By Jim Thomas

It was a key San Juan League football game for Dolores and Mancos on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 16, at Mancos Field. Likewise it was another key league game for Dolores County and Nucla the night before in Nucla. The Blue Jays, with a hard-fought 20-19 win over the Bears, are still in the hunt for one of three playoff berths the league will receive. The fifth-ranked Bulldogs remained undefeated (7-0 overall and 2-0 in league) and in firm control of first place with an 18-0 win.

It took a big effort for the Jays, especially after spotting the Bears 12 points in the first half, to come back and win. The Jays improved to 3-4 and 1-1. The Bears fell to 1-6 and 0-3.

"This was a big win for us," Mancos coach Terry Newlin said after the game. "We struggled a lot in the first half and then the kids settled down and believed in each other and what we’ve been trying to teach them. They went out and decided they were going to do it in the second half."

The first quarter was scoreless. Mancos got two chances when a bad snap on a punt gave the Blue Jays the ball at the Dolores 34-yard line early in the quarter. The Jays, though, could not move the ball. They got another opportunity with a blocked punt at the Dolores 23. But the Jays could only get the ball to the D21. The Bears went three-and-out their first two possessions. They did move the ball a little bit on their third possession but was stopped.

Both teams got fumblitis in the second quarter. During a flurry of bobbles, Mancos coughed up the ball. Two plays later Dolores gave the ball back. Mancos, on the next play, dropped the ball. Dolores on the very next play gave it right back. The Jays could not take advantage of situation on the final takeaway.

Following a short punt to the their own 34, the Bears got their offense in gear. They advanced the ball to the Mancos 47 when reserve quarterback Justin Schmitt hit Levi Frye coming out of the backfield for a 47-yard scoring strike with 3:53 remaining in the first half. Dustin Gilstrap booted the point-after for a 7-0 lead.

The teams exchanged pass interceptions late in the quarter. But the one interception by the Bears’ went for a 22-yard touchdown by Frye with 1:07 to play. The kick failed but Dolores held a shocking 13-0 lead at the intermission.

"We told them at the half it was up to them. We told them if we can win two games in league play, we would go to the State (Class A) playoffs. We told them it was in their hands they had to go out and earn it. They buttoned their ears down and went after it," Newlin added.

The Blue Jays marched the opening kickoff from their own 25 to the D27 but were stopped there. However on Bears’ first play from scrimmage, they fumbled. With the ball at the D5, Jeremiah Muniz got the ball to the D2 and then Nick Rubino took it over from there for the TD with 7:49 on the clock. The pass failed. Dolores still led 13-6.

Dolores got the ball on their own 34 and could only get it to the 39 where a fumble stopped them. The Jays took over and could only get the ball to the D19. Three plays later the Bears tossed an interception. Mancos went on the move from the D45. They got the ball to the D8 when time expired in the third quarter.

Continuing, Rubino took the ball up to the D7 where Muniz swept around the end and into the end zone with 11:11 on the clock. Cory Hallam kicked the PAT for a 13-13 score. Dolores had a chance to move the ball but was stopped on downs. Mancos took the ball at the D47 and marched to D11 before fumbling. But the Bears fumbled the ball right back at the D6. Kelley Smith took the ball to the D1 and then Rubino went off-tackle for the TD with 5:15 to play. Hallam connected on the PAT for a 20-13 lead.

The Bears did not give up, though. Taking the ball at their own 40 they marched 60 yards to paydirt. The final play was a 9-yard pass from Schmitt to Aeson Reed with 2:15 to play. The two-point conversion was stopped. Mancos had a 20-19 lead.

Following an on-side kick, the Jays pounced on the ball at mid-field. They held on for six plays and ran out the clock.

At Nucla on Friday night, the Bulldogs’ Chris Kail ran the opening kickoff 94 yards to the Nucla 1-yard line. Ron Ernst bulled his way over for the touchdown. Justin Wyatt passed to Keith Pierce and the Bulldogs were quick up 8-0.

"That kickoff return got us a score right of the bat," Dolores County coach Ken Soper commented. "That gave us the momentum. Other than that it was a pretty evenly played game. That was really the best field position we had all night."

The Bulldogs added another score in the second quarter. Jade Huskey ran in from 19 yards out and Ernst booted the point-after. Dove Creek led 15-0 at the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Bulldogs added their final score of the game in the fourth. Ernst booted an 18-yard field goal.

Norwood’s all-everything runner Adam Priestly carried 33 times for 109 yards. Norwood’s quarterback was only three-of-16 passing.

Huskey led the Dove Creek ball carriers by rushing 19 times for 107 yards. Wyatt did not have a very good day passing as he was only three-of-12 for 34.

Defensively, Jarrod Wyatt led the Bulldogs with 16 tackles. Ernst, Bru Meyer, and Nick Montgomery all had nine each.