=kwsj5-199d342-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎙 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - 10/21/25

🏐 Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - Monday, October 20

◼ Chadron def. Alliance 26-24, 25-12, 25-14 (3-0)

◼ Hemingford def. Kimball 25-17, 25-15 (2-0)

◼ Hemingford def. Minatare 25-20, 25-15 (2-0)

◼ Kimball def. Minatare 25-20, 25-17 (2-0)

◼ Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27 (3-1)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594305682636.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏐 Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - Monday, October 20◼ Chadron def. Alliance 26-24, 25-12, 25-14 (3-0)◼ Hemingford def. Kimball 25-17, 25-15 (2-0)◼ Hemingford def. Minatare 25-20, 25-15 (2-0)◼ Kimball def. Minatare 25-20, 25-17 (2-0)◼ Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27 (3-1)

🏐 Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - Monday, October 20

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

DURANGO, Colo. – Aidan Thompson threw five touchdown passes, Tommy Thomas set an all-time program record and the Eagle defense pitched a shutout as Chadron State football won its sixth consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game with a 41-0 victory over Fort Lewis.

With three receiving touchdowns on the day, Thomas became the Chadron State career touchdown receptions leader with 27. He was the primary target throughout the day for Thompson, who completed 25 of 35 passes for 237 yards and threw for all five of the touchdowns that were scored with no interceptions. The offense finished with 25 first downs and 450 total yards.

The Eagles' strong defense certainly did its share, limiting Fort Lewis to seven first downs and 128 total net yards plus recovering three Skyhawk fumbles that the offense turned into touchdowns. 

After five consecutive victories where the Chadron State offense scored on its first possession, the Eagles came up empty initially against the Skyhawks. CSC received the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards in 10 plays to the hosts' 20-yard line, but were stopped on a fourth and one situation, giving up the ball on downs. 

That didn't spell doom for the Eagles, however. They drove 98 yards and scored on their second possession, capped by the day's longest pass, a 63-yard connection that junior Devon Sundgren took down the middle of the field with three minutes remaining in the opening period as the Eagles led 7-0 after 15 minutes.

Chadron State also scored twice in the second quarter when Thompson connected both times with senior receiver Tommy Thomas, who finished with 12 catches for 100 yards, his third 100-yard receiving game of the year.

Thompson and Thomas initially hooked up on a 10-yard strike to cap a 63-yard drive with four minutes remaining before halftime. Just two-and-a-half minutes later, Thomas scored again on a five-yard toss shortly after Eagles' defensive end William Stemler forced Fort Lewis quarterback Jake Jones to fumble and CSC linebacker Reese Jacobs pounced on the ball at the Skyhawks' 25. 

It initially appeared that the Eagles had lost that scoring opportunity when Fort Lewis intercepted a CSC pass. But the pick was nullified by a pass interference call against the Skyhawks, and two plays later, the Eagles were in the end zone and led 21-0 at halftime. 

The Eagles cashed in on another Fort Lewis turnover early in the second half. A Skyhawk muffed Brodie Eisenbraun's 53-yard punt and the loose ball was claimed by one of the CSC special teams hustlers, Rylan Wehr, at the Fort Lewis eight-yard line. 

The Thompson and Thomas combo immediately connected for their third touchdown of the day. It was Tommy Tom's, as he's popularly known on the Chadron State campus, 11th touchdown catch this season and the 27th of his career, making him the Eagles' all-time leader in TD receptions. The old mark of 26 was shared by Tevon Wright, a native of Florida who graduated in 2019, and Cole Thurness of Rapid City, S.D., who concluded his career in 2021. 

That wasn't the end of the Eagles' remarkable success in turning Fort Lewis misfortune into points. Midway in the third period, Skyhawks running back KB Broadus gained 15 yards for his team's longest play of the game, but lost the ball when he was tackled by safety Sutton Pohlman, which was recovered by defensive end Andrew Calderon at the Fort Lewis 43. Chadron State went ahead 35-0 on another eight-yard scoring pass thrown by Thompson, this time to sophomore Garet Schlabs. Thompson's 25-yard pass to Deon Metezier preceded the TD toss. 

Chadron State also added Wilson Yee field goals of 20 and 36 yards, the first late in the third period and the second early in the fourth. Yee also kicked three extra points before turning those duties over to redshirt freshman Shay Prichard following the two third period TDs. 

While the CSC ground game didn't get in on the scoring, it also was effective, gaining 164 yards on 39 carries. Daytuawn Pearson was the leader with 14 rushes for 98 yards, including a 54-yard romp that set up the Eagles' first field goal. The Eagles made the trip without redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker, who rushed for 220 yards and scored three touchdowns the previous Saturday during the 37-20 win over New Mexico Highlands. 

The Eagles defensive statistics were balanced with 18 players recording tackles. Linebacker Logan O'Brien, a three-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, led CSC in tackles with six and forced a fumble. 

Pohlman, Ryder True and Cooper Walton each participated in five stops. All together, the Eagles had eight tackles for losses and broke up five passes to go with the three fumble recoveries that were converted into points. 

The Eagles are idle this coming Saturday before meeting South Dakota Mines in Rapid City on November 1. Chadron State (6-2, 6-0 RMAC), CSU Pueblo (7-1, 6-0 RMAC) and Western Colorado (7-0, 5-0 RMAC) all remain unbeaten in conference play after this week's games.

