The Dove Creek Bulldogs has developed a variety of rivalries across its boys athletic programs.
On the gridiron, the long-standing rivalry with Norwood always ranks among the biggest games on the schedule for the Bulldogs. In basketball, Dove Creek finally tipped the scales in their favor against a pair of teams that had long stood in their way – Ouray (district) and Monticello (border-bragging rights).
In recent years, the Nucla Mustangs-Dove Creek Bulldogs showdowns on the diamond might be the fiercest small-school baseball games anywhere in the Centennial State.
As the only 1A baseball programs for over 150 miles in any direction, the Bulldogs and Mustangs see each other more than enough to develop a healthy respect – and distaste – for one another.
So, just a week after the Bulldogs seized the district title with an emphatic 14-4 thumping of the Mustangs, Nucla struck back with a vengeance, topping Dove Creek 13-3 in the regional title bout at the Soper Sports Complex to move on to the 1A state semifinals.
During the regular season, Nucla (14-7) beat the Bulldogs in two of their three encounters, setting the stage for a district title bout with plenty of firepower.
The Bulldogs (12-9) flipped the script, however, dominating the game from the opening pitch. Head coach Trent Daves’ squad piled up three runs in the first, and three more in the third, building a 6-3 edge at the midpoint.
Then, in the fourth, the Bulldogs offense erupted for seven runs, helping Dove Creek end the game via mercy rule in the sixth inning. Freshman Sheldon Gardner and sophomore Taber Dejane collected multihit days, while Ryan Jarmon scored three times against the error-prone Mustangs. Sophomore Hunter Daves went the distance on the mound, allowing just four hits to the high-octane Nucla offense over six innings.
The district title victory earned the Bulldogs the right to host their region as the No. 4 seed in the 1A tournament. After watching No. 12 Nucla dispatch No. 5 Flatirons Academy in the other regional semifinal, Dove Creek had to use every ounce of grit to fend off No. 13 Otis in their regional opener.
In a back-and-forth affair, D.C. held off Otis, 16-15, to advance to their fifth meeting with Nucla.
This time, however, the Mustangs quieted the Dove Creek bats, limiting Dove Creek to their third-lowest run output of the season in the 13-3 win. The loss ended the Bulldogs season in the state quarterfinals for the second straight year, sending the Mustangs to the Final Four at All Star Park in Lakewood to contest for a state title on Thursday, May 19.
Dove Creek sends off three graduating seniors, who enjoyed three winning seasons and an overall record of 34-25.
