The 2024 Central Washington University football season is set to begin as the Wildcats aim to establish themselves as the preseason favorites in their third year within the Lone Star Conference. The Wildcats will face the San Diego Toreros on Saturday, September 7, at 1:00 p.m. at Torero Stadium in San Diego, California.
Central Washington had a remarkable season in 2023, marking their first NCAA Division II playoff victory and advancing to their first regional final since 2009. The Wildcats experienced a rocky start, losing their first two games against Weber State and Montana Tech, but then rebounded with seven consecutive victories in LSC play, which included wins over then 9th-ranked Angelo State, a homecoming win against West Texas A&M, and a comeback victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The winning streak ended in the LSC championship against 17th-ranked UTPB. The Wildcats then achieved two back-to-back comeback wins in the playoffs, defeating then 10th-ranked Western Colorado 16-13 in overtime and 21st-ranked Bemidji State 21-17. Their season concluded in the regional final, where they tied the game at 14 with 1st-ranked Colorado School of Mines before falling 38-14.
Individual accomplishments were notable for the Wildcats, particularly senior safety who led the NCAA with 13 interceptions and also topped NCAA Division II with 124 total tackles. He became the first Wildcat and the first junior to win the prestigious Cliff Harris Award and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award. Central Washington also had four All-Americans, with one player earning two National Defensive Player of the Year awards, and two others recognized as Honorable Mention All-Americans.
The Toreros finished the 2023 season with a 4-7 record, including a 4-4 mark in the Pioneer League under first-year Head Coach Brandon Moore. San Diego kicked off 2024 on a positive note with a 27-21 victory over in-state rival Cal Poly, their first win against the Mustangs since 2016.
CWU Head Football Coach emphasized the importance of ball security and effective tackling in their opening game. He noted that the focus during fall camp was on minimizing turnovers and improving tackling performance.
In their recent match against the Mustangs, Grant Sergent led the Toreros with 153 passing yards on 15 completions from 24 attempts, while Cole Monach caught five passes for 43 yards. The ground game saw Matt Colombo and Isaiah Smith contribute 88 and 79 yards, respectively, with Logan Gingg scoring the team’s only offensive touchdown.
The San Diego defense played a crucial role in securing the win, with Trey Ortega and Matt Ballentine each returning interceptions for touchdowns. Eric Haney also recorded an interception, while Jagger Pagano led the team in tackles.
As for Aidan Lehman, he was pivotal to the Toreros’ success, converting both field goal attempts and successfully executing all extra point tries. The Wildcats will continue their journey as they prepare to face Colorado Mesa on Saturday, September 14, at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado.