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Nov 7, 2009

CSM football defeats N.M. Highlands, 69-27, in season finale


GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines concluded its 2009 season with a 69-27 victory over N.M. Highlands University on Saturday afternoon, November 7th, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) football action at Brooks Field.  For the box score, CLICK HERE.

Mines' Jahre Cheeseman opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown run at 11:33 in the first quarter.  NMHU responded with Robert Grant's three-yard scoring run at 7:02 in the opening stanza.  Adam Saur's two-yard touchdown reception from David Pesek at 4:56 put CSM up by seven, but the Cowboys answered again when Narcisco Diaz tossed a 17-yard scoring pass to Travis Lee just two minutes later (2:51) to knot the score at 14 apiece.  Saur hauled in his second touchdown catch of the quarter from Pesek - this one from 49 yards out, to provide the Orediggers with a 21-14 lead after one quarter of play.

Pesek threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Robbin Vinnola early in the second period (12:04) to increase Mines' lead to 14 points (28-14), but the Cowboys scored on the opening play of their ensuing drive (11:48) when Kevon Williams caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Diaz.  Saur's 35-yard touchdown reception from Pesek (9:33), along with Cheeseman's 19-yard scoring jaunt (7:14), gave Mines a 42-21 lead at the half.

Midway through the third period, Ben Hahn found the endzone on a one-yard run (7:01) before Josh Geist returned a fumble 47 yards for a score (5:25; kick failed) to give the Orediggers a 34-point cushion at 55-21.  NMHU's final score of the contest came with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter when Brandon Torres caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Diaz (kick blocked).  Pesek and Saur teamed up for yet another touchdown - this time fom 11 yards out - with two seconds remaining in the third quarter to bring the score to 62-27.  Dominic Bravo hauled in a six-yard scoring pass from Pesek at the 11:05 mark in the fourth period to close out Saturday's scoring.

Pesek, one of 24 national candidates for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year, established a career-high in completions while connecting on 36-of-48 passes (no interceptions).  Pesek also established a career high with six touchdown passes while setting a new CSM individual single-game record for passing yards with 506.  Pesek is the first single-game 500-yard passer in school history.  Pesek concludes his career with the Orediggers ranked first in the CSM career record book in pass completions (799) and pass attempts (1,253), as well as second in school history in passing yards (9,159), touchdown passes (65) and completion percentage (63.8).

Saur, who finished the contest with 216 yards receiving, tied a CSM single-game record with 14 receptions.  With four touchdown receptions on Saturday, Saur became CSM's career leader in that category with 32.  Saur's 15 touchdown receptions in 2009 established a new single-season program record in that category, as well, eclipsing the mark of 13 that he set in 2008.

Cheeseman had 17 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns while Vinnola concluded the afternoon with six catches for 106 yards and one score.  As a team, the Orediggers amassed 677 yards of total offense, which was just nine yards shy of tying the all-time CSM single-game record of 686 (2004 vs. Western State).

Kyle Goracke led CSM with nine total tackles while Nick Haniszewski (two tackles for a loss) recorded six total stops.  Blaine Sumner had five total stops, including three tackles for a loss and two sacks.  Hunter Wardlaw picked off two NMHU passes and Ben Tiller added yet another interception for the Orediggers.  NMHU finished the game with -33 yards rushing.

CSM's 69 points scored on Saturday was the highest single-game output for the Orediggers since a 69-0 shutout victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State University on October 30, 2006, in Golden.

Diaz completed 26-of-45 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns (three interceptions) for the Cowboys (1-10 overall, 1-8 RMAC) while Williams caught eight passes for 145 yards and one score.  T.J. Norris and Lavelle Riley finished with eight and nine total tackles, respectively, for NMHU.

The Orediggers (8-3 overall, 8-1 RMAC) were not selected to the 24-team field for the 2009 NCAA Division II football championships.  The six teams from Super Regional Three that were selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Division II football championships are listed below.

TEAM (overall record; conference)
1) Minnesota-Duluth (10-1; NSIC)
2) Grand Valley State (10-1; GLIAC)
3) Minnesota State Univ., Mankato (10-1; NSIC)
4) Nebraska-Kearney (10-1; RMAC)
5) Saginaw Valley (9-2; GLIAC)
6) Hillsdale (9-2; GLIAC)

-- OREDIGGERS --