DURANGO, Colo. – The Adams State Grizzlies Football team suffered their first loss since Week One of the 2019 Season, falling to their conference rival Fort Lewis Saturday afternoon on the road. The loss returns The Musket, which the two teams play for every year, back to Durango to reside at Fort Lewis after two straight seasons that the Grizzlies have had it in their possession in Alamosa. Saturday's matchup was the 54^th "Musket Game", and was a defensive battle that unfortunately left the Grizzlies on the wrong end of a 28 to 9 final score.
 
The first quarter of the game made it appear as though it would be a back and forth contest, with the action picking up right away. Fort Lewis would receive the opening kickoff, and take the ball the length of the field, capping off their scoring drive with a 33 yard touchdown from Jeff Hansen that put the Skyhawks up 7-0 four minutes into the game. The teams would exchange punts for the next four drives. Late in the first quarter, Adams State received the second punt of the day for Fort Lewis at their own 33 yard line, and went to work. A heavy dose of running back Duson Sproles kept the clock moving and the Grizzlies driving, as they moved the ball into the Fort Lewis red zone. A great drive concluded with a John Buksa 20-yard pass to Ziere Banner in the end zone for the Grizzlies' first score of the day. Following the extra point, the score was nodded at seven a piece.
 
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, this would be the closest they got the rest of the afternoon. Following the Adams State touchdown drive, the Skyhawks wasted no time getting the lead back. On a third and long in their own territory, Skyhawk Quarterback Erik Ornduff connected with receiver Isaac Lepke for a 60-yard touchdown strike to put Fort Lewis back on top, 14-7 early in the second quarter.
 
Both defenses traded blows for five straight drives in what was a slugfest of a second quarter. Punter John Bowers was busy on the afternoon, as the Skyhawks did their best to shut down key Adams State playmakers. With just over five minutes left in the half, Fort Lewis retained possession at their own 35 yard line. In what was an 8-play 65-yard drive, Ornduff found Parker Strahler for a 21-yard touchdown score with less than two minutes remaining in the half to give the Skyhawks momentum headed into the half. A last second attempt to get the Grizzlies into field goal range failed, as John Buksa was intercepted at the end of the half. The Grizzlies headed into the locker room to regroup, down 21-7 at the half.
 
With the Grizzlies set to receiver the opening kickoff, they came out of the half searching for answers. Receiver Tariq Bitson, who has been nothing short of unstoppable this season, was locked up all afternoon by the Skyhawk defense. The opening drive proved ineffective, and the Grizzlies punted yet again. The Adams State defense did their part in the second half, forcing Fort Lewis punts and giving their offense chances to mount a comeback. They even took scoring into their own hands, as defensive star Alani Pututau was able to sack quarterback Erik Ornduff in the end zone to force a safety. It was the first time the Grizzlies had momentum since the first quarter, and they would be back on offense following the free kick.
 
Unfortunately, as was the narrative all afternoon, the Grizzly offense stalled, and Bowers came out to  punt. Neither team was able to mount any kind of offense for the majority of the third quarter, with both defenses playing a huge role in the game. Fort Lewis kicker Beau McCannon came on late in the quarter to try and extend the lead with a 42-yard field goal, he missed, and again, the Adams State defense provided them with some much-needed momentum. This momentum was short-lived however, as Buksa was intercepted on the opening play of the drive. In an instant, Fort Lewis now had momentum back, and were immediately back in striking distance.
 
The Skyhawks wasted little time, as Ornduff was able to connect with receiver Markez Boykin from 17 yards for the Skyhawks' fourth touchdown of the afternoon, to extend their lead to 28-9. The pressure was now on the Adams State offense headed to the fourth quarter down 19.
 
At the start of the fourth quarter following the Fort Lewis score, Sohail Mohsini replaced John Buksa at quarterback. It did not matter who the quarterback was for the Grizzlies unfortunately, at the offense was again ineffective. All Fort Lewis now had to do was kill the clock and end the game, which is exactly what they did in an uneventful fourth quarter, as time ran out on the Grizzlies.
 
Following the conclusion of the game, The Musket was given back to the Skyhawks, who shot it off proudly on their home field for the first time since 2016. For the Grizzlies, the game was a humbling one, especially for their red-hot offense that managed just 201 yards of offense on the afternoon. They will go back to the drawing board to get ready to go on the road again against Chadron State next Saturday.