Football | 4/22/2015 6:01:00 PM

GUNNISON, Colo. – Competition for playing time in the fall of 2015 began this spring for Western State Colorado University football.  While the offense is relatively stable, returning most of the starters from last season, everything is up for grabs on the defensive side of the ball for the Mountaineers this spring.
 
"We have a very competitive group of players on defense," Head Coach Jas Bains said.  "No position is safe and our players know that."
 
A lot of juxtaposition has occurred this spring while many Mountaineer defensive staples graduate in May.  Many have moved positions as Western looks to fill those gaps and make improvements in other areas.
 
One thing Western has been able to rely on in recent years, has been their special teams.  This spring is no different as familiar faces take command of the team.
 
Western football players are again competing in the special teams' survivor series this spring.  The competition runs throughout camp and concludes in a final competition before the spring football game.  Scoring for the survivor competition happens every practice during a special teams drill.  Players are awarded points for every time a drill is completed correctly.  Many of the drills will pit a player from one survivor team against another, where only one player will receive points.
 
Four teams are currently vying for the title of 2015 Western Survivor Champion.  The teams are led by four captains, Jacob Weiss (Sr., Salida, Colorado), Vince Grasso (Jr., Grand Junction, Colorado), Austin Ekeler (Jr., Eaton, Colorado), and Jordan Woodyard (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colorado).  With three practices remaining, Team Woodyard has taken the lead with 154 points.
 

Western State Survivor Series
Team	Points
Team Woodyard	154
Team Ekeler	151
Team Grasso	130
Team Weiss	96

The Mountaineers will conclude the 2015 spring season on April 25 with the Crimson & Slate Spring Football Game at 11 a.m. in Mountaineer Bowl.  After the conclusion of the game, all fans, alumni and Mountaineer Athletic Association members are invited to join the Mountaineer coaching staff at Palisades Restaurant in Gunnison for a post-game social.
 
All practices are free and open to the public.  Schedule times and dates are subject to change.  All high school coaches that would like to attend meetings and practice, please contact assistant coach Ryan McDonough (rmcdonough@western.edu or 970-943-7043) prior to confirm location and times.
 

Practice	Date	Time (MT)
Practice #13	4/22	3:30 p.m.
Practice #14	4/24	3:30 p.m.
Spring Game	4/25	11 a.m.

 
LBs
 The Mountaineers will lose three key starters at the linebacker position come the fall season.  This includes 2014 captain Jaden Terry who played in 44 career games for Western.
 
Filling those shoes will be a tough task.  However, a group of veteran players and young talent have been commissioned to complete this undertaking.  
 
"It's very competitive right now as everyone is fighting for playing time," defensive coordinator Kelly Ledwith said.  "From top to bottom, we have a much bigger, more athletic group than we've ever had.  They all have size, speed and athleticism."
 
Leading the way this spring has been inside linebacker Jacob Bernhard (Sr., Fort Lupton, Colorado).  Bernhard will move back into the inside linebacker position after playing all four positions during the past three seasons.  Bernhard's tough nose play will be key for the Mountaineers in 2015.
 
Joining Bernhard this spring are veteran linebackers Carter Wasser (RSo., Cedaredge, Colorado), Devon Suits (Jr., Aurora, Colorado), Lief Swanbom (Jr., Fort Collins, Colorado), Kristopher Bass (Sr., San Pedro, California) and Jordan Woodyard (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colorado).  Each of these players have at least one year playing experience at Western.  Senior Ty Henry (Sr., Centennial, Colorado) will also join this group in the fall, but has been out this spring due to injury.
 
Competing for playing time with veterans, are linebackers Jesse McConnell (Sr., Stratton, Colorado), MC Griffin (Fr., Stratton, Colorado), Tyler Baum (Fr., Broomfield, Colorado), Zachary Marengo (Fr., Fruita, Colorado), Jared Jacobsen (Fr., Overland Park, Kansas) Jonah Mitchell (Fr., Aurora, Colorado), and Jack Millard (Fr., Fruita, Colorado).  McConnell made the move from fullback to linebacker this spring.
 
DL
At the defensive line position this spring, 14 players compete for starting jobs.  Of those 14, eight have playing experience at Western and only three have more than one year experience.
 
This position group is the youngest group on the team and fans will more than likely see some new faces come the fall.  This includes Western's new defensive line coach Jake Van Groll.
 
"I like this group a lot," Van Groll said.  "They work hard, do what's asked of them and they've shown a lot of improvement from the beginning of the spring."
 
