After spending much of their summer taking part in voluntary workouts, 13 members of the Dolores High School football team were rewarded with a trip to Denver last weekend.
Intended to reward team members who attended at least 85 percent of the team's offseason workouts, the trip, which took place July 25-27, included several activities.
On July 25, team members were given a private tour of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and Sports Authority Field. On July 26, the group went to Elitch Gardens amusement park. And on July 27, players watched the Denver Broncos practice.
All in all, the trip turned out to be a success and provided a end to a productive offseason.
Overall, Bears players became drastically stronger since last year as the team lifted more than 16,000 pounds at its second annual lift-a-thon. Last year, team members combined to lift 8500 pounds.
Especially impressive from an individual perspective was senior Guy Wallace, whose bench press total, squat total and power clean total added up to 1,135 pounds.
"The kids are seeing that hard work pays off," said Bears head coach Chris Trusler. "Kids that weren't really enthusiastic about lifting weights, now they're excited about it."
While questions remain as to whether the Bears' increased strength will translate into wins, coaches and players are optimistic.
"I'm very excited about the upcoming season," Trusler said.