This season, Dolores High School senior Kellen Gatzke has established himself as one of the top players in the area.
In addition to opening holes as an offensive lineman, Gatzke has made 139 tackles and recovered three fumbles from his middle linebacker position, and he leads Colorado's 1A class in tackles.
"It has been really fun playing on both sides of the ball," said Gatzke. "I've been making a lot of tackles and trying to get my name out there to colleges."
An all-conference defensive end last season, Gatzke had never played linebacker before this season. Challenged by Bears head coach Chris Trusler to step into the position and be in on every tackle, Gatzke responded.
"The linebacker position has a lot more action," said the senior, who also handles kicking and punting duties for the Bears. "I've had to be more aggressive this year, that's for sure."
Gatzke also has been influential away from the gridiron as a mentor for younger teammates. Gatzke, who carries a 4.0 GPA and scored a 29 on the ACT, can often be found tutoring teammates.
"All the kids look up to (Kellen)," said Dolores head coach Chris Trusler. "He's a leader on and off the field. He has really impressed us."
Gatzke has attracted interest from several local colleges and hopes to sign on to play college football in the near future. A multisport athlete, Gatzke will wrestle this winter and play baseball in the spring.
He hopes to attend Colorado School of Mines and study petroleum engineering. In the meantime, the three-sport athlete is hoping to that his final week as a high school player will be a memorable one.
"I consider all of these guys to be my brothers," said Gatzke. "I love football, and I love sports in (Dolores). I wouldn't want to go to school anywhere else."