DOVE CREEK – Although the team has seen the rotation of strong units come and go through the gates of the Soper Sports Complex, one factor remained the same for Dove Creek football.
“We’re a hard-hitting team, so when we play an opponent, the next day, they’re going to know that they played us – our kids love to bring it,” second-year coach Jason Fury said.
The Bulldogs (8-3 in 2023) have flourished with their smash-mouth approach, qualifying for the postseason in each of the past five years. They hope to extend the streak to a half-dozen, and a hungry class of seniors look to lead the way.
Six members of the Class of 2025 lead the way for Fury’s team, representing plenty of experience up front on the offensive and defensive lines. Seniors Sheldon Gardner and Liam Hassell lead a wealth of talent in the trenches, hoping to duplicate the offensive rushing output that produced over 3,000 yards rushing in their state quarterfinals run last fall.
“We love our experience and size up front, so we’re looking forward to blocking and running with power,” Fury said. “We plan to go at our opponents and try to get on their side of the ball as quickly as we can.”
After graduating their starting backfield, the Bulldogs look to fill those shoes with a combination of sophomores Cael Beanland and Teagan Larimore, along with juniors Nicholas Aragon and Josh Kibel.
“Over the summer camps, we saw a lot of improvement – Sheldon, Liam and Nicholas were really driving a lot of the energy over the summer, and they have really high expectations of themselves,” Fury said of his upperclassmen-heavy roster.
On the other side of the ball, Dove Creek returns their leading tackler from a year ago, as Aragon anchors the middle of the Bulldog linebacker core.
“Every new year, we learn what each group really excels at, and we’re focused on taking advantage of those strengths and putting our guys in the best place they can be in order to be successful,” Fury said.
Dove Creek opens its 2024 schedule with consecutive home games against Plateau Valley (Aug. 30) and Rangely (Sept. 6). Both games start at 7 p.m.
Fury’s group will then head to New Mexico to face Escalante, a program shifting from 11-man to eight-man football, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.
Dove Creek hosts Sangre de Cristo Sept. 21 before crossing the Utah state line Sept. 27 to face Monticello for the Border War.
Dove Creek’s Mountain League schedule kicks off Oct. 4 at Mancos, followed by home games against Norwood (Oct. 11) and Dolores (Oct. 18). The Bulldogs will travel to Sargent on Oct. 25 before wrapping up the regular season hosting Sanford on Senior Day Nov. 1.
