DOVE CREEK – With the high school season kicking off in less than four weeks, the Four Corners football landscape took a dramatic shift last week.
On July 28, Dove Creek schools sent out a message to the community indicating that the Bulldogs would not be fielding a varsity team this upcoming season.
In their message via the school’s Facebook account, the school cited “low participation numbers and limited varsity experience” as reasons why they came to their final decision. The 2025 Bulldogs listed 15 student-athletes on their roster, but the team battled injuries for much of the season on their way to a 4-5 record.
Five seniors graduated from that roster, leaving head coach Brennan Banks, athletic director Jason Fury and the Dove Creek administration in a position where they needed to keep players safe in an 8-man classification where many players will be on the field for every offensive, defensive, and special teams snap.
Dove Creek enjoyed one of the most successful spans of football in their school’s history over the past decade, recording seven consecutive seasons of five or more wins, six straight playoff appearances, and their incredible 13-0 state championship campaign in 2022.
Per the Facebook message to the community, Dove Creek is still pursuing holding a junior varsity season, pending student-athlete interest and availability of opponents. Also, via CHSAA guidelines, Dove Creek athletes are able to participate for other schools in the region.
