CHADRON – The Chadron State College football team hopes to keep its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and postseason playoff hopes alive Saturday when it hosts New Mexico Highlands at Elliott Field. Kickoff will be at noon.
 
The Eagles are 5-2 for the season and 4-1 in the conference. Colorado State-Pueblo leads the RMAC at 5-0 and has a 7-0 seasonal mark. It's anticipated that CSC will have to win its remaining four conference games to have a chance to reach the playoffs. Even if they accomplish that, the Eagle's will need a team to upset Pueblo to grab a shore of the RMAC title.
 
The Highlands Cowboys are 1-4 in the RMAC and 2-5 for the season, but have lost each of their last three games by less than a touchdown.
 
The Cowboys opened the season with a 31-389 win over Eastern New Mexico but Abilene Christian beat them 52-28 the next week.
 
Highlands then opened its conference schedule with a 31-20 win over Fort Lewis, but after that the Cowboys are winless. Colorado Mines beat them 30-10, followed by three narrow losses to Colorado Mesa (22-17), Western State (33-27) and Adams State (24-20) last Saturday.
 
Against the Grizzlies, quarterback Emmanuel Lewis completed 21 of 33 passes for 339 yards. For the season, he has completed 188 of 308 tosses for 2,294 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
Chadron State Quarterback John McLain has completed 181 of 278 passes for 1,929 yards and 16 TDs.  Led by Glen Clinton, the Eagles' running game has been much more potent than Highlands'. Clinton has carried 162 times for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also, Michael Madkins has rushed 54 times for 335 yards and Cody Paul has carried 21 times for 178 yards.
 
The Cowboys' top ball carrier is Brandon Johnson, who has carried 42 times for 177 yard. Mawrey leads the New Mexico team in receiving with 37 catches for 471 yards.
 
The Eagles had to go all out last year to win 36-33 in Las Vegas. McLain directed CSC on an 80 yard drive that was concluded with a pass to Allan schmaltz with 36 seconds remaining. Three catches by inside receiver Chapman Ham helped keep the drive going.