Let the second season begin!
Both Mancos and Dove Creek entered the season loaded with talent and high expectations, and after impressive regular seasons for both programs, the Four Corners will host a pair of marquee playoff games to open the eight-man postseason.
After the final weekend of the regular season, with Dove Creek beating Sanford 44-28, and Mancos pounding Sargent 47-0, both teams secured top eight seeds in the 16-team bracket.
No. 2 Mancos will host No. 15 Fowler in the first round of the playoffs, while No. 4 Dove Creek will entertain No. 13 Crowley County – each vying to move on to the state quarterfinals.
More than a few Bluejays may remember the Fowler Grizzlies. Just two seasons ago in the state quarterfinals, Mancos played host to Fowler, and ran into a juggernaut ground game.
Senior Chase Moore and his classmates were sophomores when Fowler upended another playoff run, and the Jays might hold memories of their 34-28 defeat, even though the rosters from that matchup have changed dramatically in the 24 months since their meeting.
Mancos (7-0, 3-0 Mountain League) capped off a perfect regular season, and have been a ground game wrecking crew as well, with Moore leading the way. Sophomore Kail Wayman continues to serve as the counter-punch for the Mancos offense, but the biggest area of domination this year for the Jays – a season in which they’ve only allowed one team (Dove Creek) to finish within 30 points of them – has been their offensive line.
Stalwarts like junior Lane Greenlee and senior Andres Moreno have provided gaping lanes for the Bluejays backs to run through, and so head coach Josh Gardner’s squad will hope to demonstrate some supremacy in the trenches against Fowler.
Their opponent, runner-up in the Arkansas Valley League, posted a 6-3 record, thanks in large part to a balanced rushing attack and strong quarterback play. Six different backs have carried the ball at least 25 times this year for Fowler, mostly to balance the aerial attack from sophomore QB Gage Gottbehuet, who has thrown for more than 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns.
The two teams will lock horns on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Mancos High School, with kickoff slated for noon, with the winner moving on to take on the winner of No. 7 Dayspring Christian and No. 10 Merino.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1 Mountain League) will get to host an opening round matchup for the second consecutive season, as they take on No. 13 seed Crowley County. Head coach Shane Baughman has his program firing on all cylinders, looking to make another deep run in the eight-man postseason.
Sophomore Gage Buffington ran wild against Sanford in their regular season finale, along with senior quarterback Chorbin Cressler’s premier game with both his arm and legs. Senior lineman Blane Johnson has been one of the most punishing presences in the classification, leading an offensive front that will try to control the point of attack against their Eastern Plains opposition.
On defense, junior Quaden Huffaker has been among the team leaders in tackles from his linebacker spot, while sophomore Tyson Beanland and junior Cole Taber have emerged as playmakers to limit their opponents to less than 24 points in every contest this season.
The Chargers (6-3, 4-2 Arkansas Valley) are a run-first offense, following behind junior back Dillon Buford’s 900 yards rushing this season. When Crowley County opts to go to the air, junior Sam Parker has been a favorite target, with 350 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Their appearance will be their second consecutive postseason trip, as the Chargers look for their first postseason win since 2015 – back when the program was part of the 1A classification.
Dove Creek will take on Crowley County at the Soper Sports Complex on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. The winner of the Bulldogs and Chargers will move on to face the winner of No. 5 Holly and No. 12 Swink.
The only way that Mancos and Dove Creek would face each other would come in the state title game, played over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of CSU-Pueblo.
This article was republished Nov. 1 to correct the start time of the Mancos game. The game starts at noon.
