12 Seniors Play Their Final Home Game Saturday

NOV. 1 vs. CHADRON STATE: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO


FULL STATS

The 2014 season – which seems like it just began – is already nearing the end against the Chadron State Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 1. The New Mexico Highlands football team will celebrate the accomplishments of a 12-member senior class that came together and provided exciting football for Cowboys fans the past couple of seasons.
 
"This group of seniors is a very diverse group that has come together to be a special class for us," head coach Eric Young explained. "We have guys who have been here for five or six years and we have some transfer guys who have come in.
 
"Every one of these guys have done a tremendous job of helping to build this program and elevate it to where we truly are a contender now and it is a credit to the work these guys have put in," Young added.
 
Kennis Lewis has played for the Cowboys the last five seasons as a defensive back in 30 games. He has 62 tackles for his career with 31 solo and 31 assisted tackles. He also has a pair of interceptions to his credit.
 
Lewis' 27 tackles through only six games in 2014 is already a career-season high. He was also named to the Academic Honor Roll by the RMAC this season.
 
"Kennis is a tremendous student-athlete who has been here through injury and repeated surgeries to put himself in a position to be a leader as a senior," Young explained. "He has served in a bunch of different roles as he has been a student coach, a starting defensive back, a tremendous role model and a kid who is a great representative of our program."
 
Tyler Slavin is another player who is making a name for himself. A transfer from Arizona, he has emerged from being a role player last season to being one of the most dynamic receivers in the country in 2014. This season, he has 100 receptions for 1,171 yards and 15 touchdowns with 12.5 receptios per game, leading NCAA Division II in all four categories. Three times in 2014 he has been the national Wide Receiver of the Week by Beyondsportsnetwork.com and twice won the same honor from USAcollegefootball.org.
 
For his career, Slavin has 1,461 yards receiving on 118 catches with 16 touchdowns.
"It is easy to see what Tyler has done on the football field, but what we are most proud of is the work he has done in the classroom. He has become a true student-athlete and has really focused on the academic side of things to be equal to the tremendous player he is on the football field," Young said.
 
Intially with the Cowboys in 2011, John Paul has returned to the gridiron for the 2014 season as a defensive end and a tight end. Playing in all eight games this season, Paul has played in 18 games in his career and has 75 tackles, nine pass deflections, three quarterback hurries, two blocked kicks and both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
"John Paul is a tremendous athlete who has really had to battle in the classroom. He really has had to use his four years to play two seasons. He has come a long way as a student-athlete and has done a great job of growing up and becoming a better man through the program.
 
By now, many people around the country know Lance Orender. A backup quarterback in 2013, he has emerged to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. His breakout game came Sept. 20 against rival Western New Mexico, completing an RMAC record 56 passes on 78 attempts for a school record 620 yards and a conference record eight touchdowns. More amazing is that his 78 passing attempts with no interceptions in a game is the new record in NCAA Division II. After the game, he was named a national Quarterback of the Week by both Beyondsportsnetwork.com and USAcollegefootball.org.
 
For the season, Lance has completed 298 passes in 447 attempts (66.7 percent) for 3,3326 yards and 31 touchdowns. He leads the nation in passing yards, passing yards per game and touchdowns thrown.
 
"Lance has come in and just taken over this offense and has become a leader for us," Young explained. "He had to sit and wait his turn at the quarterback position, battling through initial eligibility issues to become great in both the classroom and as a well-rounded leader for our team."
 
Zach Tapia is half of the special teams kicking unit that has been a mainstay for the Cowboys the past three seasons. Tapia burst onto the scene against Adams State in 2012, making two of four field goals – including a 55 yarder – and adding four extra points to finish with 10 points. For his effort, he was named RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 15. Tapia again earned the same recognition in 2014 on Oct. 20 after making all four field goals against Western State, including the game-winning 46 yarder. For his career, he has made 32 of 51 field goals with 112 extra points for 208 points for his career.
 
"Zach has done a tremendous job for us both on and off the field. He is a kid many people didn't think would make it as a college student," Young explained. "There was a lot of doubt with him because he came in as a partial qualifier and had to sit the first year with us. He was not able to play, but he has done a tremendous job in the classroom and is going to get his degree this year. He has an elite level leg and has been a competitor on the football field."
 
