More often than not, football games are won in the trenches.
On Sept. 26, the Dolores High School football team learned that lesson the hard way, losing 43-7 to last year's Class 1A state runner-up, Centauri High School.
"Centauri's offensive and defensive lines were huge," said Dolores head coach Chris Trusler. "Their kids outweighed our kids. They were able to do as they pleased."
Providing a bright sport for the Bears was senior linebacker Kellen Gatzke, who recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Gatzke also led the Bears with 15 tackles.
Also playing well for Dolores was senior Mikeal Ford, who had 13 tackles and rushed for 36 of the Bears 105 total rushing yards. Ford also caught one pass for 15 yards.
KC Davis finished third on the team with 12 tackles, while Brenden Donaldson led Dolores in rushing with 37 yards.
Next up for Dolores will be a homecoming matchup against John Mall that will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 3. Both teams will enter the game with 2-3 records on the season.
"This week, our goal is to keep the kids focused on John Mall," said Trusler. "They run power football. They're not as big as Centauri, but they like to keep a lot of guys inside and run between the tackles.
