ThunderWolves, Mountaineers Picked to Battle for RMAC Crown

July 31st, 2025 12:00pm

From RMAC Communications:

DENVER, Colo. – Defending champion Colorado State University Pueblo and runner-up Western Colorado University, led by their respective returning players of the year, are picked to battle for the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football championship. The ThunderWolves and Mountaineers share the honor as preseason favorite in the RMAC Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll released Thursday in conjunction with the league’s Football Media Day.

In addition, Western Colorado redshirt junior defensive end Ricky Freymond and CSU Pueblo senior wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff – the league’s 2024 defensive and offensive players of the year, respectively – lead the 2025 Preseason All-RMAC Team. The RMAC’s preseason teams are determined by placing returning players in order of head coaches’ voting from the league’s 2024 All-RMAC Teams.

Both CSU Pueblo and Western Colorado received an identical vote tally – five first-place, three second-place votes and one third-place vote – to record 76 points each. Colorado School of Mines, with four second- and third-place votes, was picked to finish third with 66 points. Colorado Mesa University received the remaining four third-place votes and tallied 58 points to finish fourth in the poll.

South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State University tied for fifth place with 43 points, followed by another tie between Chadron State University and New Mexico Highlands University for seventh place at 31 points. Fort Lewis College is picked ninth (17 points), followed by Adams State University in 10th (nine points).

Last season, the ThunderWolves defeated the Mountaineers by a 44-34 score on Nov. 2 in Gunnison. Retzlaff broke loose for three touchdown receptions in a seven-catch, 138-yard day. Freymond finished with six tackles and two tackles for loss. The rematch takes place on Nov. 1 when CSU Pueblo returns to Western Colorado.

Also returning after winning one of the league's major awards, Retzlaff was the first CSU Pueblo player to win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year honor since 2015. He finished the season ranked third among Division II receivers in receiving yards per game (111.6 ypg), amassing 1,228 receiving yards on 67 receptions with 12 touchdowns.

Freymond was the fourth Mountaineer to win the Defensive Player of the Year honor last season. He ranked third among all Division II defensive players with 1.9 tackles for loss and was seventh with 0.92 sacks per game. Freymond recorded 68 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 12.0 sacks in his third season with the Mountaineers.

In addition to the league returning both Players of the Year, it sees both Freshman of the Year selections return in New Mexico Highlands running back Tevita Valeti and Western Colorado linebacker Cameron Cooper. The 2025 Preseason All-RMAC Football Team sees 13 members of the 2024 First Team All-RMAC return, along with 11 second team selections and five honorable mentions.
 

RMAC Press Release