<figure>
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 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationDURANGO, Colo. – Aidan Thompson threw five touchdown passes, Tommy Thomas set an all-time program record and the Eagle defense pitched a shutout as Chadron State football won its sixth consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game with a 41-0 victory over Fort Lewis.With three receiving touchdowns on the day, Thomas became the Chadron State career touchdown receptions leader with 27. He was the primary target throughout the day for Thompson, who completed 25 of 35 passes for 237 yards and threw for all five of the touchdowns that were scored with no interceptions. The offense finished with 25 first downs and 450 total yards.The Eagles' strong defense certainly did its share, limiting Fort Lewis to seven first downs and 128 total net yards plus recovering three Skyhawk fumbles that the offense turned into touchdowns. After five consecutive victories where the Chadron State offense scored on its first possession, the Eagles came up empty initially against the Skyhawks. CSC received the opening kickoff and drove 55 yards in 10 plays to the hosts' 20-yard line, but were stopped on a fourth and one situation, giving up the ball on downs. That didn't spell doom for the Eagles, however. They drove 98 yards and scored on their second possession, capped by the day's longest pass, a 63-yard connection that junior Devon Sundgren took down the middle of the field with three minutes remaining in the opening period as the Eagles led 7-0 after 15 minutes.Chadron State also scored twice in the second quarter when Thompson connected both times with senior receiver Tommy Thomas, who finished with 12 catches for 100 yards, his third 100-yard receiving game of the year.Thompson and Thomas initially hooked up on a 10-yard strike to cap a 63-yard drive with four minutes remaining before halftime. Just two-and-a-half minutes later, Thomas scored again on a five-yard toss shortly after Eagles' defensive end William Stemler forced Fort Lewis quarterback Jake Jones to fumble and CSC linebacker Reese Jacobs pounced on the ball at the Skyhawks' 25. It initially appeared that the Eagles had lost that scoring opportunity when Fort Lewis intercepted a CSC pass. But the pick was nullified by a pass interference call against the Skyhawks, and two plays later, the Eagles were in the end zone and led 21-0 at halftime. The Eagles cashed in on another Fort Lewis turnover early in the second half. A Skyhawk muffed Brodie Eisenbraun's 53-yard punt and the loose ball was claimed by one of the CSC special teams hustlers, Rylan Wehr, at the Fort Lewis eight-yard line. The Thompson and Thomas combo immediately connected for their third touchdown of the day. It was Tommy Tom's, as he's popularly known on the Chadron State campus, 11th touchdown catch this season and the 27th of his career, making him the Eagles' all-time leader in TD receptions. The old mark of 26 was shared by Tevon Wright, a native of Florida who graduated in 2019, and Cole Thurness of Rapid City, S.D., who concluded his career in 2021. That wasn't the end of the Eagles' remarkable success in turning Fort Lewis misfortune into points. Midway in the third period, Skyhawks running back KB Broadus gained 15 yards for his team's longest play of the game, but lost the ball when he was tackled by safety Sutton Pohlman, which was recovered by defensive end Andrew Calderon at the Fort Lewis 43. Chadron State went ahead 35-0 on another eight-yard scoring pass thrown by Thompson, this time to sophomore Garet Schlabs. Thompson's 25-yard pass to Deon Metezier preceded the TD toss. Chadron State also added Wilson Yee field goals of 20 and 36 yards, the first late in the third period and the second early in the fourth. Yee also kicked three extra points before turning those duties over to redshirt freshman Shay Prichard following the two third period TDs. While the CSC ground game didn't get in on the scoring, it also was effective, gaining 164 yards on 39 carries. Daytuawn Pearson was the leader with 14 rushes for 98 yards, including a 54-yard romp that set up the Eagles' first field goal. The Eagles made the trip without redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker, who rushed for 220 yards and scored three touchdowns the previous Saturday during the 37-20 win over New Mexico Highlands. The Eagles defensive statistics were balanced with 18 players recording tackles. Linebacker Logan O'Brien, a three-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week this season, led CSC in tackles with six and forced a fumble. Pohlman, Ryder True and Cooper Walton each participated in five stops. All together, the Eagles had eight tackles for losses and broke up five passes to go with the three fumble recoveries that were converted into points. The Eagles are idle this coming Saturday before meeting South Dakota Mines in Rapid City on November 1. Chadron State (6-2, 6-0 RMAC), CSU Pueblo (7-1, 6-0 RMAC) and Western Colorado (7-0, 5-0 RMAC) all remain unbeaten in conference play after this week's games.

🦅🏈 Chadron State storms over Skyhawks 41-0 to stay undefeated in RMAC

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🏈 Week 8 Western Nebraska High School Football Kickoff Times &amp; Scoreboard

Sidney at Alliance - 7:00 📻KCOW AM 1400 / 92.5 FM

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 </figure>🏈 Week 8 Western Nebraska High School Football Kickoff Times &amp; ScoreboardThursday, October 16Hay Springs 64, Minatare 21Sandhills/Thedford 44, Hyannis 28Friday, October 17Sidney at Alliance - 7:00 📻KCOW AM 1400 / 92.5 FMGering 21, Chadron 20Scottsbluff 21, McCook 7Valentine 44,&nbsp;Gordon-Rushville 6 Bridgeport 59, Sutherland 0Mitchell 20, Amherst 17Ogallala 33, Chase County 0Hemingford 36,&nbsp;Perkins County 12Kimball 50,&nbsp; Morrill 8Mullen 59, Bayard 20Sioux County 36, Cody-Kilgore 28Leyton 55,&nbsp;South Platte 13Potter-Dix 64,&nbsp;Creek Valley 0Arthur County 65, Crawford 35

🏈 Week 8 Western Nebraska High School Football Scoreboard

Paxton Ritchie &amp; Con Marshall CSC Sports Information Department

CHADRON, Neb. – After winning its fifth consecutive conference game and improving to 3-0 at home, the Chadron State football program traverses to southwestern Colorado this weekend to take on Fort Lewis.

