The Dolores Bears football team has at least one more week to prepare for the 2015 season.
On Friday, Aug. 28, the team will host Dove Creek for a scrimmage.
"We're doing it for both teams to get some reps in, full-contact against another team," said Dolores head coach Chris Trusler.
"It's a great opportunity for both programs to fine-tune their offense and defense to get ready for the first real game in week one."
Although Dove Creek plays 8-man football, the Bears will accommodate the visitors in order for both teams to benefit offensively.
When Dolores is on offense, Dove Creek will play 11 men on defense, and when Dove Creek runs its offense, the Bears will take three men off the field and play only eight men defensively.
Trusler sees the scrimmage as a chance to make final changes before the regular season.
"We're going to work on the little things," he said. "Making sure the guys are in the right formations, that they're making the right reads. It's a great time for us to make corrections."
Senior running back Branden Donaldson expressed a similar view.
"We're going into it mainly to learn," he said. "To work on some stuff and get tuned in for Coal Ridge. It will be like a more intense practice."
Fellow senior and quarterback Jalen Balderrama had a different opinion.
"I think of it as a regular game," he said. "Football is football. We're going to go in with that mindset, and we're going to come out with a W."