Chadron State College football starts their final week of spring practice today, as they prepare for their spring game, which is scheduled for Friday, April 14, at 6 p.m.
The Eagles return eight offensive and nine defensive starters from last years squad that finished 3-8.
Three quarterbacks who received valuable playing time last season are competing for the starting spot this spring.
Heath Beemiller, a junior from Chandler, Arizona, played the most out of the group with eight appearances.
Beemiller, the 2022 season opening starter, completed 53 percent of his passes for 1112 yards with six touchdowns and 11 interceptions on the season.
Once the Arizona native suffered an injury, Mason Hamilton took over quarterback duties. The sophomore from Gillette, Wyoming had a completion percentage of 56.34 percent with three touchdowns and one interception.
Hamilton threw for 356 yards before suffering a season ending injury.
With Beemiller unable to return, Preston Pearson earned the following three starts for the Eagles.
Pearson, a redshirt freshman from Kearney, Nebraska, had 676 yards with a 69.14 completion percentage on the season. He finished with six touchdowns and four interceptions.
With the departure of Jalen Starks, Dorian Collier is the most experience returnee in the running back room.
Collier played in eight games last year, rushing for 338 net yards.
Ahlonte Hair, a junior from Live Oak, Florida, and Tommy Thomas, a redshirt freshman from Fort Collins, Colorado, both are returning in the receiver corps.
Along with the receiver duo, All-RMAC tight end Peter Krohn, CSC’s third leading receiver in 2022, is also returning.
Ro Abercrombie, a redshirt freshman, is also had a great spring and showed he can play at the position, Offensive Coordinator Micah Smith said.
Another All-RMAC selection, offensive lineman Michael DeCamillis, returns to lead the oline for CSC. A handful of younger and new players are expected to add support to the offensive line.
“Up front I think as a total group they’ve done a really good job this spring,” Smith said.
Defensively, an All-American in Hunter O’Conner returns at the defensive end position. Due to off-season surgery, O’Conner is not participating this spring.
Kobe Whipple, a five-year starter, also returns at defensive line.
“The defensive line is probably our most experienced group,” Defensive Coordinator Clint Sasse said.
Four of last seasons six leading tacklers return this spring.
At the linebacker position, Xavier Harrell and Joey Geil look to lead the group.
Harrell led the Eagles with 66 total tackles last season, while Geil had 55.
The secondary will be looking to replace for All-RMAC selections Bobby Peele and Brendan Brehmer. Dax Yeradi is a name that has been mentioned to help replace the duo.
Another name is Harvey Reynolds, a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida. Reynolds had 49 tackles a season ago.
All-Region kicker Gunnar Jones has graduated so CSC will be looking to replace him on the special-teams side.
A junior college transfer and an incoming freshman will compete in the fall for the starting kicking role.
Friday evenings game will be free and open to the public.