RAPID CITY - The South Dakota Mines senior football players are enjoying the game.

Seems like a rather simple statement, but for the Hardrockers, who have endured years of losing - and often by wide margins - the 2008 season has brought back some fun to the game.

"This is my fourth year in the program and I put a lot of hard work in, and this year it seems that everyone's hard work has paid off," Hardrocker senior Justin Griesinger said. "In years past, we lost key games and this year we are winning key games. Even the games we are losing are close."

The Hardrockers began the season with a 4-1 record and still sit above .500 heading into today's game against Dakota Athletic Conference leader Dickinson State with a 4-3 mark.

Much of the 'Rockers success has been built on the strength of strong recruiting classes the last few seasons meshing with the older players.

"You have to have the type of players that will compete, that will stay and are willing to face the challenge," Mines head coach Dan Kratzer said. "A ray of hope is not a band of gold but eventually it will be. The last two recruiting seasons have sparked us to the point that we can be competitive in the league."

Kratzer said the level of education combined with improvements to the field, locker room and other facilities have helped make recruiting a little easier.

"We don't run into schools in our conference when we are recruiting," Kratzer said. "If you can't recruit at the college level you can't compete.

"We have been able to get some support and get out and talk to some kids because it is difficult to sell yourself over the phone in your office. We have to go out and find the kids that fit our school and team."

Success has also meant that these Hardrockers have had to learn to deal with a new feeling as well.

"These games are a lot more fun … but it is a lot harder to lose them when we lose them right at the end," senior Chad Westendorf said. "We have a great group of guys that have been working for four years so it is good to get stuff done out there."

Kratzer said the success his team has enjoyed this season has made it more enjoyable for the players and made it a better environment to coach in, but he also wants them to remain hungry and continue to improve.

"You have to learn to win, then you win a few and you have to learn to lose again," Kratzer said. "We have lost two games in a row so we have to learn how to come back and put ourselves in position to win again. It is a constant circle when you are trying to revive, refresh the win column in the football program.

"But the bottom line of everything can't be winning. You have to have a foundation to build on."

The Hardrockers had opportunities to win a couple more games this season, but Kratzer points out that it is hard to be disappointed when much of the offense is being led by first-year players like quarterback Nick Russell and running back Jamie Dale. There abilities have led to many big plays for Mines this season, but at the same time they are still adjusting to the college level.

It is all part of the process of trying to build a team.

"Young guys have been stepping up and we have a lot of senior leadership this year," Griesinger said. "A lot of people like to say our team is real young, but we have had the most seniors this year than we have had the last five or six years."

Kratzer knows there is still a long way for his program to go to be able to compete on a consistent basis, but the progress in his first four years is still significant.

"Considering where we started (we have come a ways) because the first couple of years we had very little resource to recruit," he said. "But the last few seasons we have begun to climb the latter.

"It was difficult just to keep kids in the program, but now we are moving forward instead of feeling like we are just treading water."

Griesinger leaves no doubt about how he wants to close out his final games with the Hardrockers.

"We need to go 3-0. Win them all," he said.