Turnovers will cost a team in football.
Especially, if the ball is turned over against a good team.
Early turnovers put Dolores in a hole it couldnt climb out of at home Friday night.
The visiting Cedaredge Bruins played their first 1A opponent since dropping down from 2A this year and took advantage of Dolores miscues.
Cedaredge put up 20 first quarter points and cruised to a 38-0 win.
We had Bayfield last week and we got up for Bayfield, Dolores coach Ray Weir said. We just werent ready for two physical teams in a row.
The Bears (1-2) are no strangers to playing a tough nonconference schedule. But the Bruins (3-1) physically overmatched Dolores and quickly took the Bears out of the game mentally capitalizing on turnovers.
We came out flat and it showed, and they took advantage of it, Weir said.
Cedaredge (1A, Denver Post, No. 8; Coloradopreps.com, No. 9) received the ball to open the first quarter. On the second play of the game, Bruins quarterback Dante Markley found a wide ope Reid Gates down the left sideline and Gates took it to the house 65 yards for a touchdown. Alejandro Alejandres point after attempt made it 7-0 Cedaredge, which quieted a packed Dolores High School stadium.
The Bears opening drive only last two plays as well.
However, it was Dolores tailback Guy Wallace who fumbled at his own 29 to give the Bruins the ball back.
On third-and-11, Markley went back to the air. On the right sideline, Kyle Ward caught Markleys pass and took it in from 30 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was no good, but Cedaredge led 13-0 just three minutes into the game.
Dolores sustained a long drive on its ensuing possession. Cody Carroll and Montezuma-Cortez transfer Chaz Thompson each grinded out long runs to put the Bears in scoring position.
Chaz helps us out a lot, if we can keep him healthy, Weir said.
Dolores quarterback Kolton Shull passed to tight end Ethen Upton in the left corner of the end zone. Upton was shoved out of bounds prior to the ball being touched and Cedaredge was flagged for pass interference. With first-and-goal at the 3, the Bears were stopped twice on the ground. On third-and-goal, Shull again threw to the left side of the field and the ball was caught by a Bruin. Cade Wasser intercepted Shulls pass and had nothing but green in front of him. Wasser took it to pay dirt 99 yards in what was a monumental momentum shift. Instead of Dolores climbing within one score, it now trailed 20-0 after Wassers pick-6.
We shoot ourselves in the foot when we get in the red zone, Shull said.
Carter Wasser would run in a 3-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the visiting Bruins a 26-0 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Markley intercepted Shull to setup Cedaredges next scoring drive at the Bears 11. Carter Wasser scored his second touchdown from two yards out to make the score 32-0.
Carter Wasser scored his third and final touchdown on an 11-yard toss from Markley at the 2:28 mark of the third.
Both defenses held serve in the final stanza.
Im proud of all my brothers and everything, Shull said. We started off and we werent intense enough. We had a good week of preparation. We shouldve got the W tonight. They were too intense tonight. We didnt have our heads in it.
Bronco Odell had a sack on defense for Dolores, while Trever Balfour hauled in an interception for the Bears.
We played our asses off. We did what we could with what we had, Shull said. I think it makes us better. I prefer a loss tonight, because were just going to come back ready to whoop some ass next week.
Dolores will play at Paonia (0-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
If we can get through this, league ought to be a little bit easier, I hope, said Weir about the nonconference schedule.
NOTES: Dolores players Deano Valdez, Rusher Ammon and Bronco Odell were carted off the field with undisclosed injuries. A timetable for return is unknown.
bobbya@cortezjournal.com.