CHADRON, Neb. – With Division II's leader in rushing yards per game on the other sideline, Chadron State redshirt freshman running back Quincey Ryker stole the show with 220 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as Chadron State won its fifth straight RMAC game by defeating New Mexico Highlands 37-20 at Elliott Field.

The shifty Ryker was outstanding while scoring on touchdown runs of 62, 10 and 21 yards and racking up 155 rushing yards in the first half. The former 8-man all-stater from Sargent, Nebraska, is the first Chadron State back to eclipse 200 yards since Kevin Coy, Jr. ran for 207 against South Dakota Mines in 2018. Ryker's 220 yards rushing is CSC's single-game highest since Glen Clinton ran for 242 yards against Western New Mexico in 2013.

The Eagles got their fourth and final touchdown on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Aidan Thompson to Tommy Thomas, and the same duo also connected for a two-point conversion. In addition, Wilson Yee kicked field goals of 30 and 41 yards and made all three of the extra points he attempted, and the Eagles added in a safety late in first half, part of a 12-0 scoring advantage in the second quarter that turned the tide of the game.

New Mexico Highlands freshman sensation Jeffery Jones, who drew national attention by rushing for an NCAA Division II National freshman record 385 yards during the second game of his career a month ago, gave the Eagles a challenge. Jones broke free for a 74-yard touchdown on the game's second play and also scored on a 36-yard burst late in the opening quarter to give Highlands an early 14-3 lead. He would carry 13 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns, but managed only 16 of those yards in the second half. 

Ryker broke loose for his 62-yard scamper to make the score 14-10, the second-longest run of his career after his 72-yard touchdown on the first carry of his career against Fort Lewis during last season's homecoming contest in 2024. Ryker then capped off an eight-play, 86-yard drive with his 10-yard TD to give the Eagles their first lead at 17-14 with 2:13 remaining in the first half.

Chadron State's defense answered the bell against Highlands after the couple of early long runs. The Eagles forced a red-zone fumble, caused by Ryder True and recovered by Dax Yeradi, to take points off the board for the Cowboys, then overpowered Highlands on another drive to cause a safety. They initially sacked quarterback Collin Stucki, a freshman making his first start for the Cowboys, then caused him to be penalized for intentional grounding on the next play. With the ball on NMHU's own five-yard line, CSC was awarded the safety when the Cowboys were called for holding in the end zone while Stucki was attempting to pass again. After a Yee field goal, the Eagles led 22-14 at halftime.

New Mexico Highlands had the game's only third-quarter points on a drive that featured a 41-yard hookup from Stucki to Jones as a receiver before Jones rushed it in for a six-yard TD. Highlands attempted a two-point conversion that would have tied the game, but were unsuccessful, and CSC's lead remained 22-20.

The Eagles were the only team to score in the fourth frame. They had driven 45 yards to the Highlands' 20 in eight plays when the third quarter ended. After an incomplete pass, Ryker broke a couple of tackle attempts and dashed into the end zone for his third TD to give the Eagles some breathing room.

On Highlands' ensuing possession, Stucki hit wide receiver Maurice Collier with a 41-yard pass that carried to the Eagles' 19, where safety Dax Yeradi made a diving shoestring tackle. But the threat soon ended, when CSC safety Tucker Peterson forced the next Cowboys' receiver to fumble and the ball was recovered by Eagles' linebacker Reese Jacobs. 

With the Eagles striving to drain the clock, they ran six consecutive rushing plays before Thompson, after faking a handoff, rolled out to his left and lofted a pass over the head of a Highlands defensive back and into the hands of Thomas, who made his eighth touchdown reception of the season. Their two-point conversion pass provided the 17-point cushion in the final score.

The Eagles finished with 420 total net yards, rushing for 292 yards, while Thompson, who took all the snaps at quarterback, completed 11 of 18 passes for 128 yards. Thomas was the leading receiver with four catches for 61 yards.

Led by Jones and sophomore Tevita Valeti, who rushed 14 times for 60 yards, the Cowboys finished with 258 yards on the ground. Stucki completed eight of 11 passes for 107 yards.

Linebacker Logan O'Brien was the winners' busiest tackler with 11 total tackles, seven solos and four assists. End Ryder True participated in nine stops while Yeradi made eight and linebacker Cooper Walton six to set the pace. 

At 5-2 overall and 5-0 in the RMAC, Chadron State remains one of three unbeaten teams in the conference alongside Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo. The Eagles face Fort Lewis on the road next Saturday.

Eagles end road trip with loss to Cowgirls

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands twice ended sets with 5-3 scoring runs to put away Chadron State, with the host Cowgirls defeating the Eagle volleyball program in straight sets – 25-22, 25-20, 25-22 – on Saturday afternoon at John A. Wilson Complex. 

The result ends a winless four-match road trip for Chadron State (4-12, 1-5 RMAC), who will return home for a stretch of five matches out of their next six in the Chicoine Center beginning next Friday night. New Mexico Highlands (7-9, 2-4 RMAC) won their third consecutive match. 

Gibson Beckler tallied a team-high eight kills for CSC, with Bella Adams just behind with seven on a .400 hitting percentage (one error in 15 attempts). Kally Kirkwood and Alejandra Briseno had five kills apiece, with Briseno setting a season high. Josie Loosvelt led the Eagles with nine digs.

Redshirt sophomore setter Cydnie Eskew made her Chadron State debut during the match, appearing in two sets. The Casper, Wyoming native impressed with a team-high nine assists plus two kills, three digs and a service ace. 

It was setter-by-committee on the day for CSC. Freshman Jillian Donovan, who ranks second in the RMAC in assists per set and had started every match and played every set so far this season, left and did not return to the match early in the second set. Alongside Eskew, senior setter Rylee Ward played in all three sets (appearing in her fifth match this season) and recorded season highs in assists (six) and aces (two).

Chadron State scored the first three points of the match courtesy of kills from Kally Kirkwood, Gibson Beckler and Shelbi Hazlitt, but Highlands soon rallied with a 4-0 scoring run to take a 7-6 lead. Chadron State would lead by slim margins of 16-15 and 18-17 midway through the set, but the Cowgirls took the lead for good with a 3-0 run and earned three of the set's final four points on kills to take the opening frame 25-22. 

New Mexico Highlands took that momentum into the second, racing out to a 7-1 lead. Chadron State was resilient, with an Eskew kill tying the score at 10-10, but Highlands took control by winning 10 of 11 points to turn a 12-12 tie into a 22-13 advantage. The Eagles tried to mount a second rally in the set, pulling within four points, but Jaylee Gonzalez finished off the set with a kill to end it 25-20 in NMHU's favor. 

Highlands led 5-2 early in the third set after back-to-back aces from Abby Carlsen. Again, Chadron State rallied to climb back, with a service error, Rylee Ward ace and attack error by Highlands knotting the score at 12-12. But again, as soon as the Eagles found themselves within striking distance, the Cowgirls pulled away, immediately answering with a 6-2 run to go back up by four and closing out the match with an identical third set margin to the first set. 

Arianna Jameson had a match-high 15 kills for NMHU. The Cowgirls had the advantage in kills (43-36), aces (8-4), blocks (8-2) and digs (51-41). Chadron State hit .186 for the match while the Cowgirls hit .265. 

The Eagles will host No. 12 MSU Denver in the Chicoine Center next Friday night, followed by UCCS on Saturday. First serve for both matches will be at 6 p.m.