Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – South Dakota Mines’ Jayden Johannsen, Colorado School of Mines’ Mason Pierce and Colorado State University Pueblo’s Nigel Mitchell are the week six Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Football Players of the Week, the league announced Monday.
 
Johannsen earns his second Offensive Player of the Week honor this season after leading the Hardrockers (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) to a decisive 38-10 road victory over Western Colorado last weekend. The redshirt sophomore used his dynamic style to cash in 407 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns on the day. In addition to his 146 yards on the ground, Johannsen also rang up 261 passing yards for a 167.3 quarterback efficiency rating against the Mountaineers. He ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more, closing the contest averaging nine yards per throw.
 
Up next, South Dakota Mines will return home to take on its engineering rival and conference leader Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff against the Orediggers is slated for noon MT inside O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City, S.D.
 
Pierce locks up his first Defensive Player of the Week honor for the 2022 season after leading the Orediggers (4-2, 4-0 RMAC) to a 48-21 win at home over Colorado Mesa on Saturday, returning the Nyikos Cup to the Mines campus. The senior cornerback once again provided an added scoring threat for the Orediggers on a pick-six with 20 seconds remaining in the opening half, which turned the tides of the contentious game. In addition to his interception, Pierce also accounted for a trio of unassisted tackles and one pass break-up against the Mavericks.
 
The No. 8/19 Orediggers will now travel to Rapid City, S.D., to take on South Dakota Mines this weekend.
 
Mitchell claims Special Teams Player of the Week, his first of the season, after leading the ThunderWolves’ (3-3, 2-2 RMAC) special teams with a trio of explosive kickoff returns in the Pack’s 52-20 road win over Adams State last weekend. The junior closed the contest with one return touchdown, which came on a 95-yard return in the third quarter while averaging 45.3 yards per return.
 
The Pack will now return home to host New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, Oct. 15, inside CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. Kickoff against the Cowboys is scheduled for 2 p.m., in Pueblo, Colo.
 
Offensive Player of the Week: Jayden Johannsen, South Dakota Mines – R-So. – QB – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Johannsen had another impressive performance in the Hardrockers’ win at Western Colorado over the weekend when he threw for 261 yards against the Mountaineers. Not only did he distribute a pair of touchdowns through the air, but he was also the game’s leading rusher with 146 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. All told, the Sioux Falls, S.D., native accounted for 407 total yards and five touchdowns against the Mountaineers on Saturday.
 
Honorable Mention: Nolan Susel, Black Hills State; Jalen Starks, Chadron State; Dagan Rienks, Colorado Mesa; Max McLeod, Colorado School of Mines; Hunter Raquet, CSU Pueblo; Dylan Holt, Fort Lewis; CJ Sims, New Mexico Highlands; Josh Cummings, Western Colorado.
 
Defensive Player of the Week: Mason Pierce, Colorado School of Mines – Sr. – CB – Bulverde, Texas
Pierce's pick-six was a game-changer for Colorado School of Mines on Saturday when the Orediggers reclaimed the Nyikos Cup after defeating Colorado Mesa 48-21. With Mines leading 24-21 with less than 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter, and CMU set to get the ball back to start the third, Pierce jumped a short pass to the flat and returned it 27 yards for the score, extending Mines' lead to 30-21. That play then revved up the Orediggers’ defense, which shut out the Mavericks for the remainder of the contest. In addition to making his fourth interception of the season, Pierce added another pass break-up and three solo tackles.
 
Honorable Mention: Cooper Brown, Black Hills State; Bobby Peele, Chadron State; Michael Chavez, Colorado Mesa; Daniel Bone, CSU Pueblo; Josiah Flores, Fort Lewis; Tavion Wells, New Mexico Highlands; Gavin Chaddock, South Dakota Mines.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week: Nigel Mitchell, CSU Pueblo – Jr. – WR – Red Bank, N.J.
Mitchell totaled 136 return yards on three kickoff returns in the ThunderWolves’ 52-20 win on the road against Adams State on Saturday. With 7:20 remaining in the third quarter, Mitchell took in a kickoff and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown that extended the Pack’s lead to 45-14.
 
Honorable Mention: Connor Boyd, Black Hills State; Gunnar Jones, Chadron State; Ben Sargent, Colorado Mesa; Hunter Villavicencio, Fort Lewis; Will McDaniel, New Mexico Highlands; Cole Riters, Western Colorado.