DOLORES – For each of the past several seasons, the Dolores football program has checked off new milestones, seemingly with each passing week.
Last year, the Bears have piled up points on a scale that hasn’t been seen by the program in multiple decades, pitched multiple shutouts for the first time since 2017, collected their first league win since transitioning to the 8-man classification and came painstakingly close to multiple upsets against Mountain League blue bloods.
For the 2026 encore, DHS plans to take a sledgehammer to even more of the obstacles that have long stood in their way.
They’ll enter the season with a new man in charge – Duston Russell steps up from his recent offensive coordinator role to wear the many hats of head coach. For the players, the transition appeared seamless, and the summer and early season practices picked up with the team hitting the ground running.
“The Xs and Os will be the same,” said Russell, who also absorbs the administrative parts of the position, “but I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve had support from the school, the administration, the parents and the kids, so it’s been awesome.”
Most of the starters return for DHS, and coming off the program’s first .500 season in 15 years, motivating the kids to do the offseason work proved to be easy.
“The kids never missed a beat, it’s like we never even took a break,” Russell said.
River Wickstrom enters his second full year as the Bears signal caller, and the West Point-bound senior has taken all the right steps to continue his growth, according to Russell.
“River and I have spoken a lot about creating a plan that worked to help him develop schemes,” said Russell, “and he’s really added the leadership qualities that all the kids can look up to.”
Wickstrom threw 16 touchdowns a season ago for a balanced DHS offense, and demonstrated his ability to take off when needed. For all of Wickstrom’s weapons in the backfield and on the flanks – senior Darren Hicks and junior Branson Lee look to share carries – perhaps the quarterback’s biggest weapon will be a fully-returning offensive line.
Junior Daniel Jacket anchors the unit, entering his third year as a starter, while classmate Evan Elder and sophomore Marshal Wickstrom have a year under their belt to gel.
“They’re a tight-knit bunch and they communicate well with one another,” lauded Russell of his ‘O’ line, “and they’re all seeing the game better than they ever have before.”
On the other side of the ball, senior Miles Brown developed into a defensive end force. Alongside a chorus of players with quickness learned on the wrestling mat, defensive coordinator Renwick Jacket will have athleticism to spare at his disposal as the Bears look to be disruptive.
With the continuity on both sides of the ball, the Bears have the pieces to make a push for the program’s first playoff appearance since 2009. Their schedule, while rigorous, also positions DHS to maintain a strong RPI ranking – six of their nine opponents played playoff football last year in their respective state tournaments. Dolores opens up at home against one of those 2025 playoff squads – Plateau Valley – with a 7 p.m. kickoff on Aug. 28.
From there, the Bears make road trips to Monticello (Sept. 4) and Rangely (Sept. 11) before returning home for a month straight. A rare four-game homestand pits Dolores against Escalante (NM) on Sept. 18, Custer County (Homecoming) on Sept. 25, Mancos on Oct. 2 to open league play, and Sanford on Oct. 16. Then, the Bears wrap up the regular season on the road at Norwood and new 8-Man League C (Mountain League) member Del Norte.
“I’m excited to see what we can do this year – these kids are still learning what they’re capable of,” Russell said. “I think we can make a lot of noise.”