The Eagles (5-2, 5-0 RMAC) remain one of three unbeaten teams left in the RMAC and are in a two-way tie for the RMAC lead at 5-0 with CSU Pueblo (Western Colorado is 4-0). Fort Lewis (1-5, 0-4 RMAC) is still searching for its first RMAC win, but two of the Skyhawks' four conference losses have been by one score, including one by a single point.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. at Ray Dennison Memorial Field, which is the final remaining natural grass field in the RMAC.

After playing on eight consecutive Saturdays to open the season, the showdown with the Skyhawks is Chadron State's final game before a bye week next Saturday. It will also be Fort Lewis's homecoming contest, with the Skyhawks looking to return the favor after Chadron State defeated Fort Lewis 55-13 last season during CSC's homecoming.

Chadron State is receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week, as the Eagles now have seven voting points in the poll, up from three last week. The D2Football.com poll, which only lists their top 25 teams and does not have an "also receiving votes" category, does not include the Eagles.

Fans can watch live (with a subscription) on the RMAC Network, listen live on Double Q Country 97.5/105.9 FM or doubleqcountry.com with Dave Collins on the call, or monitor the Chadron State Eagles Facebook page or @cscfootball on X and Instagram for updates.

With most of the pregame attention on New Mexico Highlands running back Jeffrey Jones, Division II's rushing leader in yards per game, Eagles redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker stole the show, outshining his counterpart with a career-high 220 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 21 carries as Chadron State defeated the Cowboys 37-20. 

Ryker had touchdowns of 62, 10 and 21 yards and tallied 155 of his 220 yards in the first half. Quarterback Aidan Thompson also linked up with All-RMAC receiver Tommy Thomas for both a receiving touchdown and a successful two-point conversion, Thomas's eighth touchdown in the past five games.

Among games this season, Chadron State recorded its second-most points (37), and rushing yards (292), as well as allowing its second-fewest passing yards (107). The leader in each of those categories was CSC's 45-2 win over Adams State one week prior.

Chadron State will enter Saturday's game against Fort Lewis having won seven of their last eight matchups against the Skyhawks and hold a 34-5 advantage in the all-time series.

The Eagles have scored 55 points or more in four consecutive games against the Skyhawks – winning 60-7, 56-3, 57-20 and 55-13 over the past four seasons. Prior to that streak was FLC's most recent win, a 37-30 triumph over Chadron State in Durango during the 2019 season. 

Chadron State won 17 straight matchups between 1986 and 2004. After a Skyhawks win in 2005, CSC won another nine straight from 2006-2014.

Last season, the Eagles won 55-13 on homecoming, featuring an uncanny stretch where Eagle defenders picked off four consecutive Fort Lewis passes in the third quarter, with Dax Yeradi and Tucker Peterson returning two of them for touchdowns. Running back Quincey Ryker, who has emerged as CSC's lead back this season as a redshirt freshman, saw his only true freshman game action of the season against the Skyhawks and exploded for a 72-yard rushing touchdown on his first collegiate carry.

Stop us if you've heard this before – but redshirt senior linebacker Logan O'Brien will take the field as the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week. 

Against the Cowboys, O'Brien finished with a game-high 11 tackles (including seven solo stops) along with one tackle for loss and one sack. O'Brien was one of three RMAC players this week with double-digit tackles and the only one of the three to add a sack or tackle for loss to his ledger.

O'Brien made 10 of his 11 tackles on rushing plays as Chadron State held the top running back in Division II this season, Jeffrey Jones, to only 16 yards in the second half and 38 in the final three quarters. The slowing of the run game coincided with Chadron State turning around a 14-3 deficit into the 37-20 final score, as the Eagles outscored the Cowboys 27-6 over the final three quarters. 

With his win, O'Brien becomes the conference's first three-time winner of an RMAC weekly award this season. O'Brien previously took home the honor on September 15 (after eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pick-six against Black Hills State) and the following week on September 22 (eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks against then-No. 23 Colorado School of Mines).  

O'Brien has staked his claim as one of the top defensive players in the RMAC this season, ranking fourth in the RMAC in total tackles with 53 and third in solo tackles with 30. He leads the conference and ranks fifth in Division II with 13 tackles for loss and is tied for the league lead with five sacks.

With the win over New Mexico Highlands last Saturday, Chadron State already has four wins in 2025 over teams the Eagles lost to in 2024 (Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Mesa and the Cowboys). 

In most cases, the wins have snapped notable streaks in the all-time series, as Chadron State had lost three straight to Black Hills State, 11 straight to Mines and six straight to Mesa prior to winning this year. 

