It’s only fitting after another fantastic season for Mancos and Dove Creek football that the two programs would land a lengthy list of postseason honors.
After the votes from coaches across the state were tabulated, 10 local football standouts – six from Mancos and four from Dove Creek – earned spots on Colorado’s all-state honor roll.
Bluejays headlined the list, with three Mancos seniors making the first team, to go along with a second team selection, and a pair of honorable mention nominees. Meanwhile, Dove Creek posted three student-athletes on the second team and another on the honorable mention squad.
Mancos compiled arguably its best year in program history – treading into uncharted waters with a state semifinal victory and the program’s maiden trip to the state championship game. Grit and physicality became calling cards for the Bluejays all season, and their imposing defensive and offensive fronts dictated the line of scrimmage.
Four of those linemen earned recognition on the all-state list, including Luika Cova and Andres Moreno, who made their first appearance on the honor roll. The duo joined classmate Chase Moore, for whom they had opened up countless running lanes, on the first team.
Moore made his third straight appearance on the All-State First Team, having racked up another impressive season with more than 2,000 yards on the ground and more than 30 touchdowns.
On defense, senior Mason Goodwin gave opposing quarterbacks nightmares, as he dominated the point of attack, collecting a dozen sacks and six additional tackles for a loss. He earned his first postseason accolade with a second team selection to cap a fantastic career.
Joining Goodwin in a stifling front four, junior Lane Greenlee also proved to be a menace, providing three sacks to go along with an interception. Greenlee made the honorable mention list, joining classmate Ayden Mathews, who served as both the quarterback of the offense and defense, leading the team in tackles and throwing for more than 800 yards.
A quartet of Dove Creek Bulldogs made the all-state list, including a trip of players making their postseason honor roll debut, after a season in which Dove Creek finished second in the 8-Man Mountain League and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
Four-year starter Chorbin Cressler capped an incredible career with a second team selection, combining for more than 1,200 yards with his arm and his legs, including 10 rushing and seven passing scores. Cressler’s selection was his second postseason all-state accolade.
Classmate Blane Johnson, one of the most formidable linemen in the classification, also took home a second team honor, along with sophomore Tyson Beanland, from an offensive front that allowed the Bulldogs to rush for 2,500 yards. Beanland and Johnson also dominated the defensive line, with Beanland collecting seven sacks and Johnson forcing three turnovers and finishing second on the team in tackles.
Junior Kade Hankins rounded out the all-state selections, picking up an honorable mention selection for his role as a rushing or receiving threat on offense, and defensive secondary shutdown defender. Hankins combined his ability to run, catch and throw to account for 10 Dove Creek scores all season.
Haxtun’s Isaac Andersen, the MVP of the state title game, was named the 8-Man player of the year. Haxtun head coach JD Stone was named coach of the year.
All-state selections were based on nominations from each of the leagues in Colorado’s seven football classifications. From this list of nominees, Colorado high school football coaches voted to establish classification as first team, second team or honorable mention.
