After struggling during its game against Colorado Mesa last Saturday, the Chadron State football team will be trying to regroup this Saturday when it hosts long-time rival South Dakota Mines in the season finale for both teams. Kickoff will be at noon after the Eagles' 10 seniors have been recognized.
 

              The Eagles enter the game with a 4-6 season record and they are 3-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  S.D. Mines is 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the RMAC.  
 

              While Mesa defeated the Eagles last Saturday 38-22, S.D. Mines also lost, 35-28 to Colorado State-Pueblo. 
 

              Statistics indicate that the Hardrockers have a more potent offense than the Eagles. They are averaging 437.7 yards and 35.7 points, compared to CSC's numbers of 338.4 yards and 24.0 points.
 

              Defensively, CSC has yielded 386.6 yards and 30.7 points a game. S.D. Mines has given up an average of 335.9 yards and 24.3 points
 

              S.D. Mines possesses arguably the outstanding passing combination in the conference.  Quarterback Jayden Johannsen has completed 214 of 318 passes for a 67.3 percentage and 2,386 yards and 27 touchdowns this fall.  His favorite target is Ben Norland, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior who has caught 83 passes for 1,116 yards and an RMAC-best 15 touchdowns to set several school records
 

              The Hardrockers also have the conference's third leading rusher, Jalen Frye, a 5-7, 175-pound super senior who has carried the ball 133 times for 738 yards and five TDs. Johannsen is the team's second leading rusher with 94 carries for 373 yards, after 100 yards are deducted when he has been sacked.
 

              This will be the fourth game Johanssen has started at quarterback against the Eagles. In the previous three, he has completed 61 of 103 tosses for 716 yards and five TDs while throwing three interceptions.
 

              In last year's game, Johanssen connected on 28 of 41 passes for 304 yards and two TDs, and also ran 49 yards for a touchdown, leading the Hardrockers to a 28-7 win. 
 

 However, the game was not a snap for the Sioux Falls native.  He was sacked seven times, adding up to 50 negative yards. Five of the sacks were credited to Hunter O'Connor, helping the CSC lineman win all-conference and All-American honors.
 

              S.D. Mines' 28-7 win last year was its first in 16 games versus the Eagles dating back to 1987. After 1995, the teams did not play one another the next 20 years. The rivalry resumed in 2016, when the Hardrockers were invited to join the RMAC.  The teams met twice in 2020, when COVID scrambled the scheduling.  The winner takes possession of the Eagle-Rock Trophy.
 

              Eagles who be playing their final college game are Creel Keishaun, Michael DeCamillis, Joey Geil, Kien Martin, Malik Mashek, Gabe Perkins, Harvey Reynolds, Conner Schwend, Trevon Smith and Kobe Whipple.