One reason for the turnaround has been CSC's success in close games, especially compared to last season. The 2024 Eagles finished 3-8, but were not far away from reversing that record as the Eagles went 1-5 in one-score games, including 0-5 against RMAC opponents.

This season, the 5-2 Eagles are 3-0 in one-score contests, beating Black Hills State by three points, Mines by six points and Mesa by seven points on consecutive weeks.

Tommy Thomas has found another gear in the conference season, scoring all eight of his 2025 receiving touchdowns across CSC's five conference games. 

Thomas ranks second in the RMAC and 24th in Division II with 510 receiving yards. He is third in the RMAC and is in a three-way tie for sixth in the nation with his eight receiving TDs.

It has been a milestone-filled season already for Thomas's career, as the Fort Collins native managed to grab his 150th career reception, 20th career receiving touchdown as well as eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards at various points during the September 27th homecoming contest against Colorado Mesa. 

Thomas has an outside shot at some program career records among CSC receivers. With five games remaining in the season, Thomas needs:

31 catches to tie Cole Thurness (2016-21) for the school's all-time receptions lead with 192

717 receiving yards to tie Cory Brooks (1992-95) for the school's all-time receiving yards record with 2,941

2 receiving touchdowns to tie Thurness and Tevon Wright (2016-19) for the school's all-time receiving TDs record with 26 

Ryker's 220-yard breakout was the most rushing yards in a game by an RMAC rusher this season not named Jeffrey Jones, who has the top three single-game performances.

It is the 33rd 200-yard rushing performance in Chadron State football history. Ryker's 220 is tied for 21st on the CSC single-game all-time list, alongside David Jones in 1987, which incidentally was the first 200-yard game ever for the Eagles. Because the ranks above him are populated by CSC greats such as Danny Woodhead, Jones and Glen Clinton, Ryker now has the sixth-highest career high in Chadron State rushing history.

Ryker is the first Chadron State back to eclipse 200 yards since Kevin Coy, Jr. ran for 207 against South Dakota Mines in 2018, and it is the highest total since Glen Clinton ran for 242 yards against Western New Mexico in 2013.

On a season note, Ryker now has 570 rush yards this season, second behind Jones in the RMAC and 21stin Division II. His 81.4 rush yards per game rank fourth in the conference. Ryker has also risen to fifth in the RMAC in all-purpose yards, with 615.

Chadron State's offensive and defensive units have both excelled in key conversion situations this season, helping Chadron State build an overall time of possession lead over its opponents in 2025.

The Eagle defense is one of the better units in the country on third down, holding opponents to just a 30.3 percent conversion rate. That clip leads the RMAC and ranks 18th in Division II. By contrast, the Eagle offense is converting 38.1 percent of its third-down attempts (fifth-highest in the RMAC).

Chadron State has also come up big offensively when called upon on convert on fourth down. The Eagles have been successful on 3 of 4 fourth-down attempts this year, a 75 percent success rate which is just outside the top 10 nationally in Division II. No other RMAC team is converting above 57 percent on fourth down. 

The Eagle defense has held opponents to just 6-for-16 on fourth down this season, including a notable 0-for-4 by then-nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines. CSC's .412 opponent fourth-down conversion rate ranks third in the league.

The Chadron State defense ranks third in the RMAC in scoring defense (23.3 points per game) and is second in total defense (294.1 yards allowed per game).

The Eagles are extra stingy against the pass, ranking first in the RMAC and 10th in Division II with only 146 pass yards allowed per game.

The Eagles are also the best in the league at kick return defense, allowing only 14.2 kick return yards per game (6th in Division II).

Kicker Wilson Yee leads the RMAC in field goals per game (1.29) and is tied with Colorado School of Mines's Preston Kyle for an RMAC-best .629 field goal percentage.

Aidan Thompson ranks fifth in the RMAC in passing touchdowns (10) and sixth in passing yards (779) despite only attempting nine passes in CSC's first three games.

The Eagles have three players (Logan O'Brien, William Stemler, Cooper Walton) who are averaging over half a sack per game. 

Brodie Eisenbraun, a two-time Second Team All-RMAC punter, continues to be a weapon for the Eagles on special teams and is turning in his best season yet. 

Eisenbraun has 31 punts this season, hitting an RMAC-high 13 inside the 20, seven for 50 yards or more and just three for touchbacks.

The Sturgis, South Dakota native is averaging 43.7 yards per punt, which ranks tied for seventh in Division II. That average, if he maintains it, would break Eisenbraun's own single-season program record of 43.26 set last year.

Chadron State finished in a tie for seventh place in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. There were multiple ties throughout the preseason voting, including at the top. Defending league champions CSU Pueblo and defending runners-up Western Colorado finished in a dead heat for first place at 76 points, both receiving the exact combination of five first place votes, three second place votes and one third-place vote. 

Colorado School of Mines, whose five-year streak of having at least a share of the RMAC title was broken last season, finished third in the voting while Colorado Mesa finished fourth. Regional rivals South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State tied for fifth. After the Eagles and New Mexico Highlands in seventh, the poll was rounded out by Fort Lewis in ninth and Adams State in 10th. 

The RMAC has two nationally ranked programs, in addition to the Eagles knocking on the door of the national top 25. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and D2Football.com poll both have Western Colorado ranked at No. 5 and CSU Pueblo at No. 9. Chadron State is receiving votes in the AFCA poll.