This defensive lineman group includes Brenden Hisao (So., Daly City, California), Tyler Andrzejewski (So., Thornton, Colorado), Travis McMurren (Jr., Greeley, Colorado), Tyan Hjelmstad (Fr., Monument, Colorado), Ravon Terroade (Fr., Denver, Colorado), Jared Martin (So., Byers, Colorado), Dylan Boyce (Jr., Simi Valley, California), Victor Alvarez (So., Lancaster, California), Dylan Nicholson (Jr., Sterling, Colorado), Tyler Juncker (Sr., Modesto, California), Christopher Kwek (So., Houston, Texas), Thomas Chavira (Jr., Oxnard, California), Cody Powers (Fr., Louisville, Colorado), and Austin Yurko (Jr., Thornton, Colorado).
 
"Although a few guys have been banged up and unable to practice this spring, this group has been playing with more energy and having fun.  We just need to be more consistent," Van Groll remarked.
 
DBs
There is quite a mixture of experience in Western's defensive back group this spring.  Four of the five seniors at the defensive back position for the Mountaineers have three years of experience.  The other senior, Ron Dickerson (Sr., Fort Worth, Texas) makes the transition to defensive back from quarterback.
 
However, coach Bains has made it clear that no matter your experience, no job is safe.
 
"We are going to put the best four or five defensive backs on the field," Bains said.  "I feel good about the mixture of talent we have now, but there is a very good and very athletic class coming in that will be able to compete right away."
 
Gerald Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Texas) has impressed the coaching staff this spring after moving to safety from his cornerback position.
 
Joining Coleman and Dickerson at the defensive back position are players Cade Wasser (So., Cedaredge, Colorado), Jordan Ross (Jr., Strasburg, Colorado), Bryce Harvey (Fr., Los Angeles, California), Jade Gale (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colorado), Jacob Weiss (Sr., Salida, Colorado), Brandon Warr (Jr., Hesperia, California), Will Halligan (So., Westminster, Colorado), David Velazquez (Fr., Scottsdale, Arizona), Mason Bode (Fr., Aurora, Colorado), Thomas Pazell (So., Bayfield, Colorado), Kristian Va'ana-Kikuyama (Fr., Oahu, Hawaii), Jake Brown (Fr., Brush, Colorado), and Taylor Juniel (So., Denver, Colorado).
 
Special Teams
Special teams is almost always the difference between winning and losing.  Under coach Bains, the Mountaineers have a tradition of success in the special teams department and last season was no different.
 
Western led all of NCAA Division II in net punting, averaging 39.92 yards.  Dakota Swinehart (Sr., Taos, N.M.) was the primary punter last season, averaging 43.68 yards per punt, and returns for his final season.  Swinehart was an all-conference honorable mention selection last season.
 
At the place kicker position, Ryan Winke (Jr., Aurora, Colorado) will be back after being an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) First Team selection in 2014.  Winke was second in Division II with 1.73 made field goals per game.
 
"Dakota and Winke have been vital to our success," Bains said.  "We are really having them focus on fundamentals this spring."
 
Emerging as Western's primary long snapper this spring has been junior Jacob Leggett (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colorado).  Leggett will look to solidify his position this fall and be the primary snapper to Swinehart and Winke.
 
With the kicking game pretty much solidified, much of the focus this spring in special teams has been finding returners and return coverage.
 
At the punt and kickoff return position, Western has plenty of depth.  Competing for those positions are Kyle Adkins (Jr., Woodinville, Washington), Darren Brady (Jr., Richmond, Texas), Bryce Harvey (Fr., Los Angeles, California), Rodray Perkins (Fr., Mesquite, Texas), Marquille Jones (Fr., Denver, Colorado), Travis Haney (Sr., Aurora, Colorado), Vince Grasso (Jr., Grand Junction, Colorado), Gerald Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Texas), Austin Ekeler (Jr., Eaton, Colorado), and Jordan Ross (Jr., Strasburg, Colorado).
 
"We are looking for returners that have that extra gear," Bains remarked.  "Returners need to have breakaway speed to take it all the way if they get in the open field."
 
In front of the returners that open holes, protect the kickers or block kicks are Western's true grit players.  These Mountaineers have shown this spring that they have what it takes to compete on special teams: Will Halligan (So., Westminster, Colorado), Dalton Hall (Jr., Frederick, Colorado), Kennan Britton (So., Falcon, Colorado), Jade Gale (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colorado), Jacob Weiss (Sr., Salida, Colorado), Jonah Mitchell (Fr., Aurora, Colorado), and MC Griffin (Fr., Stratton, Colorado).
 
"Right now we are focusing on technique and fundamentals on special teams," Bains said.  "We focus on winning one-on-ones and identifying where best to put players."