Thanks to the power of Justin Purkat, the speedy legs of Austin Hackney, the hands of Talon Zwicker and big plays by several others, the Dolores High School football team secured a 44-0 victory at Whitehorse High School on Sept. 22.
Among the keys to victory for the Bears was a balanced offensive attack that featured an array of passes and runs that kept the Whitehorse defense off balance throughout the game.
Piloting the Bears’ attack was quarterback Purkat, who threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and one touchdown.
“I couldn’t ask for a better quarterback to run our balanced attack,” Dolores head coach Chris Trusler said. “The great part is that Justin is getting better every week, and he is becoming more confident. That confidence is starting to shine down on our other players, and it’s helping our team.”
Among those who benefited from Purkat’s passing were receivers Talon Zwicker and Joshua Corbitt, who amassed 113 yards receiving and 48 yards receiving, respectively. Both also had a receiving touchdown.
The Bears’ rushing attack was led by Austin Hackney, who ran eight times for 89 yards and a touchdown. Forest Pejsa rushed nine times for 83 yards, Zwicker rushed six times for 31 yards, and Jayden Karo had two carries for 17 yards.
“Our offensive system this year is definitely making more of our athletes part of the offensive scheme,” Trusler said. “We’ve been able to get guys the ball pretty evenly throughout the year, and we’re really spreading the ball around.”
On defense, Dolores was anchored by Hackney, Pejsa and Zwicker, who combined for 35 total tackles. The Bears also forced five fumbles, which were recovered by Trey Seekings, Koby Burt, Chance Wilber, Colton Porter and Pejsa. The team had four sacks and 10 tackles for a loss.
“Our defense did very well this week,” Trusler said. “They were very focused and prepared for the game, and we were able to force a lot of turnovers. Our defensive line and our linebackers did a phenomenal job.”
Now 2-2 on the season, the Bears will return to the practice field in anticipation of a road match-up against John Mall on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The Bears defeated the Panthers 19-0 in Dolores last season.