With the season marching past the halfway point, Chadron State is firmly in the RMAC title conversation despite being picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll.

Here is a look at the current RMAC standings:

The top four in the standings mostly still need to face each other. Below are matchups over the next few weeks that are likely to face a major impact on the RMAC seeding race:

Colorado School of Mines @ Western Colorado

Fort Lewis has won just one of its six games this season. The Skyhawks defeated Arizona Christian 58-10 in their second game of the season.  William Jewell of Missouri won the other non-conference contest 34-14.

Scores from the first two RMAC games indicate that the Skyhawks are improved this fall.  Black Hills won 25-19 and South Dakota Mines squeezed out a 22-21 victory. A year ago, Black Hills beat Fort Lewis 33-7 and the Hardrockers downed the Skyhawks 49-33.  

During the past two weeks this season, both of the RMAC's highest ranked teams, Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo, scored 49 points against the Skyhawks while limiting Fort Lewis to 10 and 13 points, respectively.  

It's noteworthy that FLC has out-rushed its six opponents by 729 to 722 yards. None of the opponents has run over them. The foes, however, own a 1,363 to 1,011 margin in passing yardage. 

Johnny Cox, a star player for the Skyhawks in the early 1990s who still holds the program's pass receiving yardage and career touchdown records, is in his third year as the head coach. He has utilized two quarterbacks. 

Redshirt freshman Jake Jones is the team's leading rusher with 33 carries for 198 yards while completing 15 of 25 passes for 185 yards and one TD as well as one interception. Sophomore Jacob Morris has lost a negative 19 yards on the ground, but he has competed 56 of 98 tosses for 652 yards and four touchdowns. He has been picked off three times.

Fort Lewis's defensive standout is linebacker Jacob Penney, whose 76 tackles are 18 more than anybody else in the RMAC. Cornerbacks Kalib Davis and Elijah Portela have two interceptions and three pass breakups each. The Skyhawks generate turnovers, as their nine interceptions rank second in the RMAC and their 11 forced fumbles lead the league.

Head Coach Jay Long returns for his 14th season at the helm of the Chadron State football program. In addition, Long coached for three seasons at now-RMAC rival Black Hills State from 2019-2012. 

As a result of CSC's five-game win streak, Long is back over .500 for his head coaching career, with an all-time record of 82-81 as a head coach and 67-66 at CSC. 

The core of Long's staff all returns for 2025, including sixth-year offensive coordinator Micah Smith and fifth-year defensive coordinator Clint Sasse. Long, Smith and Sasse are all Chadron State football alumni. Special teams coordinator Wes Coomes and quarterbacks coach Tommy Wilson also return to their roles from 2024. 

