The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers hosted the Dolores Bears and Mancos Blue Jays on Thursday in their second 7-on-7 football scrimmage.
The three teams played a round-robin competition, with each offense allowed 20 plays, beginning from the 20-yard line and starting over at the 20 after a score or turnover.
M-CHS opened up on defense against Dolores and provided a glimpse of the style of play head coach Dave Wagner and defensive coordinator Keith Mikhail plan to run. The Panthers crowded receivers at the line, jamming them and attempting to throw off their routes.
Although it made the Panthers vulnerable to the possibility of a Dolores receiver getting by a cornerback for a big gain, there was only one such instance, when Dolores senior Branden Donaldson escaped coverage and caught a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jalen Balderrama.
For the majority of the series, the Panthers allowed only short gains and dump-off passes.
During the Panthers’ turn on offense, senior quarterback Cordell Ridings spread the ball around, hitting different receivers on short, quick routes. After chipping away at the Dolores defense, Ridings found senior receiver Austin Bayless dragging left to right across the middle of the field. With Dolores defenders in the area, it seemed the play would result in a short gain. However, Bayless evaded two defenders and took off down the right sideline, outrunning pursuers for a touchdown.
Ridings also showed his accuracy on deeper routes when he floated a ball over the Bears secondary into the arms of freshman Ethan Long for a big gain. Dolores forced the Panthers into one interception, with sophomore Talon Zwicker picking off Ridings during the Panthers’ final offensive play.
M-CHS continued to hound opposing receivers in its second scrimmage against Mancos. The Panthers forced a turnover in four plays, holding the Blue Jays from a first down and forcing them to start over from the 20-yard line. The Panthers broke up passes and caused incompletions, limiting the Blue Jays offense. Freshman Cole Herman recorded an interception.
Flipping sides, freshman Ethan Long was inserted at quarterback for the Panthers’ second offensive series. After being intercepted early by Mancos junior Liam Cooper, Long settled in and connected on consecutive passes. Later, Long showed his arm strength by hitting freshman Ike Dennison on a deep pass down the left sideline.
It is undetermined if the schools will meet for another 7-on-7 scrimmage due to possible scheduling conflicts and the start of M-CHS football camp this week.