PUEBLO, Colo. - With spring football entering its final week of practices in preparation for the 2023 season, new Colorado State University Pueblo head coach Philip Vigil is "very pleased with the attitude and buy-in from the team."
 
Named the new ThunderWolves coach on December 23, 2022, Vigil and his new team have "been tasked with adapting to new coaches and new schemes in all phases of the game and they have not blinked. They have been all in and it is showing in the way that they work."
 
As for the Pack on offense, Vigil said "We have had some guys stand out that we think will be impact players for us. Andrew Cook and Zack Rakowsky at the wide receiver position have been impressive all spring. They continue to make plays every day. At the running back position, Kiahn Martinez and Jordan Jones (running backs) have really impressed us. They have a great ability to find the hole and make the third-level defender miss."
 
Cook, a second-team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honoree last season as a sophomore, caught 42 passes for 642 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while averaging 17.4 yards on 18 punt returns. Rakowsky caught 17 passes for 352 yards and four scores as a freshman last fall.
 
As a sophomore last season, Martinez rushed for 340 yards (4.6 average) with 665 all-purpose yards to his credit in his first campaign in Pueblo after transferring from Idaho.  Jones compiled 439 all-purpose yards for the Pack as a sophomore in 2022 with 315 yards rushing.
 
As for the defense, Vigil noted that "Cory McLellan and Daniel Bone (defensive backs) have really stood out. They are the leaders of that group and have a ton of experience. They have an innate ability to find the ball. Cody Ramming has also stood out on the defensive line and is immerging as a leader for us. He has great length and is doing a great job getting to the quarterback."
 
A 2022 first-team all-RMAC pick, Bone had 68 total tackles (39 solos) last season as a sophomore with league-best six interceptions (110 return yards, one score).  As juniors, McLellan was credited with 58 tackles (31 solos) and Ramming compiled 23 tackles with four for losses.
 
Vigil, who is starting his third season as a head coach at the NCAA Division II level after guiding Western New Mexico the past two seasons, said newcomers "Chance Fuller and Adrian Soto have done a great job of coming in and making an immediate impact on our team. They are both veteran guys who have a lot of experience and it shows. Thankful they are both suiting up for the Pack next year."
 
Fuller, who played in only two games at Fort Hays State last season due to injuries, was a second-team all-league pick for the Tigers in 2021 when he passed for 3,038 yards and 22 touchdowns.  In four seasons at Fort Hays State, Fuller has passed for 8,095 yards and 67 scorers.
 
A Pueblo County prep product, Soto rushed for 734 yards and five scores as a sophomore last season at Fort Hays with 39 receptions for 227 yards and one score.  In his three seasons with the Tigers, Soto has amassed 2,754 all-purpose yards with 1,613 yards rushing and 712 yards receiving.
 
As for the spring game, Vigil said the Pack "will split up into two teams and try to keep it as game-like as possible. We will not do special teams outside of some competition drills."
 
As for off-the-field activities for his first CSU Pueblo squad, Vigil, his staff and players participated in the inaugural "Day of Service" Sunday.
 
"We had 585 man hours, 300 trash bags and 12 dumpsters full of trash and debris," said Vigil. "The Pueblo community has done such an amazing job of supporting the Pack and we want to be able to give back to the community that supports us. It was a great pleasure to get out and give back."
 
 Vigil's first season with the Pack starts September 2 when CSU Pueblo hosts Midwestern State of Texas at the ThunderBowl with a 6 p.m. kickoff.  Prior to the ThunderWolves' first RMAC game at Western Colorado in Gunnison on September 16, CSUP plays at Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., on September 9.
 
NCAA Division II 2022 national runner-up's Colorado Mines is at the ThunderBowl on September 23 to complete a four-game stretch against schools that compiled 38-13 record last season.  Homecoming is October 7 against Adams State as CSU Pueblo honors the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
 
In John Wristen's 15th and final season as the CSU Pueblo coach, the 2022 Pack advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs and finishes with an 8-4 record.  Since taking over as the ThunderWolves program in 2008 when the school relaunched football, Wristen posted a 133-37 record with one national title (2014), nine NCAA appearances and eight RMAC titles.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE - With the spring game set for 12 p.m. on Saturday at the ThunderBowl, the weekend's Pack Football Alumni Weekend Celebration begins on Friday with mid-day golf at the Walking Stick Golf Course and a 5:30 p.m. "Happy Hour" at the ThunderZone.  Saturday starts with a 10 a.m. gathering at the ThunderBowl Packhouse for the Alumni Player Awards and an board meeting to follow after the awards.
 
ALUMNI GOLFING INFORMATION - Pack football alumni will receive a discounted rate of $50 that includes green fees and a cart on April 28. Those alumni interested in playing golf should contact John Wristen (john.wristen@csupueblo.edu  / (719) 289-8021) to reserve a tee time.