Four of the Eagles' six coaching assistants are new to the staff this year, with three bringing Division I experience. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760722132519.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Paxton Ritchie &amp; Con Marshall CSC Sports Information DepartmentCHADRON, Neb. – After winning its fifth consecutive conference game and improving to 3-0 at home, the Chadron State football program traverses to southwestern Colorado this weekend to take on Fort Lewis.The Eagles (5-2, 5-0 RMAC) remain one of three unbeaten teams left in the RMAC and are in a two-way tie for the RMAC lead at 5-0 with CSU Pueblo (Western Colorado is 4-0). Fort Lewis (1-5, 0-4 RMAC) is still searching for its first RMAC win, but two of the Skyhawks' four conference losses have been by one score, including one by a single point.The game is scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. at Ray Dennison Memorial Field, which is the final remaining natural grass field in the RMAC.After playing on eight consecutive Saturdays to open the season, the showdown with the Skyhawks is Chadron State's final game before a bye week next Saturday. It will also be Fort Lewis's homecoming contest, with the Skyhawks looking to return the favor after Chadron State defeated Fort Lewis 55-13 last season during CSC's homecoming.Chadron State is receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week, as the Eagles now have seven voting points in the poll, up from three last week. The D2Football.com poll, which only lists their top 25 teams and does not have an "also receiving votes" category, does not include the Eagles.Fans can watch live (with a subscription) on the RMAC Network, listen live on Double Q Country 97.5/105.9 FM or doubleqcountry.com with Dave Collins on the call, or monitor the Chadron State Eagles Facebook page or @cscfootball on X and Instagram for updates.Looking BackWith most of the pregame attention on New Mexico Highlands running back Jeffrey Jones, Division II's rushing leader in yards per game, Eagles redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker stole the show, outshining his counterpart with a career-high 220 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 21 carries as Chadron State defeated the Cowboys 37-20. Ryker had touchdowns of 62, 10 and 21 yards and tallied 155 of his 220 yards in the first half. Quarterback Aidan Thompson also linked up with All-RMAC receiver Tommy Thomas for both a receiving touchdown and a successful two-point conversion, Thomas's eighth touchdown in the past five games.Among games this season, Chadron State recorded its second-most points (37), and rushing yards (292), as well as allowing its second-fewest passing yards (107). The leader in each of those categories was CSC's 45-2 win over Adams State one week prior.CSC/FLC HistoryChadron State will enter Saturday's game against Fort Lewis having won seven of their last eight matchups against the Skyhawks and hold a 34-5 advantage in the all-time series.The Eagles have scored 55 points or more in four consecutive games against the Skyhawks – winning 60-7, 56-3, 57-20 and 55-13 over the past four seasons. Prior to that streak was FLC's most recent win, a 37-30 triumph over Chadron State in Durango during the 2019 season. Chadron State won 17 straight matchups between 1986 and 2004. After a Skyhawks win in 2005, CSC won another nine straight from 2006-2014.Last season, the Eagles won 55-13 on homecoming, featuring an uncanny stretch where Eagle defenders picked off four consecutive Fort Lewis passes in the third quarter, with Dax Yeradi and Tucker Peterson returning two of them for touchdowns. Running back Quincey Ryker, who has emerged as CSC's lead back this season as a redshirt freshman, saw his only true freshman game action of the season against the Skyhawks and exploded for a 72-yard rushing touchdown on his first collegiate carry.Déjà vu Stop us if you've heard this before – but redshirt senior linebacker Logan O'Brien will take the field as the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week. Against the Cowboys, O'Brien finished with a game-high 11 tackles (including seven solo stops) along with one tackle for loss and one sack. O'Brien was one of three RMAC players this week with double-digit tackles and the only one of the three to add a sack or tackle for loss to his ledger.O'Brien made 10 of his 11 tackles on rushing plays as Chadron State held the top running back in Division II this season, Jeffrey Jones, to only 16 yards in the second half and 38 in the final three quarters. The slowing of the run game coincided with Chadron State turning around a 14-3 deficit into the 37-20 final score, as the Eagles outscored the Cowboys 27-6 over the final three quarters. With his win, O'Brien becomes the conference's first three-time winner of an RMAC weekly award this season. O'Brien previously took home the honor on September 15 (after eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pick-six against Black Hills State) and the following week on September 22 (eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks against then-No. 23 Colorado School of Mines). O'Brien has staked his claim as one of the top defensive players in the RMAC this season, ranking fourth in the RMAC in total tackles with 53 and third in solo tackles with 30. He leads the conference and ranks fifth in Division II with 13 tackles for loss and is tied for the league lead with five sacks.Reversing TrendsWith the win over New Mexico Highlands last Saturday, Chadron State already has four wins in 2025 over teams the Eagles lost to in 2024 (Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Mesa and the Cowboys). In most cases, the wins have snapped notable streaks in the all-time series, as Chadron State had lost three straight to Black Hills State, 11 straight to Mines and six straight to Mesa prior to winning this year. One reason for the turnaround has been CSC's success in close games, especially compared to last season. The 2024 Eagles finished 3-8, but were not far away from reversing that record as the Eagles went 1-5 in one-score games, including 0-5 against RMAC opponents.This season, the 5-2 Eagles are 3-0 in one-score contests, beating Black Hills State by three points, Mines by six points and Mesa by seven points on consecutive weeks.Tommy TrackerTommy Thomas has found another gear in the conference season, scoring all eight of his 2025 receiving touchdowns across CSC's five conference games. Thomas ranks second in the RMAC and 24th in Division II with 510 receiving yards. He is third in the RMAC and is in a three-way tie for sixth in the nation with his eight receiving TDs.It has been a milestone-filled season already for Thomas's career, as the Fort Collins native managed to grab his 150th career reception, 20th career receiving touchdown as well as eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards at various points during the September 27th homecoming contest against Colorado Mesa. Thomas has an outside shot at some program career records among CSC receivers. With five games remaining in the season, Thomas needs:31 catches to tie Cole Thurness (2016-21) for the school's all-time receptions lead with 192717 receiving yards to tie Cory Brooks (1992-95) for the school's all-time receiving yards record with 2,9412 receiving touchdowns to tie Thurness and Tevon Wright (2016-19) for the school's all-time receiving TDs record with 26 Q-BallerRyker's 220-yard breakout was the most rushing yards in a game by an RMAC rusher this season not named Jeffrey Jones, who has the top three single-game performances.It is the 33rd 200-yard rushing performance in Chadron State football history. Ryker's 220 is tied for 21st on the CSC single-game all-time list, alongside David Jones in 1987, which incidentally was the first 200-yard game ever for the Eagles. Because the ranks above him are populated by CSC greats such as Danny Woodhead, Jones and Glen Clinton, Ryker now has the sixth-highest career high in Chadron State rushing history.Ryker is the first Chadron State back to eclipse 200 yards since Kevin Coy, Jr. ran for 207 against South Dakota Mines in 2018, and it is the highest total since Glen Clinton ran for 242 yards against Western New Mexico in 2013.On a season note, Ryker now has 570 rush yards this season, second behind Jones in the RMAC and 21stin Division II. His 81.4 rush yards per game rank fourth in the conference. Ryker has also risen to fifth in the RMAC in all-purpose yards, with 615.Staying On, Getting OffChadron State's offensive and defensive units have both excelled in key conversion situations this season, helping Chadron State build an overall time of possession lead over its opponents in 2025.The Eagle defense is one of the better units in the country on third down, holding opponents to just a 30.3 percent conversion rate. That clip leads the RMAC and ranks 18th in Division II. By contrast, the Eagle offense is converting 38.1 percent of its third-down attempts (fifth-highest in the RMAC).Chadron State has also come up big offensively when called upon on convert on fourth down. The Eagles have been successful on 3 of 4 fourth-down attempts this year, a 75 percent success rate which is just outside the top 10 nationally in Division II. No other RMAC team is converting above 57 percent on fourth down. The Eagle defense has held opponents to just 6-for-16 on fourth down this season, including a notable 0-for-4 by then-nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines. CSC's .412 opponent fourth-down conversion rate ranks third in the league.Stat StandoutsThe Chadron State defense ranks third in the RMAC in scoring defense (23.3 points per game) and is second in total defense (294.1 yards allowed per game).The Eagles are extra stingy against the pass, ranking first in the RMAC and 10th in Division II with only 146 pass yards allowed per game.The Eagles are also the best in the league at kick return defense, allowing only 14.2 kick return yards per game (6th in Division II).Kicker Wilson Yee leads the RMAC in field goals per game (1.29) and is tied with Colorado School of Mines's Preston Kyle for an RMAC-best .629 field goal percentage.Aidan Thompson ranks fifth in the RMAC in passing touchdowns (10) and sixth in passing yards (779) despite only attempting nine passes in CSC's first three games.The Eagles have three players (Logan O'Brien, William Stemler, Cooper Walton) who are averaging over half a sack per game. Pinning DeepBrodie Eisenbraun, a two-time Second Team All-RMAC punter, continues to be a weapon for the Eagles on special teams and is turning in his best season yet. Eisenbraun has 31 punts this season, hitting an RMAC-high 13 inside the 20, seven for 50 yards or more and just three for touchbacks.The Sturgis, South Dakota native is averaging 43.7 yards per punt, which ranks tied for seventh in Division II. That average, if he maintains it, would break Eisenbraun's own single-season program record of 43.26 set last year.In the PollsChadron State finished in a tie for seventh place in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. There were multiple ties throughout the preseason voting, including at the top. Defending league champions CSU Pueblo and defending runners-up Western Colorado finished in a dead heat for first place at 76 points, both receiving the exact combination of five first place votes, three second place votes and one third-place vote. Colorado School of Mines, whose five-year streak of having at least a share of the RMAC title was broken last season, finished third in the voting while Colorado Mesa finished fourth. Regional rivals South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State tied for fifth. After the Eagles and New Mexico Highlands in seventh, the poll was rounded out by Fort Lewis in ninth and Adams State in 10th. The RMAC has two nationally ranked programs, in addition to the Eagles knocking on the door of the national top 25. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and D2Football.com poll both have Western Colorado ranked at No. 5 and CSU Pueblo at No. 9. Chadron State is receiving votes in the AFCA poll.RMAC UpdateWith the season marching past the halfway point, Chadron State is firmly in the RMAC title conversation despite being picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll.Here is a look at the current RMAC standings:Team	RMAC Record	Overall Record#9/9 CSU Pueblo	5-0	6-1Chadron State	5-0	5-2#5/#5 Western Colorado	4-0	6-0Colorado School of Mines	2-2	4-2Colorado Mesa	2-2	3-3South Dakota Mines	2-3	2-5New Mexico Highlands	1-3	3-3Black Hills State	1-4	1-6Fort Lewis	0-4	1-5Adams State	0-4	0-6The top four in the standings mostly still need to face each other. Below are matchups over the next few weeks that are likely to face a major impact on the RMAC seeding race:October 25:Colorado School of Mines @ Western ColoradoNovember 1:CSU Pueblo @ Western ColoradoNovember 8:CSU Pueblo @ Colorado School of MinesWestern Colorado @ Chadron StateNovember 15:Chadron State @ CSU PuebloColorado Mesa @ Western ColoradoScouting the SkyhawksBy: Con MarshallFort Lewis has won just one of its six games this season. The Skyhawks defeated Arizona Christian 58-10 in their second game of the season. William Jewell of Missouri won the other non-conference contest 34-14.Scores from the first two RMAC games indicate that the Skyhawks are improved this fall. Black Hills won 25-19 and South Dakota Mines squeezed out a 22-21 victory. A year ago, Black Hills beat Fort Lewis 33-7 and the Hardrockers downed the Skyhawks 49-33. During the past two weeks this season, both of the RMAC's highest ranked teams, Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo, scored 49 points against the Skyhawks while limiting Fort Lewis to 10 and 13 points, respectively. It's noteworthy that FLC has out-rushed its six opponents by 729 to 722 yards. None of the opponents has run over them. The foes, however, own a 1,363 to 1,011 margin in passing yardage. Johnny Cox, a star player for the Skyhawks in the early 1990s who still holds the program's pass receiving yardage and career touchdown records, is in his third year as the head coach. He has utilized two quarterbacks. Redshirt freshman Jake Jones is the team's leading rusher with 33 carries for 198 yards while completing 15 of 25 passes for 185 yards and one TD as well as one interception. Sophomore Jacob Morris has lost a negative 19 yards on the ground, but he has competed 56 of 98 tosses for 652 yards and four touchdowns. He has been picked off three times.Fort Lewis's defensive standout is linebacker Jacob Penney, whose 76 tackles are 18 more than anybody else in the RMAC. Cornerbacks Kalib Davis and Elijah Portela have two interceptions and three pass breakups each. The Skyhawks generate turnovers, as their nine interceptions rank second in the RMAC and their 11 forced fumbles lead the league.The StaffHead Coach Jay Long returns for his 14th season at the helm of the Chadron State football program. In addition, Long coached for three seasons at now-RMAC rival Black Hills State from 2019-2012. As a result of CSC's five-game win streak, Long is back over .500 for his head coaching career, with an all-time record of 82-81 as a head coach and 67-66 at CSC. The core of Long's staff all returns for 2025, including sixth-year offensive coordinator Micah Smith and fifth-year defensive coordinator Clint Sasse. Long, Smith and Sasse are all Chadron State football alumni. Special teams coordinator Wes Coomes and quarterbacks coach Tommy Wilson also return to their roles from 2024. Four of the Eagles' six coaching assistants are new to the staff this year, with three bringing Division I experience. DeMarcus Felton (running backs) and Herbert Frazier, Jr. (wide receivers) both come to CSC from the staff of Dekaney High School in Houston, Texas, where they mentored several eventual Division I and Power 4 players. Both Felton and Frazier were members of the Texas Tech (Division I, Big 12) football program, with Felton racking up 10 rushing touchdowns during his Red Raider career.Lorenzo Neal (defensive line) joins the CSC staff after a playing career at Purdue University, where he served as a team captain and earned two Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selections. Neal's father, Lorenzo, played for 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time All-Pro as a fullback.The final new coaching assistant is Deunte Moody (defensive backs), who begins his coaching career at Chadron State after concluding his playing career at Black Hills State last season. Returning to the staff are coaching assistants Steve Chang (linebackers) and Logan Zacharias (offensive line). Other Eagle support staff includes strength and conditioning coaches E.J. Kreis and Chase McLendon and athletic trainer Allison Wood.

