Another season of Chadron State football has arrived with the conclusion of the first week of fall camp this week.
For the second straight season, a battle for the QB1 spot will occur leading up to the season opener.
There are two candidates for the job, both whom competed for the spot last season.
Heath Beemiller, a senior form Chandler, Arizona, was named the 2022 season opener starter. Beemiller, a Northern Arizona transfer, completed 52.5 percent of his passes for six touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 1112 yards.
The second is junior Mason Hamilton from Gillette, Wyoming. Hamilton completed 40 of his 71 attempts last season, a completion percentage of 56 percent. While throwing for 356 yards, the junior had three touchdowns and one interception.
“Both have played well this fall,” Offensive Coordinator Micah Smith said. “It has been a very competitive fall between the two of them and both have taken huge strides from last fall.”
The backfield will be looking to fill the production of Jalen Starks from last season. Starks ran for 637 yards and 11 touchdowns. CSC only had 13 rushing touchdowns during the season.
Everyone behind Starks on the depth chart in 2022 is returning this season. Dorian Collier, a junior from Tallahassee, Florida, ran for 338 yards on 59 attempts, an average of 5.7 per carry.
After missing the spring, Jeydon Cox, a junior from Jackson, Wyoming, returns after rushing for 254 yards.
Sophomore Rylan Aguallo from Mitchell, Nebraska, scored one of the teams two rushing touchdowns not by Starks in 2022. Aguallo carried the ball 34 times for 167 yards.
Jake Marschall, a redshirt freshman from Littleton, Colorado, and Brock Ping, who redshirted last season and “put good use to his redshirt year” impressed coaches during the spring and is earning reps early this fall as well.
CSC’s 13th rushing touchdown last season was scored by four year starting center, Michael DeCamillis.
DeCamillis, a senior from Westminster, Colorado, will look to lead an offensive line group in need of replacing Juan Estrada-Sanchez, Emmit Rosentrater and Askel Turk.
“Fall camp is about competition. We have 13 returners and we are trying to find the best five,” CSC Football Head Coach Jay Long said. “The O-Line has shown they’ve worked hard over the summer and I’ve excited to use these practices to find out who the starting five is going to be.”
Remington Ferree, a sophomore from Thermopolis, Wyoming, Vincent Mosley, a sophomore from Fort Collins, Colorado, Tyler Carpenter, a sophomore from Broomfield, Colorado, and Jacob Nasalroad, a sophomore from Aurora, Colorado, all played in games last season.
Seven of last seasons eight leading receivers are returning this fall.
Senior Ahlonte Hair of from Live Oak, Florida, redshirt sophomore Tommy Thomas of Fort Collins, Colorado, and junior tight end Peter Krohn, of Fort Collins, all had over 30 catches and 300 receiving yards last season.
Ahlonte Hair led the group with 457 yards and four touchdowns on 33 catches. Thomas added 32 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns.
Krohn was named RMAC Football Second Team All-Conference for his play after having 30 catches for 302 yards and two touchdowns.
Ro Abercrombie, a redshirt sophomore from San Bernardino, California, has had a great spring and beginning to fall camp and will also be a valuable option at tight end.
Grant Swenson, Ali Musa, Brodie Roden and Jahani Wright are all individuals that will play a role in the receiving corps as well.
On the opposing side of the ball, the Eagles return eight starters. All-Conference selections Bobby Peele and Brendan Brehmer will need to be replaced in the secondary while Tayven Bray will need to be replaced on the defensive line.
“Our veterans have done a great job of playing fast and teaching our younger guys the defense so far this fall,” Defensive Coordinator Clint Sasse said. “We have some promising young players who we are excited about.”
All-American Hunter O’Connor will lead the group in the trenches. O’Connor finished the 2022 season as an All-American with 60 total tackles, 24 TFL and 16 sacks. His 16 sacks ranked him as the national statistical runner-up in NCAA Division II for the regular season and broke the CSC single-season sack record held by Casey Beran and Scott Dolfi.
Joining O’Connor will be senior Gabe Perkins of Aurora, Colorado, graduate student Kobe Whipple of Rosebud, South Dakota, senior Trevon Smith of Casper, Wyoming, sophomore Tanner True of Eaton, Colorado and Kien Martin, a junior from Overton, Nebraska. All received valuable playing time last season.
Leading the linebacker corps will be junior Xavier Harrell of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and senior Joey Geil of Casper, Wyoming.
Harrell led the Eagles with 66 total tackles last season while Geil had 55 tackles. The duo combined for eight tackles for loss for 43 yards and 2.5 sacks for 23 yards.
A starter last season, Heamasi Latu will look to regain his starting spot after being injured during spring practices.
Logan O’Brien, Dylan Meyers, Reese Jacobs and Kyle McIntosh each will receive playing time at the linebacker position.
Finally, the defensive backfield has two leaders from last years team to replace.
Senior Jahvonte Hair, the twin brother of Ahlonte, redshirt sophomore Dax Yeradi of Wright, Wyoming, and senior Harvey Reynolds of West Palm Beach, Florida, are expected to lead the secondary.
A host of other defensive backs who earned playing time last season are expected to contribute, while Yeradi leads a group of stalwart safeties looking for playing time.
“I’ve been really happy with how our secondary has played so far this spring,” Sasse said.
Special teams will look a little different than last year. CSC will look to replace Gunnar Jones, who hit two 57-yard field goals against Adams State.
Redshirt Sophomore Brodie Eisenbraun of Sturgis, South Dakota, Wilson Yee from Independence Community College and Triston Hite from Nebraska Weslyan will all be competing for the kicker and punting positions.
“Going into practice number five, the first thing that stands out is how the guys conditioned themselves and worked hard this summer,” Long said. “We are focusing on getting better and getting ready for our season opener over the next 20 practices.”
The Eagles will begin the 2023 season with a new opponent, The University of Quincy in Quincy, Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 pm MT.