Facing off against Norwood in their homecoming contest, the Dolores football team must have felt like they were looking in a mirror.
Both the Bears and the Mavericks had recently dropped to subvarsity competition because of low numbers, and both have used the 2023 season as a statement for their resurgence.
For the Bears, a 2-0 start signaled a major shift for the program, and Dolores hoped to capitalize on their crowd’s energy to get back to winning ways after back-to-back road losses. The Mavericks had other ideas, however, scoring twice in each of the first two quarters to build a 28-0 halftime lead on their way to a 40-6 victory.
Utilizing talent from both Norwood and Nucla High Schools, the Mavs (5-0) have made an immediate return to prominence – playing as a freelance squad without a league until they are able to rejoin the Mountain League when CHSAA realigns in the coming year.
Norwood sophomore quarterback Brycen Rummel guided the visitors with strong play on the ground and through the air, passing and rushing for a touchdown in a decisive stretch late in the second quarter and into the third to put the contest out of reach.
The Bears (2-3), meanwhile, enjoyed some spells of success against Norwood, but couldn’t find the breakthrough until the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Tray Traweek connected with sophomore Michael Rantz for a score after the Bears had marched into the red zone.
While the trip to the end zone offered only a consolation prize for the homecoming crowd, the Bears continue to make strides that put them in competitive standing against the upper echelon of eight-man football. DHS has scored 84 points through five games this season, the highest offensive output of any season as a full varsity program since 2017 – with four games to continue to add to that total.
The Bears defense, meanwhile, has elevated their game in 2023 as well, keeping the Bears in the game in a 24-0 loss to Rangely two weeks earlier. Leaning on emotional leaders and seniors Ty Gaddis and Ethin Williford, the Bears have curbed many of the miscues that kept the Bears out of the win column in recent years.
Instead, an undersized Bears team continues to battle under second-year head coach Joseph Gonzales, prepping for the rigors of one of the toughest leagues in the state.
Dolores kicks off Mountain League action this weekend with a meeting at home against Sargent at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. Contests against local rivals Mancos (Oct. 13) and Dove Creek (Oct. 19) will continue to test the Bears’ improved squad, before a trip to Sanford (Oct. 27) wraps up the regular season.
