DOLORES – One of the first things that struck first-year head coach Tara Hufstetler was just how welcoming her team was when she arrived for the Bears first practices.
“It’s been so positive since day one,” said Hufstetler of the mutual adjustment between her and her players, “and I’m looking forward to growing together over the next few seasons.”
The acceptance came with plenty of excitement and a lot of uncertainty, as the Bears look to build a rotation under Hufstetler that can help Dolores rise in the San Juan Basin League this year.
Hufstetler credits her own playing career and the coaches that shaped her experience as one of her driving forces for taking head coaching role this winter. “I loved playing basketball in high school, and my coaches were a big part of that,” she said, “and I wanted to be the kind of mentor for these girls that I got during my playing days.”
Sophomores and freshmen compose eight of the 12 Bears on the varsity roster. With that youth, Hufstetler looks to shuffle the deck with player roles, hoping that the Bears play to their strengths and find floor combinations that click.
“Having our girls learn more than one position is going to be really valuable – we’re wanting to put them in the best place to showcase their talents,” added Hufstetler.
Dolores upperclassmen leadership includes the team’s top returning scorer in junior Taylor Erautt, while seniors Halee Kibel and Emma Kemp have enjoyed the most varsity minutes of any other Bears on the floor.
“These girls know that they’re going to have to earn their spot – and that comes from showing commitment and being held accountable,” said Hufstetler, “and that’s going to bring out some competitiveness with one another.”
Both the backcourt and frontcourt will include rotations, with freshman Emilynn Hill and Jordyn Erautt in the mix to become impact players for DHS at the point guard position, while sophomores Autumn Settles, Gracie Willden and Eleri Brown among the Bears seeing significant minutes in the paint.
The Bears pride themselves on gritty defense, something that Dolores knows they’ll need to refine when league play gets underway in January, with the hopes of improving from a three-win campaign last winter. In the meantime, the Bears have seven more contests in the 2024 portion of the schedule, including three apiece in Mosca (Dec. 5-7) and Rangely (Dec. 13-14) to get the campaign into full swing.
Dolores opens 2025 with a trip to Monticello (Jan. 7) before league play gets rolling with trips to Ridgway (Jan. 11) and Telluride (Jan. 14). Their first home game after the holidays will pit the Bears against Mancos (Jan. 17), with Senior Day arriving on Feb. 18 against Nucla.
The season officially jump-started for the Bears with a home contest against the Wolverines, with Bayfield (1-0) taking control of the contest early.
Dolores (0-1) enjoyed second half spurts behind the aggressive play of Taylor Erautt, who scored five points to join Jordyn Erautt (six points) as the top DHS scorers.
Bayfield outscored the Bears 10-0 in the opening frame on their way to a 20-7 halftime advantage.
Sophomore Akaia Edwards and Jordyn Erautt scored in quick succession for the Bears in the third quarter, but Bayfield kept the Bears at arm’s length behind senior leader Renae Foutz, who scored nine of her game-high 15 points in a decisive third quarter.
