Dolores Bears to host first playoff game

Dolores Bears to host first playoff game

November 1, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Three prep varsity football teams are still playing, two involved in post-season playoffs and one completing its regular season.

Dolores will host its first Class A playoff game ever, according to head coach Don Story, at noon (originally set for 1 p.m. but South Park wanted it moved up) Saturday, Nov. 3, against South Park at DHS Field. Dolores played a post-season game a few years ago at Sargent, won there, and then lost at West Grand in the quarterfinals. It also played in a playoff game in the early 1980s but played on the road. With their 28-19 win at Mancos on Oct. 26, the Bears, 7-2 overall captured the San Juan Basin League title with a perfect 4-0 record and received the no. 1 seed from the league into the playoffs.

Dolores County, meanwhile, finished as the league runner-up and got the no. 2 seed. The Bulldogs, 8-1 overall, will visit Hayden, also set for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Panthers of Montezuma-Cortez High School will visit Craig to play Moffat County at 1 p.m. Saturday in a Class 3A Western Slope League contest, the final game of the regular season. The Panthers are 2-7 overall and 2-4 in league. MCHS, under second-year head coach Karl McGee, is coming off a 17-7 win over Battle Mountain last weekend at home.

Story, in his second season as head coach at DHS, has turned the Bears from chumps (winless in league and 1-9 overall a year ago) to league champs this year.

"That is an awful big turn-around for one year. I tell you what, I knew were going to have a good season this year because last year the kids never gave up even at the end of the season when we were 1-8. They kept improving game after game and they came to every practice and kept working. They knew our time was coming and it did. I didn’t think we would be 7-2, but I thought we would do better than we did a year ago," Story commented.

Members of the Dolores team include: Freshman Brian Valdez, senior Cullen Zion, senior Kevin Fane, junior Duston Russell, freshman Andrew Swope, junior Justin Reed, freshman Brian Swiggart, sophomore Luke Ragland, junior Chad Hanson, senior Garrett Nielson, senior Casey Garvin, freshman Josh Sarten, freshman Cory McCracken, freshman Matt Larson, sophomore Curtis Leonard, freshman Dylan Schaffer, freshman Joel Snyder, freshman Tyler Quintana, sophomore Dakota Crevenka, sophomore Bryan Lemmons, sophomore Jonathan Stanford, sophomore Sean Boone, sophomore Nate Head, sophomore Chris Patterson, senior Tyler Hicks, senior Derek Thompson, senior Chris Leonard, junior Bradley Apple, senior Waylon Bennett, freshman Jason Erickson, junior Jonathan Larson, senior Aeson Reed, and senior Brady Blackmer. Story is assisted by his son, Scott, and Stan Davis. The manager is Jennifer Trevillian.

No. 6 ranked Dolores is led offensively by Zion who has bootlegged from his quarterback position for 1,188 yards on 113 carries (10.51 per game average). He also has completed 50 of 109 attempts for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns. Nielson has rushed for 531 yards, Garvin 578, and Ragland 264. Bennett has grabbed 24 catches for 521 yards and Reed 11 for 256.

Defensively, Thompson has been in 70 tackles, and Blackmer 34.

South Park (5-3) is led by tailback Owen Springer who has rushed for 1,005 yards. Quarterback Tycen Bundgaard has completed 23-47 for 324 yards and four touchdowns. Chris Dinges is the team’s leading receiver with 24 grabs for 387 yards.

Defensively, Springer is one of the state’s best tacklers with 100. Jordan Ashby has 55, Ryan Doyle 49, and Jeremy Kirby 48.

Ticket prices, as set by the Colorado High School Activities Association, are $4 for students and senior citizens and $6 for general admission. No faculty, student or league passes will be accepted only CHSAA issued passes, according to DHS Athletic Director Jim Everin.

No. 7 rated Dolores County advanced to the Class A playoffs by stopping 2000 state champ and San Juan Basin League champ Nucla 8-0 on Oct. 27 at Weber Park Field in Dove Creek.

DCHS head coach Ken Soper, who was named Coach of the Week by the Denver Post earlier in the season, said he doesn’t know too much about Hayden other than they are fast.

"I know they are quick and they have good skill people. I know they have some speedsters," he reported. "In all my years of coaching, I have never played Hayden."

Soper said his Bulldogs have been coming along well on defense, but he’s a bit worried about the offense.

"The defense is doing a good job right now. But the offense has been struggling. Those turnovers have killed us this season. If we can keep from giving them the ball, I think we will be okay," he added.

"I understand there is a cold front coming into northern Colorado. But we will be ready," he added.

Members of the Dolores County team include: Senior Keith Pierce, senior Bru Meyer, senior Lyle Joe, senior Dallas Coker, senior James Smith, senior Casey Spitzer, senior Darin Retherford, senior Kyle Riddell, senior Brandan Donelow, junior Joe Buffington, junior Trent Daves, junior Brandon Neely, junior Kyle Krafka, junior Riley Williams, junior Verne Hassell, sophomore Trinity Cressler, sophomore Matt Beanland, sophomore Chase Davis, sophomore Jake Williams, sophomore Eddie Hapler, sophomore R.C. Jones, sophomore Nathan Adams, sophomore Trinity Donelow, freshman Drew Buffington, freshman Brennan Banks, freshman Zach Larimore, freshman Landon Putnam, freshman John Smith, and freshman Drew Retherford. Soper is assisted by Shane Baughman, Steve Stiasny, and Jerry Boles. Adam Bankston is the manager.

Offensively for the Bulldogs, fullback Meyer is the leading rusher with 623 yards. However, he’s been injured and has seen limited playing time lately. Quarterback Pierce is one of the best passers in the state. He has completed 108 of 203 attempts for 1,626 yards and 11 TDs. His favorite targets are Coker with 49 catches for 737 yards and Daves with 15 for 313.

On the defensive side of the ball, Smith is the leading tackler with 75. Meyer has 64, Joe 59, Buffington 42, Beanland 40, Daves 38, and Spitzer 34.

Hayden, located about 20 miles east of Craig, is at 7,700 feet above sea-level, nearly a 1,000 feet higher than Dove Creek. The Tigers, with a meager 4-5 record overall, are the second seed coming out of the West Slope League.

Kevin Miller is the team’s main offensive weapon. He has completed 10 of 30 for 265 yards and four touchdowns. Has called his own number 22 times and carried for 187 yards. He likes to throw to Kelly Bruchez who has snagged seven for 197.

Here are the other first-round playoff Class A games: No. 2 ranked West Grand (9-0) is hosting Lyons (6-3); top rated Akron (9-0) hosts Crowley County (6-3); No. 3 Sanford entertains Byers (7-2); Custer County (7-2) has Limon (7-2); Las Animas (7-2) is home to Holyoke (4-5); and Del Norte (7-2) hosts Wiggins (8-1).

Should Dolores defeat South Park it would get the winner of West Grand-Lyons, likely West Grand. Should Dolores County win at Hayden it would get the winner of Akron-Crowley County, likely Akron. The championship game is set for Nov. 24.