DOLORES – This fall has been special in Bear Country.
All three fall sports – football, volleyball and cross-country – are enjoying standout seasons, and the community has taken notice. Last week’s homecoming festivities brought extra pep to Dolores High’s hallways – and for good reason.
While lightning suspended the Dolores football game with the Bears leading Sargent 26-0 at halftime, the Dolores volleyball and cross-country teams provided the thunder for one of the most memorable autumns in recent years.
Even moving indoors Friday night to dodge raindrops and honor the homecoming court did little to dampen the enthusiasm steadily building around the Bears.
Second-year head coach and athletic director Travis Rantz has the Bears on the brink of their first Mountain League win since joining four years ago. Lightning halted the contest at halftime with Dolores leading 26-0. A completion date is still being finalized to make the result official.
Dolores opened with a 60-yard scoring drive in three minutes, mixing ground and air attacks. Junior River Wickstrom capped it with an 11-yard slant pass to senior Deven Winter.
On Sargent’s first possession, the Dolores defensive line stuffed the run. The Farmers went for it on fourth down near midfield, but junior Miles Brown broke through for a sack and turnover on downs.
The Bears quickly capitalized, reaching the red zone with sweeping runs before Wickstrom scored on a 3-yard keeper to make it 14-0.
Dolores broke the game open in a 30-second burst late in the first quarter. After another defensive stop, senior Michael Rantz returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown. On the next play, Sargent fumbled the snap and Wickstrom recovered. Then, on the first play of the second quarter, Rantz followed strong downfield blocking for a 15-yard touchdown run. He was later crowned homecoming king.
With the game suspended, DHS is a half away from its fourth win of the season and first victory over Sargent since 2010, when both teams competed in the 11-man Southern Peaks League. As of press time, a restart date remains pending.
In six sets against SJBL opponents last week, Dolores allowed more than 15 points just once. First-year head coach Brianna Wyatt had her Bears (13-1, 7-1 2A/1A SJBL) focused and efficient, especially in their season sweep of Highway 184 rivals.
Senior Taylor Erautt, named 2025 homecoming queen, anchors a dominant front line and 6-2 rotation that has overwhelmed opponents all season. Junior Aubree Wyatt surpassed 200 kills last week, while junior Madi Thornbrugh and freshman Addyson Wyatt have each contributed more than 150 assists.
The Bears enter the week ranked No. 6 in the latest CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index and will have a full week to prepare for their next league matchup – when Dove Creek visits on Oct. 14.
After weeks of racing grueling courses to build endurance, head coach Angie Lowe’s Bears finally got a chance to test their speed on one of the fastest courses in the state.
Personal bests highlighted the day for the DHS boys program, which placed 10th in a field packed with 5A and 4A teams. Sophomore Joseph Padilla ran a sub-18-minute race, finishing 21st overall in 17:49 – the fastest time among 2A runners – on the Confluence Park trails, nicknamed the “Delta Speedway.”
Junior Corvin Smith continued his strong season, placing 36th in 18:32 to set a new personal record. Classmates Owen Lowe (73rd, 19:44), Orin Samulski (88th, 20:16) and freshman Bodhi Fischer (101st, 20:41) rounded out the scoring. The Bears totaled 279 points, second among 2A teams in the large field.
Sophomore Emilynn Hill represented the girls team, placing 68th in 22:58.
The Bears will race closer to home Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Chicken Creek Challenge in Mancos.
