In their final regular season home game against Nucla, before a group of Dove Creek seniors played their final contest in the Dove Creek gym, the Bulldogs continued what has become an annual tradition.
Dove Creek public address announcer Jerry Baxter emerged from his post behind the scorer’s table, taking a moment before he boomed the national anthem and called upon local veterans, first responders and educators to line up on the floor to be honored.
After the final bars of “The Star-Spangled-Banner” fell silent, replaced by the cheers from blue-and-yellow-clad Bulldogs fans, the couple dozen individuals lined up on the sideline began to make their way back to their seats to get ready for the opening tip-off.
A gentle tap on a veteran’s shoulder slowed the egress.
There stood a young man, suited up as No. 25, his hand extended to give a firm handshake. Dove Creek senior Ryan Jarmon, along with classmate Blane Johnson, had raced across the court to personally thank each local hero.
On a night that was established to celebrate him and his senior teammates, Jarmon recognized the value of something much larger than himself.
It’s been emblematic of the Dove Creek season – a campaign that has seen the current Bulldogs squad reach new heights.
“Our chemistry has really been clicking this year,” said Jarmon. “We’ve built up the relationships within the team, both on and off the court, and it’s paying off for us.”
Now, the whole community’s involved.
The Bulldogs bus to Grand Junction on Saturday will be filled to the brim, as the girls and boys programs prepare to take the next step toward the 1A state tournament – a platform that has until now never included a Dove Creek boys team. A convoy of Bulldogs faithful is sure to pack the Grand Junction High School gym on Saturday afternoon for the regional championship games – girls at 1 p.m., and the boys to follow at 2:30 p.m.
Jarmon’s positive energy has been infectious, helping to build from learning opportunities, even in inevitable miscues.
“Any time we’re on the court, either in practice or in a game, when we make a mistake, we take the time to focus on fixing it,” said Jarmon. “We know that we need to learn from it, so we take the time to build each other up.”
Defenses have focused on junior Kade Hankins, who takes on a leadership role in the locker room and provides the ‘Dogs with 40% of their scoring. The emergence, however, of Jarmon and fellow senior Chorbin Cressler as viable secondary scorers, have given first-year head coach Aaron Hankins a variety of weapons on offense.
Jarmon has added rebounding and rim-protecting to his repertoire, and the Bulldogs transition game has been boosted as a result. Instead of settling for three-pointers, the Bulldogs have taken Jarmon’s guidance to lean heavily on attacking opponents and finding the open shooter.
“We’ve learned to use our strong midrange game, and that’s really become one of the identities of this team,” added Jarmon.
With a group of talented sophomores and juniors, the Bulldogs find themselves in a place they haven’t been since 2002 – in the regional finals. The ‘Dogs have already assured themselves a second consecutive winning season, but now are looking for more.
“It’s been our goal for the past two years,” said Jarmon, “we’ve all seen the banner (hanging in the gym), and we know that we’re trying to keep making history.”
Confidence has been building throughout the season, beginning with a strong showing at the Sangre de Cristo tournament in the early part of the season. Since then, the ‘Dogs have included hallmark victories, including their first win over border rival Monticello to highlight a Bulldog Classic title during the holidays.
Next up, Dove Creek (12-10, 5-4 2A/1A SJBL) faces the defending 1A state champions, Belleview Christian (16-5, 5-1 1A 5280 League), hoping to continue their storybook season.
Jarmon, who plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, has emerged as a leader in the classroom along with the hardwood. A member of student council, FFA, and Students Taking on Unhealthy Decisions, Jarmon sees his role as one that makes Dove Creek High School an even stronger community. He’ll also suit up for the Bulldogs baseball team this spring.
Just like seeing the community heroes lined up on the gymnasium floor, Jarmon recognizes that the strength of a community leans on paying success forward.
“I hope that our success brings in the younger students,” said Jarmon, “and that they see what we’re doing, and want to keep the tradition going.”
