M-CHS hoping for improvementHeadlining this weekend’s contests will be a cross-state matchup between M-CHS and Kirtland High School, which will take place at Panthers Stadium in Cortez at 7 p.m. Friday. It’s the second game of the year for the Panthers, who lost at home to Grand County, 57-0, two weeks ago.
Kirtland Central, which competes in New Mexico’s 4A class, will enter the contest with a 1-0 record, thanks to a 21-14 victory over Snowflake High School on Sept. 1. Key players for Kirtland figure to include senior quarterback Bryson Dowdy, who threw for 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, and junior running Jacob Franco, who rushed for 462 yards and three touchdowns last year.
M-CHS figures to lean heavily on junior quarterback Ike Dennison, who struggled in his team’s season opener, but has shown the ability to throw the ball well in practice. The Panthers will also look to get the ball into the hands of sophomore running back Jacob Schuster, who rushed for a team-high 20 yards against Grand County.
Dolores set for home openerAfter suffering a 42-6 loss to Hotchkiss in its season opener, Dolores will play on its home field for the first time this season when it faces off against Shiprock at 7 p.m. Friday. Shiprock will enter the contest with a 1-1 record after losing to Red Mesa 36-22 in its season opener and defeating Newcomb last week.
For the Bears, the health of starting quarterback Justin Purkat and freshman quarterback Jayden Karo will be of paramount concern after both players were knocked out of last week’s game with injuries.
Even if the Dolores gunslingers are not at full health, however, the Bears figure to remain competitive against Shiprock, thanks to senior running back Austin Hackney and junior running back Forest Pejsa, who are both capable of stretching the field and making big plays.
“There’s no feeling like (playing at home),” said Purkat, when asked about the significance of playing in front of local fans.
“We put in a lot more work than people think, and we want to show it off.”
Dove Creek looking for first winPlaying at home for the first time this season, Dove Creek will look to give its die-hard fans something to cheer about when it faces off against Plateau Valley on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Both teams will enter the contest looking for their first win as Dove Creek lost to Rangely, 44-18, in its season opener, while Plateau Valley lost to Mancos, 31-0.
Likely to play a key role for the Bulldogs will be junior quarterback Ryan Martinez, who threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns in Dove Creek’s season opener. Also looking to build on early season success will be sophomore wide receiver Walker Cressler, who had 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his first high school game.
“We’re not going to build Rome in a day … but we have some athletes, and some of our freshman will be big-time contributors,” said Dove Creek head coach Shane Baughman. “We’ve got a little talent here, so we’ll see what happens.”
Mancos confident heading into second gameTwo weeks after overwhelming Plateau Valley, 31-0, in its first game of the season, Mancos will look to continue its winning ways against Melrose High School. The game will take place at 4 p.m. Friday in Albuquerque.
The game will be Melrose’s first of the season after the team finished 11-1 last year and captured the New Mexico eight-man state championship.
Melrose faced off against the Bluejays last season and won a tight contest, 28-20.