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    <description>Latest local news from The Durango Herald.</description>
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        <link>https://tcr.durangoherald.com/offseason-acquisitions-skyhawks-football/</link>
        <title>Offseason acquisitions: Skyhawks football</title>
        <description>Cox excited about freshmen pushing upperclassmen</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Cox excited about freshmen pushing upperclassmenFort Lewis College Johnny Cox drops the red challenge flag while playing Black Hills State on Sept. 20 at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)Jerry McBrideAll offseason acquisitions for Fort Lewis College fall sports are important, but the newcomers on the Skyhawks football team have a different kind of importance for head coach Johnny Cox.The Skyhawks football team has easily been the worst FLC fall sports program over the past decade, and one of the worst programs in Division II. FLC went 2-9 overall last season and 1-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Skyhawks haven’t finished outside the bottom three of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference since 2019 and haven’t had a winning record in conference play or overall since 2015.So there’s a lot on the line with everything that goes on with football, including the Skyhawks offseason acquisitions.Cox’s philosophy surrounding recruiting has been to bring in high school players, develop them and keep them as they become juniors and seniors. For the most part, he’s done that. The problem is the wins haven’t followed.So can this class of offseason acquisitions help propel FLC toward a .500 record? The football team has the most athletes on its roster of any Skyhawk sport; therefore the scholarship costs are more than other sports. With so many athletes, Cox and his staff are expected to find a few difference makers in each class. Football usually leads each college in sports revenue, so there’s potential for football to really help FLC Athletics, especially playing under the lights for the first time this season.This is Cox’s fourth season. There’s definitely more pressure on his recruiting abilities and how these freshmen can push the upperclassmen than any other FLC fall sports coach and their recruits. The Skyhawks are bringing in 41 freshmen and three college transfers.There are more new players on all collegiate athletics rosters than ever, with immediate eligibility from the transfer portal and unlimited transfers during an athlete’s five years of eligibility. Therefore, with rosters being rotating doors these days, it’s important to make note of all of the incoming players on each FLC fall sports team before the season previews and the season starts.This is the fifth FLC offseason acquisitions article of the offseason. The first was on women’s soccer, the second on volleyball, the third on men’s soccer and the fourth on cross country.“I’m really excited about it,” Cox said about his offseason acquisitions. “They’re off to a good start. With the five for five rule, that is going to affect these guys to push and try to take advantage of that opportunity ... There's no redshirt gymnastics that you’ve got to play. So that motivates them and that's the exact type of kids that you want that want to try to get on the field.”The NCAA passed a new ruling nicknamed the “5 for 5.” It was first established in Division I in late June and was adopted in Division II on Aug. 5.The ruling establishes a five-year eligibility period for student-athletes. This begins for the student-athlete at either the full-time enrollment at any college or immediately after their 19th birthday, giving athletes potentially five years to compete for their schools, compared to the previous four seasons in five years. It also largely removes traditional redshirt years and medical hardship waivers.The 5 for 5 rule really changes how Cox’s freshmen will operate. In the past, Cox preferred to redshirt almost all of his freshmen. An example of this is that there’s 24 redshirt freshmen on the 2026 roster and only four sophomores, meaning only four of the 28 returning freshman from last year didn’t redshirt.Without the redshirt anymore, there won’t be a reason for these freshmen not to push hard for playing time. Cox knows in the past, there were times where if a freshman knew he wasn’t going to play because of a redshirt, some complacency could set in.Cox couldn’t get complacent with his recruiting class after three of his top running backs left in the transfer portal. He brought in eight running backs and six wide receivers.“So it just ended up being one of those years where we said, ‘Hey, here, some of our top guys,’ and, man, they all wanted to come,” Cox said. “This is going to be a great class, and since they've been here, they have been. It's really been a good thing. We didn't necessarily know that our three guys were going to leave, but we feel like at least as far as potential-wise, we have an opportunity to kind of replace them.”Cox couldn’t say any newcomers stood out to him because they haven’t had enough time in the Skyhawks’ system. Thirty of the 41 freshmen are from either Colorado or Arizona. Cox joked that his whole team is from Phoenix. The Skyhawks coaches each have areas they recruit. They rank the talent in that area and from there, the position coaches take over.The closest freshman to home is running back Colton Lucero from Pagoosa Springs. He was first-team all-state for 2A his senior year and was seventh in rushing yards in Colorado. Cox has been impressed with his strong body type as a freshman.FLC has been practicing since the beginning of August, with its first game on Aug. 29 at William Jewell College.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tcr.durangoherald.com/durangos-bates-ready-to-elevate-his-game-in-year-2-at-smu/</link>
        <title>Durango’s Bates ready to elevate his game in Year 2 at SMU</title>
