They just reload. The Bulldogs never seem to have rebuilding seasons. Dolores County always is right at the top or certainly near the top in the Class A San Juan League standings year after year. Of course, that certainly is a tribute to longtime head coach Ken Soper.

Dolores County, which advanced all the way to the State Quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ Wiggins last season, should still have a good team this year despite seeing many seniors graduate.

Soper is recovering from by-pass surgery last month but he recently returned to the sidelines. Assistant Shane Baughman has been running the program during several preseason workouts.

Dove Creek has 28 kids out for football, including 11 lettermen returning from a team that went 10-1 a year ago.

"We have several players back, but not as many as Nucla, Norwood, and Mancos. A few of them will be changing positions," Soper said.

They will be led by seniors Terence Gardner, an all-conference receiver; Dallas Daves (195 pounds) who will move from tackle to fullback; receiver Chris Kail, an all-purpose player who made all-state as a kick returner.

The offense should be in good shape this fall with 6-foot-4 Keith Pierce moving from wide receiver to quarterback. Junior Bru Meyer (6-0, 190) is a guard who is back. He may be used some at fullback. Starting tackle James Smith (199) is returning. Quick Lyle Joe returns at guard. Tailback Dallas Coker is back for another campaign. Kyle Krafka, a 210-pound sophomore letter winner, is back at center. Runningback Joe Buffington, who saw reserve duty a year ago, is returning. Receiver Casey Spitzer is another letterman who is returning.

The Bulldogs will go with their main I-formation, both slot and power.

Two kids, not lettermen, but who could see some playing time are guard Brandon Neely and receiver Darin Retherford.

Defensively, the Panthers will have a good line. Meyer is the nose guard. Smith and Krafka will be the defensive tackles. Neely and Joe could be the ends. Gardner, Daves, and either Meyer or Kail. In the secondary will be Kail, Pierce, Coker, with Spitzer at safety. The Bulldogs like to use a 4-man front with three linebackers. But they also will lineup in a 5-2 or 5-3.

Returners will be Kail and Coker. Kail will kick field goals and extra point. Joe may be a kickoff man.

Strengths are definitely in the receiving game with excellent receivers and a quarterback who has a good arm, according to Soper. He also noted the running game also is a strength. They also have four of five starting linemen back.

"Our main weakness is our lack of depth. We have a pretty good first team but not much after that as it drops to mainly freshmen," Soper added.

The Bulldogs has an upgraded schedule this year. They open the season at home against perennial playoff-bound Grand Valley on Sept. 2. They travel to Class AA Bayfield on Sept. 8. They are home to another AA team in Ignacio on Sept. 16. They travel to New Mexico Class AAA Shiprock on Sept. 22. Monument Valley, Ariz., JVs are the home date on Sept. 30. This is the only junior varsity team on the schedule this season. And this is the last non-conference game on the slate as well.

"The league looks to be pretty well balanced with nearly everyone having a good group of people back. Nucla has most of their starters back and look to be very strong. Norwood did not lose many and could be tougher even though all-everything Adam Priestly is gone. Mancos did not have many seniors last year and will put another good team on the field. Dolores has some good players back," Soper commented.

The San Juan League season gets going with a home date against nearby Dolores on Oct. 7. They remain at home to face Norwood on Oct. 14. Two tough road games are on the slate to end the regular season with Nucla on Oct. 20 and Mancos Oct. 27.

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Isn’t it funny how things can change so quickly.

Scott Crawford, the successful first-year boys basketball coach who turned Dolores County High School from doormat to San Juan League regular-season and District III runnerup, announced his resignation at the end of last school year.

Crawford said he was going to go back to his home state of Utah, near the Salt Lake City area. However, he had a sudden change of heart and decided to stay and coach another season. Then it was announced he was not only going to coach the boys but also coach volleyball as well. He takes over for Melissa Wilson who resigned at the end of a winless season.

"We really don’t have any place to go but up," he said. "We go into this season with no high expectations. We have some tangible goals (nine wins) but even if we win a few, it will be more than a year ago. And I think we will surprise some people. We have three themes this year: one is to be aggressive; team on and off the floor; and to communicate on the floor and to me."

Offensively, the Bulldogs should be entertaining to watch.

