So far this season, the Dove Creek High School football team has been inconsistent.
Playing at home against Del Norte on Oct. 3, however, the Bulldogs found their rhythm, dominating from start to finish on their way to a 56-8 victory.
Leading a balanced Bulldogs attack was quarterback Jordan Ernst, who completed eight of his 10 passes for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Ernst also accumulated 81 yards running the football.
“We knew (Ernst) had the ability,” said Bulldogs coach Shane Baughman. “We made some adjustments on how he was dropping back for his passes. It opened his vision up, and he was throwing darts.”
Also playing a major role in the Bulldogs win was Case Baughman, who had three catches for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Case Baughman also ran for a touchdown and led the team with 11 tackles.
“(Case) played a great game,” said Shane Baughman. “His work in the weight room during the last three years has really paid off.”
Defensively, the Bulldogs were lead by Baughman and Ernst, who had 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. According to Shane Baughman, the team’s defensive line also played well in the victory.
“We made a change at nose guard and it seemed to solidify the defense a little more,” said Shane Baughman. “They were primarily a passing team and our pass defense was tremendous.”
With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 2-4 on the season, while Del Norte dropped to 1-6. Next up for Dove Creek will be a road match-up against Sanford on Oct. 10.
“I know (Sanford) is pretty tough,” said Shane Baughman. “They knocked us out of the playoffs last year. If we have the same team that showed up last Friday, we should be fine.