Chadron State aims to stay perfect in RMAC at Fort Lewis Saturday

🏐 NE Panhandle Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - Thursday, October 16

◼ Chadron def. Crawford 25-18, 25-12 (2-0)

◼ Chase County def. Bridgeport 25-19, 25-10, 25-16 (3-0)

◼ Haxtun, CO def. Kimball 20-25, 19-25, 25-12, 25-16, 15-13 (3-2)

◼ Hay Springs def. Minatare 25-22, 25-11, 25-18 (3-0)

◼ Rapid City Christian, SD def. Gordon-Rushville 25-14, 25-17, 25-10 (3-0)

◼ Valentine def. Chadron 25-22, 25-19 (2-0)

◼ Valentine def. Crawford 25-10, 25-21 (2-0)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598923669137.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏐 NE Panhandle Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - Thursday, October 16◼ Chadron def. Crawford 25-18, 25-12 (2-0)◼ Chase County def. Bridgeport 25-19, 25-10, 25-16 (3-0)◼ Haxtun, CO def. Kimball 20-25, 19-25, 25-12, 25-16, 15-13 (3-2)◼ Hay Springs def. Minatare 25-22, 25-11, 25-18 (3-0)◼ Rapid City Christian, SD def. Gordon-Rushville 25-14, 25-17, 25-10 (3-0)◼ Valentine def. Chadron 25-22, 25-19 (2-0)◼ Valentine def. Crawford 25-10, 25-21 (2-0)

🏐 NE Panhandle HS Volleyball Scoreboard - Thursday, October 16

On this edition of the Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show, presented by Harris Sales, Jake Schrantz talks with head football coach TD Stein after a second-straight loss for the Bulldogs football program.

Then, Brent Bauer, Alliance High School Activities Director, joins the show to talk all things AHS.

By Jake Schrantz<div><iframe title="Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show - 10/15/25 (Football & AD Brent Bauer)" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=kphr2-19950e4-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this edition of the Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show, presented by Harris Sales, Jake Schrantz talks with head football coach TD Stein after a second-straight loss for the Bulldogs football program.Then, Brent Bauer, Alliance High School Activities Director, joins the show to talk all things AHS.

Alliance Bulldogs Coach's Show - 10/15/25 (Football & AHS AD Discussion)

🏐 Tuesday Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - October 14

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏐 Tuesday Prep Volleyball Scoreboard - October 14◼ Alliance def. Mitchell 25-17, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)◼ Arthur County def. South Platte 25-22, 25-21 (2-0)◼ Chadron def. Sidney 12-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-16 (3-1)◼ Garden County def. Potter-Dix 25-14, 25-19 (2-0)◼ Garden County def. Wallace 25-12, 25-15 (2-0)◼ Gering def. Gordon-Rushville 25-14, 25-15, 25-8 (3-0)◼ Hay Springs def. Banner County 25-10, 25-8 (2-0)◼ Hemingford def. Bayard 25-22, 21-25, 25-17, 25-19 (3-1)◼ Hyannis def. Arthur County 25-10, 25-19 (2-0)◼ Hyannis def. South Platte 25-15, 25-13 (2-0)◼ Leyton def. Creek Valley 25-12, 25-18 (2-0)◼ Minatare def. Creek Valley 25-14, 25-15 (2-0)◼ Minatare def. Leyton 21-25, 25-16, 25-18 (2-1)◼ Morrill def. Banner County 25-14, 25-11 (2-0)◼ Morrill def. Hay Springs 25-21, 25-20 (2-0)◼ Ogallala def. North Platte St. Patrick's 25-11, 25-8, 25-15 (3-0)◼ Paxton def. Kimball 25-12, 25-19, 25-12 (3-0)◼ Wallace def. Potter-Dix 23-25, 25-20, 25-21 (2-1)