        <description>Former Demon football star started all 13 games last season for Mustangs</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:12:53 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Former Demon football star started all 13 games last season for MustangsFormer Durango High School football star Joshua Bates has been a part of a winning program at Southern Methodist University. (Courtesy SMU Athletics)It’s not easy going from a blue-blood college football program to a new blood, but former Durango High School football star Joshua Bates made the right decision with his move last offseason.Coming out of high school, Bates was one of the best football recruits in Colorado and one of the best centers in the country after being a two-time CHSAA Class 3A All-State First Team selection with the Demons. He signed to play at The University of Oklahoma, a historic blue blood program with seven national championships, which currently plays in The Southeastern Conference.With the help of a block from Joshua Bates (64), Durango High School’s Gage Mestas runs during a game against Evergreen earlier this season. (Herald file)But Bates never found his footing as a Sooner. He played in five games over two years at Oklahoma as the program struggled to meet expectations. Bates needed a fresh start and more playing time, so he entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season and committed to Southern Methodist University.In 2025, Bates got his playing time and broke out as a starter at the Power 4 level. He started all 13 games for a SMU program that went 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Over the two seasons SMU has been in the ACC, the Mustangs have 20 wins, which is only second to Miami in the conference, transforming SMU into a new blood as Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee has phrased it.This season, SMU is expected to compete at the top of the ACC and vie for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Bates, a redshirt junior, is a big part of that as the team’s starting center, and he knows if the team wins, he’ll have a shot at the Rimington Award for the nation’s best center.“I feel good,” Bates said. “Offensively, we’ve got a lot of guys returning. We’ve got Kevin Jennings returning, who's our quarterback. He's going to be a Heisman candidate this year, and he does just a great job every aspect of the game … We're feeling really good. This is the best group I've been a part of heading into fall camp in the college football I've played, so I'm excited … SMU just keeps climbing. I'm glad to be a part of it.”Former Durango High School football star Joshua Bates started all 13 games for Southern Methodist University last season. (Courtesy SMU Athletics)Bates enjoyed his time at Oklahoma, but he feels at home at SMU with its smaller student body than Oklahoma, which means smaller classes and more personable relationships. It reminded Bates of growing up in Durango.The former Durango star’s comfort at SMU was seen on the field last year. He was a big part in SMU finishing 12th in Division I and second in the ACC with 283.1 passing yards per game, along with fifth in the ACC with 416.9 offensive yards per game.A big reason Bates is comfortable at SMU is because of his relationship with Jennings, his quarterback. The relationship between the center and quarterback is one of the most important on the football field. Jennings, a fifth-year senior, is one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country and one of the best in the ACC. He’s been at SMU his entire career and finished last season with 26 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 3,641 passing yards.Jennings is the most personable quarterback Bates has played with. He’s personable, hangs out with Bates and the guys off the field and cares about his teammates. Bates marvels at Jennings’ ability to escape out of the pocket and buy time behind Bates. When Jennings does that, it makes the offensive line have to improvise to keep their man from getting to Jennings. It’s more work, but Bates and the rest of the offensive line love seeing Jennings turn into Superman.Lashlee is another guy who makes Bates feel at home. He feels confident Lashlee can lead the Mustangs to an ACC title. It was an adjustment for Bates to leave the Oklahoma system for the SMU system. The Mustangs’ offensive line is expected to be more athletic and open up more for a lot of outside zone looks.Former Durango High School football star Joshua Bates has been a key part of Southern Methodist University's strong offense. (Courtesy SMU Athletics)“Coach Lashlee is a great offensive mind, but he’s also very efficient … he’s a guy that you can talk to him for 10 minutes, and it permeates out of his skin: He loves football,” Bates said. “He loves to win. The competitive atmosphere at SMU is incredible. We compete in everything we do … and I love that.”It’s especially important for Bates to feel at home with his teammates and his coaches because of how much of an outlier SMU is in the ACC. Modern conference layouts don’t make much sense geographically, so Bates and his Mustangs teammates had conference games at Boston College and California last year.But Bates is used to the travel, since he grew up playing in Durango with his closest game being four hours away. Those long flights create bonds between teammates, and five-hour delays in the Boston airport don’t hurt either.At 6-foot-3-inches and 310 pounds, Bates describes himself as an instinctual player who sees things before others, which usually puts him in a good position. Bates thinks he moves well laterally, understands leverage and is consistent. He wants to improve on how physical he is this year by improving his endurance. Bates has been working on his muscle and lung capacity in the offseason.The Mustangs’ center’s improved endurance could be the difference between going 9-4 again or going 11-1. The difference between those records last year was quite small for SMU. Three of its four losses were by three points or less. This year, the schedule lines up for SMU. The Mustangs don’t have to play Miami or Clemson in the regular season. SMU’s toughest game is at Notre Dame, and its toughest conference game is at Louisville.