Patrick Carney is the other half of the special teams kicking duo that has been stalwarts for the Cowboys, serving as a punter the past three years. In his career thus far, he has punted 155 times for 6,875 yards (43.8 yards per punt), improving his average each year. After finishing his first season with the Cowboys just shy of a 40-yard average, he was third in the nation in 2013 with 45.2 yards per punt.
 
The leading returning punter in NCAA Division II in 2014, he was named a Preseason All-American by the prestigious preview magazines: Lindy's and The Sporting News. He has not disappointed, as he currently leads the nation with 46.6 yards per punt, 1.4 yards better than his nearest competitor.
 
This season, he was named Academic All-Conference as a punter, holding a 3.75 GPA in business administration.
 
"Patrick has been a three-year guy for us after being a junior college transfer," Young explained. "We believe that as an athlete, he has the ability to compete at the next level. However, he is a true student-athlete as he was named First Team Academic All-Conference. We expect him to be an athletic All-American. Patrick is a great leader for our football team."
 
A Preseason All-American in 2013, Jared Koster has been a solid contributor for the Cowboys for the past three seasons. For his career, he has 285 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. Koster also has three interceptions in his career; none bigger than this past week at Adams State (Oct. 25, 2014). In the first quarter, he recorded his first and only pick six of his career.
 
In 2014, he easily leads the nation in both tackles per game (14.9) and solo tackles per game (9.7). Koster was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29 after 16 tackles in a Cowboys 45-10 win against Fort Lewis.
 
"Jared is another guy that transferred in, coming from UCLA," Young stated. "He has battled through injuries and surgeries these past three seasons. Koster was a Preseason All-American in 2013 and we expect him to be a Postseason All-American this season.
 
"He has developed as a student and an athlete – a true leader of that defense," Young added.
 
Michael Schuhe has appeared in seven games for the Cowboys in 2014, playing in 17 games for his career. He has 33 tackles, including three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in 2014. He also assisted on his first sack this season.
"Michael is a transfer to us that came in as a role player as a junior that has assumed a leadership role as a senior," Young stated. "He can play any position on the defensive line. Probably not the most physical player, but Michael does a tremendous job understanding the game and making plays."
 
Jack Ivers is a four-year offensive linemen for the Cowboys, who has played in 28 games for his career, including all eight games this season. He has two solo tackles this season and a forced fumble.
 
"If every player on our football team was like Jack Ivers, we would probably never get beat," Young said. "He is one of the toughest kids I know and can play any position on the offensive line. Not your prototype body, but they don't come any tougher or dedicated.
 
"Jack is the type of player you want everyone to be like," Young added.
 
Celso Lopez has been a fixture for the Cowboys offensive line this season, starting all eight games at left tackle. He has played in 15 games for Highlands the past two seasons.
 
"Celso is another player who never thought he was going to play football again," Young explained. "He was out of the game for awhile, but we managed to get him to come to Highlands. He has done a fantastic job as he is another All-Conference Academic honoree. You could not ask for anything more from a player as a role model and a worker.
 
Celso has done a tremendous job on the football field for us," Young said.
 
Another fixture on the offensive line, Brent Walker has been a starter all eight games for the Cowboys this season, appearing in 18 games for his career. "Brent has been a starting offensive tackle for us for the last two seasons and is the type of athlete that could play at the next level," Young said. "He has done a tremendous job dedicating himself in the classroom as well. Academics do not always come easy for him, but he has done a great job putting in the time in the classroom.
 
"His academics are starting to match his abilities on the football field," Young added.
 
A wide receiver, Jared Womack has appeared in 15 games for the Cowboys the last three seasons. In his career, he has three receptions for 20 yards. In 2013, he also made four tackles (one solo).
 
A biology and chemistry double major, Womack was named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll with a 3.78 GPA.
 
"Jared is another player who came back as a fifth-year senior for us. He is a tremendous student and has done a great job competing for us. He is another guy who knows every single receiver position and plays his role on special teams. He does a tremendous job and is a great role model – the type of kid we want in this program."