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Touchdown, no touchdown, it just doesn't matter anymore.

Last week's nail-biting loss to visiting Rifle is gone now, a not-too-distant memory in Bulldog coach Kip Hafey's mind.

"We got a lot better as a team against Rifle," Hafey said. "It was a big game for us, but we've got another task in front of us this week that's just as important."

The Bulldogs play Friday at Battle Mountain in a game between two teams searching for their first wins.

The Huskies (0-1 Western Slope League, 0-2 overall) have been overmatched by state No. 2-ranked Palisade and No. 7-ranked Summit.

The Bulldogs (0-1 WSL, 0-2 overall) lost at state No. 1 Berthoud, along with last week's Rifle loss.

Although MCHS has beaten Battle Mountain all but once during Hafey's tenure, the seventh-year coach isn't overlooking the Huskies.

"In this league, you can't afford to overlook anybody," Hafey said. "They might have lost twice, but they've played two ranked teams. We have to play a better game than we played last week if we want to win."

Game planning

Hafey and his staff traveled last week to Palisade to scout the Huskies against Palisade. Joyce returned the favor Friday, coming to Craig to scout the Bulldogs game with Rifle. The coaches also exchanged game film after each contest.

Moffat County on the offensive side of the ball:

The Bulldogs had success out of their Wing T offense last week against Rifle, putting up five touchdowns, four of which came on the ground.

Junior Halen Raymond and senior Lyle Schaffner flip-flop positions this week. Raymond moves from middle linebacker to running back, and Schaffner from running back to middle linebacker.

"Schaffner had more tackles in one half at linebacker than anybody else on the defense for the entire game," Hafey said. "Halen, the last two weeks, has had great returns on the kickoff team. He's moving really well and making people miss. You usually don't see a big guy being able to do that.

"We think it's going to be a good switch for us, and the kids are both excited about it."

Junior quarterback Matt Linsacum tossed his first touchdown pass of the season last week - a bootleg pass to Pablo Salcido - that Hafey said should help soften opposing defenses against the MCHS running game.

"Having Matty being able to roll out of the pocket, and him being comfortable throwing the ball, is huge for us," he said. "It's going to keep their defense honest. Matt can run, too, so the bootleg is even more effective when he picks up yards on the ground."

Moffat County on the defensive side of the ball:

Defensive coordinator Lance Scranton's unit gets another look at the spread-option attack this week when the Huskies take the field.

Moffat County will counter the offensive set - a shotgun formation with three receivers and two running backs, along with a scrambling quarterback - with three down lineman and five linebackers.

The Bulldogs saw the spread-option two weeks ago when the team faced Berthoud.

"They run the same style offense that we saw in Week 1," MCHS defensive coordinator Lance Scranton said. "They (Battle Mountain) have a really fast quarterback that we are going to have to shut down if we want to have success."

To stop Husky junior scrambler Parke Robbins, Scranton said the Bulldogs defense needs to play aggressive, physical football.

"The key for us is to put pressure on their quarterback," he said. "We want to get our D-lineman up front getting pressure, and the linebackers filling up behind them."

Injuries:

Bulldogs - Chet Harvey (sophomore) ankle, Aaron Nielson (junior) shoulder. Huskies - n/a

Inactive players:

Bulldogs - Ethan Robinson. Huskies - n/a

Notes: Moffat County has won nine of the past 10 games against Battle Mountain. : The Bulldogs won last season's game, 54-31. : The Huskies lone victory against a Hafey-led Bulldog team was a 14-6 home win in 2006. : The Bulldogs shutout the Huskies 47-0 in 2005. : Battle Mountain lost to No. 2 Palisade, 51-7. : DL Ethan Robinson was added to the roster this week, but Hafey said the senior will need a few weeks to get into playing shape.