“This year we've done a lot better of a job of kind of understanding what it takes to get within those one to three points,” Bates said. “You go back to our season. We make two field goals, and we are 10-2, going into the playoffs … This year we've got completely back to the basics and kind of reiterated what you have to do to win at this level and in this league … Everyone's really good. That's how college football's always been.”Regardless of how Bates and SMU’s season goes this year, he’s established himself as one of the best football players to come out of Durango High School in recent memory. He shares the Division I stage with fellow Demons like Ben Finneseth, who’s a leader at the University of Colorado Boulder and Owen Cheatham, who will be a freshman at Florida Atlantic University. Not to mention Carver Willis, who will be a rookie on the San Francisco 49ers this fall.“To come out of a mountain town, especially as football players, you're competing with guys out of Texas and California,” Bates said. “There’s a high density of football players. Doing it out of Durango and achieving something like that out of Durango is special. It shows what the community is about, and it shows what the football program is about … I'm proud to be a part of Durango, growing up in it, and I know those guys are as well.”bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://tcr.durangoherald.com/skyhawks-womens-hoops-hosting-3-vs-3-tournament-with-program-on-upswing/</link>
        <title>Skyhawks women’s hoops hosting 3 vs 3 tournament with program on upswing</title>
        <description>Fort Lewis College expected to return all players with eligibility</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Fort Lewis College expected to return all players with eligibilityFort Lewis College women’s basketball head coach Lauren Zuniga calls out instructions to her team while playing MSU Denver on Jan. 31 at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)Jerry McBrideAfter the Fort Lewis College women’s basketball team had its best season in eight years, the Skyhawks are looking to raise money to make the next season even better.The Skyhawks are hosting the 3 on 3 Skyhawks Showdown on April 11 inside Whalen Gymnasium. Each team has a three-game guarantee. Teams of four can compete in the elementary, middle school, high school and co-ed college/adult categories after a $100 registration fee that will go to the FLC women’s basketball program.“We thought it would be something really fun for the community,” FLC women’s basketball head coach Lauren Zuniga said. “I feel like there's not a ton of three-on-three tournaments, so I thought it could be something to hopefully grow and do every year. The ultimate goal, obviously, is to support Fort Lewis women's basketball, but also just to kind of make it a fun community event.”After the three games, a championship game will take place in each division. Prizes, such as FLC women’s basketball gear, gift cards to businesses in Durango, and FLC Athletics gear, will be given out.Games will start at 8 a.m. People can register here.It’s an exciting time for the Skyhawks women’s basketball program. Zuniga said she expects the entire roster with eligibility remaining to return. This is almost unheard of in modern college athletics with the transfer portal and immediate eligibility coming out of the transfer portal. FLC is expected to return 93% of its scoring from the 2025-2026 season.“It's everything that any coach could hope for,” Zuniga said. “With the landscape where college basketball is at right now, there are so many opportunities for kids. Sometimes it's easy for them to think grass is greener … So I feel super impressed by the maturity of our team. I'm super impressed with just how bought in they are.”The Skyhawks could have a team good enough to host an RMAC tournament game in Zuniga’s third year and win a conference tournament game for the first time since 2016.Katie Lamb, the team’s best shooter and scorer, will be a junior after averaging 11.8 PPG. So will her backcourt mate, Claudia Palacio Gámez, who had a lot of strong moments in her first year as the team’s point guard. Natalie Guanella will be a senior after a stellar finish to her junior campaign, where she finished the season with five consecutive double-digit scoring games. Makaya Porter will be a senior after tying for top scorer, 11.8 PPG, and leading the team in blocks and finishing second in steals.Young players can also return after promising freshmen seasons. Josie Davis immediately impacted the game from the guard spot with her efficiency and all-around play. Alemaualii Fonoti provided a great presence inside with her strength and motor. Savanna Dotray provided great versatility with her length at the forward position.However, there’s still plenty of room to improve, and Zuniga plans on addressing that in the transfer portal and high school. She already has three high school players committed, and is looking to add one or two post players in the transfer portal. Zuniga also has to find an assistant coach after Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw left the team during the season.“When we talk recruiting, we want to just continue to get great players, which I think we have, … our style of play won’t change,” Zuniga said. “We still need to have length, athleticism and skill.”Zuniga wants to see her returners continue to mature. She wants to see her team improve in forced turnovers, already a strength this past season, and she wants her team to cut down the turnovers to under 14 per game.bkelly@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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