Montezuma-Cortez 41, Bayfield 12
While the Panthers fell just shy of a playoff appearance, Montezuma-Cortez secured its third winning season in the past four years with a comfortable win over La Plata County rivals on Halloween night. The M-CHS offense ran rampant with nearly 400 yards, while seniors Parker Conrad and Rusty Snyder found the end zone three times apiece in their final football games in orange and black.
Junior quarterback Cody Case tossed three touchdown passes, while senior Cooper Sopha posted an interception on defense as the visiting Panthers built a 20-3 halftime lead and were never threatened in the second half. The Class of ’26 went unbeaten against the Wolverines during its four years, closing out a memorable era for Panthers football.
Mancos 48, Sargent 6
An efficient Bluejays squad required only 28 offensive snaps to score six touchdowns in a blowout win over the Farmers. Mancos (6-3, 3-2 Mountain League) enjoyed lengthy touchdown runs from junior Michael Resner and senior Jonah Ritter, while sophomore Traycer White snagged a pair of touchdown receptions to lift the Jays into the postseason on a high note.
Fifteen different Jays tallied tackles in the rout, helping extend the program’s postseason streak to 11 straight seasons. Mancos earned the No. 9 seed in the 8-man state tournament and will travel to Kremmling to face No. 8 seed West Grand (8-1, 6-0 Northwest League) in the opening round of the championship bracket. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., with local radio station 98.7 FM KRTZ and krtzradio.com providing live coverage.
Sanford 54, Dove Creek 14 (Saturday)
The homestanding Mustangs (8-1, 5-0 Mountain League) closed out an unbeaten Mountain League title run while simultaneously dashing the Bulldogs’ hopes of a late-season surge into the playoffs. The Bulldogs dropped to 4-5 despite a strong October run, snapping a six-year playoff qualification streak.
Dolores, M-CHS prepare for regional tournament
The Bears (22-1) locked up their first league title in six years last week and now turn their focus to hosting their first home regional since 2019 on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Dolores earned the No. 3 seed in the 2A postseason and will host No. 34 Wray (7-16) and No. 22 Custer County (15-8) at the DHS Fieldhouse. Each team will play the other in a round-robin format. The Bears open the day against the Eagles, followed by Wray vs. the Bobcats. The final match will pit Dolores against Custer County, with the team posting the best record earning a spot in the 2A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum, Nov. 13–15.
M-CHS (11-12) landed the No. 25 seed in the 3A regionals and will travel to Broomfield for their first postseason appearance since 2021, facing No. 12 Prospect Ridge Academy (17-6) and No. 13 Village (16-7). M-CHS will open the Nov. 8 regional pod against the host Miners before meeting the Mountaineers, who are making their postseason debut. The top team from the trio will advance to the 3A state tournament, also held at the Denver Coliseum.
Mancos 3, Ouray 0 (Thursday)
The Bluejays (10-13, 7-6 2A/1A SJBL) sent the Class of 2026 off on a high note with a Senior Night win over the Trojans. While Mancos finished just outside the top 36 in the 2A rankings, the team closed out its fifth straight season with double-digit wins.
Dove Creek 3, Ridgway 1 (Saturday)
Dove Creek closed out its season on the road with a decisive victory over the Demons, capturing its fourth win of the year. The Bulldogs send off a group of five varsity seniors who ended their high school volleyball careers with the win.
