DOLORES – The Bears are already setting the tone for 2019.
Playing their final game of the 2018 season, Dolores (2-7) battled throughout a turnover-filled contest before finally falling to Center, 32-8.
The Bears opened up the contest with one of their most efficient drives of the season. After taking the opening kickoff at their own 43-yard line, Dolores churned downfield on the ground using a multipronged attack, pushing into the red zone.
Then, in their first pass attempt of the night, freshman Wyatt Koskie found junior Trey Seekins wide open along the sideline for a 20-yard touchdown strike. The score was the first points for the Bears since a Week 4 victory over Monument Valley. The same duo connected for the two-point conversion, and the hosts had an ideal start inside the opening four minutes, leading 8-0.
After forcing a punt, the Bears picked up right where they left off, moving the ball down the field efficiently on the ground. However this time, the Dolores drive halted with an interception, and suddenly the momentum shifted to the visiting sideline.
Center (5-4) scored a couple plays later on a Jesus Hernandez one-yard dive, cutting the deficit to 8-6 late in the first quarter.
While the Dolores offense struggled to duplicate its early success, their defense answered the bell on Center’s next drive into the red zone. Backed up against their own goal line, the Bears stripped a Center rusher, and Seekins scooped up the fumble.
Just as soon as the Bears seemed to have regained some traction, a second interception by the Vikings turned directly into points. Habran Delacruz snatched a Koskie pass and returned it 25 yards for the go-ahead score.
After a failed fake punt attempt gave the Vikings the ball near midfield, Seekins again came up big with his second takeaway of the night, an interception that set up the Bears in Center territory.
However, with the chance to regain the lead right before halftime, the Vikings secondary answered with another pick, snuffing out the Bears’ drive and sending the teams to the locker room with Dolores trailing 12-8.
On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Center turned to the air for a big play. Delacruz found Carlos Almeida open along the sideline, and the wideout outraced the Bears for a 65-yard score.
As the game progressed, the hits got a bit harder, with numerous personal foul penalties accompanying the increased intensity. Eventually, tempers boiled over, leading to an on-field skirmish that drew both coaching staffs onto the field to help clear up the melee.
After cooler heads prevailed, the Vikings continued to seal up the running lanes, limiting the Bears’ ground attack before adding rushing touchdowns by Devin Porres and Carlos Lopez to close out the contest.
Even in the loss, head coach Ray Davis was encouraged by the Bears’ season-capping effort. “This was our best game of the season,” said Davis. “Our kids showed a lot of heart.”
Freshman Levi Fuller led the Dolores rushing attack, collecting 65 yards on the night. Junior Kolby Burt spearheaded a tenacious defensive effort, leading the team in tackles.
“They’ve never given up in a game all season,” said Davis of his team’s attitude “We’ve got a tough bunch of kids that are only going to keep getting better.”
Dolores will head into the 2019 with a more experienced group, as the Bears will lean on a strong rising senior class to take them into the offseason.