"We will use the Canyon system, developed by Carl McGowan at Brigham Young University. It is the same system that Lindy Mortensen uses at Cortez. It is a three-passer with one setter," he said.

Outside hitter Krystal Neely is back for another campaign. Tia Wood also is back. Wood will likely be the main setter. Michelle Davis, who is a letter winner from a year ago, is playing softball at Montezuma-Cortez High School. Stephanie Baughman was not a letterman last year but she could get some playing time.

Incoming freshman Shandra Johnson is real good softball player who decided to play volleyball. Melinda Fury and Charlene Atkins, both were on the varisty a year ago, but saw very limited playing time. Both of them will see action this year, though. Erin Fury, another freshman, will play some at outside hitter or opposite.

"We will have a young team. I will have several freshmen playing," Crawford added.

To some extent he likes the schedule, although starting the first five games on the road is a tough way for a new program to get going. However, eight of nine games are at home during a stretch, with the final two on the road.

"I think the league is up for grabs. Dolores has some newcomers but they should be very good. Mancos lost a lot. Nucla and Telluride have some returning players. If we can finish on the high side or middle of the pack, I will be happy," he added.

The first few games of the 2000 season are away. The Bulldogs open with Monticello, Utah, on Sept. 1. They compete in the Nucla Tournament Sept. 2. They travel to Farmington to take on Piedra Vista on Sept. 7. The San Juan League season gets under way quickly at Telluride on Sept. 9 and a date with defending SJL and District III champ Dolores on Sept. 9. The long road swing ends with a league game at Norwood on Sept. 16.

Finally, a return to Dove Creek for some home cooking. A non-conference game against Grand County (Moab, Utah) is set Sept. 20. A return to league play against Mancos is on Sept. 22 followed by another loop encounter on Nucla on Sept. 23. A non-conference game against Bayfield is set for Sept. 28.

A return game at Grand County is on tap Sept. 29. They are home against Dolores on Oct. 6 and Telluride Oct. 7. The Bulldogs play their final non-conference match at Montezuma-Cortez High School JVs on Oct. 10. Then the final push begins. They host Norwood Oct. 13, and visit Nucla Oct. 20 and Mancos Oct. 21.

District pigtails are slated Oct. 24-25 and the District III Tournament will be held in Nucla Oct. 28. Regionals is slated Nov. 4 and State Nov. 10.

He definitely has a knack of taking breakdown the basics and teaching them and then putting fundamentals together so players have a good foundation for team play. Certainly, in his first year as head boys basketball coach, Scott Crawford accomplished that in leading the Bulldogs to a winning season, second place in the District III Tournament and a berth at Regionals.

He believes he can do the same thing for the volleyball program.

"I don’t have much volleyball experience other than working in recreation at the university level," he said. "But I am trained as a physical education teacher and I have the God-given ability to breakdown skills and teach them and then put it all together."

He had a good camp earlier this summer with Larry Defenbaugh from Strasburg who came over and spent several days in Dove Creek. Crawford said he learned a lot.

Some 18 girls came out for the sport, which has been a boon for the program.

"I’m really excited about how excited they are," he said. "This year, because we happen to have so many freshmen and because I’m new at this, it is really going to be learning experience for all of us. The honeymoon period is on and we will see what happens. I don’t know a whole lot about this game but I like what I’ve learned. I think volleyball is a great game."

Crawford certainly turned some heads when he coached the boys basketball team last year at DCHS.

"Same as with basketball a year ago. People didn’t expect us to do anything in our first year and we surprised a lot of them. Now they will be shooting for us. Same as with volleyball, no one expects us to do much but the girls have set some pretty lofty expectations. (win nine games). That would be really admirable. If we can do that, it would really be phenominal season. But this year there is no pressure on them."

Crawford said the girls have been very responsive in what he’s been trying to teach them.

"They have been working very hard. They are beginning to grasp what we are trying to do and I think they like what they’ve seen at practices," Crawford added.

Crawford, 30, is philosophical about coaching and what he has accomplished on and off the court.

"I try to be successful in everything I have done. I’ve had my share of failure but on the other hand I think I have gotten there (as a coach). I try to tell them to shoot to be successful and learn from their mistakes. We will have plenty of failure this year and we will have plenty of success," he remarked.