As the seventh-ranked team in the Class 1A District 1 Tournament, the Dove Creek High School basketball team was not expected to make much of an impact.
The Bulldogs had other ideas however, and after opening the tournament with wins over De Beque and North Park, nearly knocked off top-seeded Ouray to earn a spot in Regionals.
Opening the tournament with a game against De Beque High School in Ridgway on Feb. 24, Dove Creek jumped ahead early and never looked back on its way to a 74-38 victory.
Junior point guard Jordan Ernst led the Bulldogs in scoring with 21 points and junior guard Kyle Schultz chipped in 15.
Dove Creek’s second game of the tournament came against North Park on Feb. 26 and again, the Bulldogs rolled, pulling ahead 19-6 in the first quarter on their way to a 58-42 victory.
Ernst led Dove Creek with 16 points and junior center Spencer Gatlin chipped in 15.
Playing their final game of the season against top-seeded Ouray on Feb. 27, the Bulldogs played what might have been their best game of the season, but lost, 56-53.
Dove Creek led 14-5 at the end of the first quarter and 28-23 at halftime, but were unable to hold on against Ouray, which entered the game with a 16-3 record.
Ernst scored 12 points in the loss, sophomore Scott Gatlin scored 12 points and Schultz scored 11.
The Bulldogs finished their first season under first-year head coach Ty Gray with an 8-14 record. With only one senior on its roster, Dove Creek figures to be even stronger next year.