RMAC battle has McCook football flavor

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Nebraska-Kearney running back Brendan Liess (31), a McCook High School graduate, battles with Fabrice Nolen (21) of Adams State during college football action at Kearney earlier this fall. Liess will be one of several former Bison standouts on the field at Golden, Colorado Nov. 13 when the Lopers face Colorado School of Mines.

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- There might be a little friendly bantering across the line of scrimmage Saturday in Golden, Colorado.

Some familiar faces and former McCook Bison teammates will meet at Campbell Field on the Colorado School of Mines campus when the host Orediggers and the University of Nebraska-Kearney meet to decide the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) 2010 football championship.

Senior Brendan Liess, plus redshirt freshmen Matt Berry and Dillon Goltl are members of the UNK squad, while Sam Frazier is a sophomore for Colorado School of Mines. All four players are former standouts for the Bison prep football program.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST in Golden, Colorado, located just west of Denver in the Rocky Mountain foothills.

CSM loss to Chadron

Saturday's game lost a little luster when the Orediggers lost a 38-31 decision at Chadron State last weekend. Mines enters the contest with an 8-2 overall record and 7-1 in RMAC play. The Lopers are 9-1 overall and 8-0 in the league.

Despite the loss to Chadron State, CSM can still tie for the RMAC crown with a win Saturday. Of course, UNK is looking to claim the league title outright with a win Saturday.

Former Bison battle

It's likely a strong bet that Liess and Frazier will have a head-to-head collision or two in Saturday's game. Frazier, listed at 6-2 and 250 pounds, is a leader on the CSM defensive line. The 2008 McCook graduate leads the Orediggers with 3.5 quarterback sacks, and he also has 5.5 tackles for losses. Frazier has nine unassisted tackles and 16 total stops this season.

Liess moved from wide receiver to running back earlier this season when UNK's top rusher, Rustin Dring, was sidelined with an injury. Liess (5-11, 185) has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this fall, including 107 yards last Saturday in a win over Fort Lewis (Colorado).

The 2006 McCook graduate has 405 net rushing yards in 2010 with six rushing touchdowns. Liess also has 12 receptions for 98 yards and a pair of scores.

Liess will probably split time Saturday with Dring, who is expected back in the lineup. Liess, third on the Lopers with 48 points scored this fall, will also probably be used at wide receiver for the Lopers.

Happy returns

Matt Berry may also meet his former Bison teammate across the line of scrimmage Saturday. The redshirt freshman has started at wide receiver for the Lopers when Liess is in the backfield. Berry had 12 pass receptions for 151 yards this year, plus three carries for 17 yards.

The 2009 McCook graduate has excelled as a kick returner for UNK this season. Berry had 14 punt returns for 129 yards, a 9.2-yard average, including a 68-yard touchdown return. Berry has also returned 10 kickoffs, averaging over 26 yards per attempt.

Goltl, another redshirt freshman, has seen limited duty for the Lopers, but he got his name on the stat sheet with one pass reception for 4 yards earlier this season.

Frazier has also been used on the Colorado School of Mines offense. Frazier has caught three passes for 15 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter of the Orediggers' win over Western New Mexico Sept. 25 in Golden.

The winner of Saturday's contest should solidify hopes for an NCAA Division II post-season berth -- more fuel for the fire in off-season McCook reunions.