Dolores football might have started the season under the radar, but now the secret’s out.
The Bears are back.
Seeking their first playoff berth since 2009, Dolores delivered one of its most impressive wins in nearly a decade Friday night, routing Monticello 56-7 to improve to 2-0. After giving up a touchdown on the Buckaroos’ opening drive, the Bears responded with eight touchdowns on their next nine possessions.
Senior Michael Rantz led the charge, rushing for more than 200 yards and scoring four touchdowns. The defense stifled Monticello’s high-powered passing game and controlled the line of scrimmage throughout.
Down 7-0 after Cache Young’s 4-yard touchdown run, Dolores answered immediately. Rantz broke loose around the right end for an 80-yard score, tying the game just 15 seconds later.
“In previous seasons, you’d see it in our faces, we’d be down after they scored on the opening drive,” Rantz said. “But this time, we got the ball back, everybody’s head was right and we came right back.”
Second-year head coach Travis Rantz, also the team’s defensive coordinator, made adjustments on Monticello’s second possession, forcing a punt deep in Buckaroo territory. A botched snap led to a safety, and the Bears’ momentum surged.
Rantz added a 57-yard touchdown run, and Monticello began to unravel. Senior Deven Winter intercepted a pass to halt a Buckaroo threat, and on the next play, junior River Wickstrom connected with Rantz on a dump-off pass that went untouched to the end zone, extending the lead to 22-7.
“One of the beautiful things about the team this year is that everybody’s doing their job,” Rantz said.
Junior Darren Hicks powered in from 10 yards out for his first of three touchdowns, followed by Rantz’s fourth score – a zigzagging run through the secondary. Wickstrom’s 2-yard plunge before halftime made it 42-7.
Meanwhile, the defense kept pressure on Monticello quarterback Jackson Keyes, a 2,000-yard passer last season.
“We knew that he’s (Keyes) a smart quarterback who makes good decisions,” Rantz said. “But we watched a lot of film – so we knew a lot of what they were wanting to do – we felt prepared and it showed.”
Hicks opened the second half with a 56-yard touchdown run, triggering the mercy-rule running clock. He added another score to cap the night.
The offensive line – led by sophomore Daniel Jacket, sophomore Evan Elder and freshman Marshal Wickstrom – opened wide lanes as Dolores piled up more than 350 rushing yards.
“The line was fantastic – they knew what they had to fix from last week (a 46-16 win over Justice), and they did,” Rantz said.
It was a celebratory night for the home crowd, with Dolores looking like a team ready to make noise in the 8-man scene.
The Bears avenged last year’s blowout loss to Monticello and continue their revenge tour Friday, Sept. 12, with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Rangely.
