Softball added to MCHS fall sports lineup

In a packed meeting room on Monday night, Moffat County School Board members witnessed an emotional and jubilant moment as they unanimously approved the addition of girls softball as an offered sport in the Moffat County School District.

The decision, met with cheers and tears, came after the district’s Executive Director of Secondary Ryan Frink made a compelling presentation on behalf of softball supporters.

Frink outlined the requirements for the new softball program, ranging from participation levels to available facilities, coaching staff and funding.

He emphasized how the addition of softball would not only fulfill these requirements but also help minimize the gender gap in compliance with Title IX.

The estimated startup costs for the program were noted to be around $10,000.

Frink proposed a partnership between the school district and community partners to share the ownership of the startup costs. He suggested that the district fund 50% of the startup costs, while supporters would undertake fundraising efforts for the remaining 50%.

According to supporters, the community response has been overwhelming, with numerous individuals expressing interest in funding and being involved in the program.

One key suggestion presented by Frink was the reallocation of funds originally earmarked for the scrapped boys and girls swimming program. With the funds already budgeted for swimming not utilized this year, Frink asked the board to redirect those resources to support the newly approved softball program.

Board member Krystal Fedinec voiced her support for approval, stating that “it’s one more door that we can open for these girls to have something in high school.”

She highlighted the positive impact of offering such opportunities, citing her own experience as a former softball player and expressing optimism that softball would continue to grow in the community if introduced.

“When I was young, (softball) was huge,” Fedinec recalled.

Frink also shed light on ongoing efforts to collaborate with the City of Craig’s Parks and Recreation Department to expand the community’s softball program, including the potential establishment of traveling softball at younger ages.

“The (current) longevity of that program in our community is very limited,” Frink told the board.

“If we have that door open (for recreation league and high school softball), I think you will continue to see that grow if we’re offering it,” Fedinec said.

Drawing parallels with the successful recent initiation of girls wrestling at the high school, Frink emphasized the importance and benefit of providing opportunities for female students in the district.

“We started girls wrestling with four girls two years ago, and now we’re at 20 girls who finished the season,” he said.

“I think the more opportunities that we can offer, the better — especially in such a small district,” Fedinec said.

Fedinec was also joined by fellow board members Cindy Looper and Laura Woodworth in praising the persistence of the softball supporters who have been in attendance at the the school board meetings since November.

Woodworth “commended (the parents) for not giving up” and added that it’s “a pretty awesome example that you’re setting for your children.”

The unanimous approval by the school board was met with elation from players and parents present at Monday’s meeting.

“It feels amazing,” said parent Tawnya Carter.

Looking ahead, the supporters are already gearing up for the next steps, with plans for summer ball, practice and preparations for the inaugural fall season.

“Now the fun stuff begins,” said parent Taylor Johnson.

Johnson shared that he’s also currently working on getting sanctioned baseball and softball in place “so that when these kids get done with rec ball, it’s not just over — these little girls (will) have a league to play in and train in.”

Parent Matt Carter said that his hope is that the community will also show up to support the players of all ages.

“I think (softball) is going to just explode,” Carter said.

Johnson emphasized Carter’s point, encouraging community members to “come out, show up, show these girls that they’re accepted in this community.”

Amid all of the excitement and planning for the upcoming season, high school player Teryn Carter was asked what she would tell other girls considering trying out the sport for the first time. Carter replied simply, “You’re going to love it.”

Parents and high school officials set to pitch softball team to school board

In a determined effort to bring girls softball to Moffat County High School, a group of parents and school officials recently have ramped up their efforts to establish an official fast-pitch softball team at the high school.

Tawnya Carter, a parent of an MCHS student, said that her daughter fell in love with softball as a child while participating in Craig’s slow-pitch recreational leagues. Now a sophomore, her daughter plays for Meeker High School’s softball team, as MCHS does not currently offer softball as a fall sport.

Carter highlighted the challenges her daughter and others face in commuting to Meeker to participate in the sport, emphasizing the associated time and monetary commitments as well as the potential hazards of frequent travel.

Carter shared that in the past, attempts to secure a school district vehicle for group transportation were met with resistance, prompting parents to carpool to ensure the girls had the opportunity to play.

Carter said that at one point, seven girls were carpooling from Craig to play on Meeker’s team.

“At that point, you can pretty much field your own team,” she said.

Carter’s passion for the cause led her to attend the high school’s fall sports meeting earlier this year. Carter wanted to reach out to the district’s new K-12 activities director, Dillon Hoselton, in hopes of putting softball squarely on the district administration’s radar.

“This was the first year that we really kind of pushed it as far as we have,” Carter said. “We went ahead and just kind of took our shot at it.”

Hoselton acknowledged the longstanding desire for softball in Moffat County, as well as the difficulties its backers have faced.

“I know softball has been a topic in Moffat County for a long time, and it just never came to fruition,” Hoselton said. He noted that the Western Slope as a whole has historically struggled with organizing teams.

Carter and Hoselton agreed to revisit the topic following completion of the fall sports season. Around that same time, Carter and her husband Matt, along with other parents, began regularly attending school board meetings to push for softball during public comment opportunities.

Following one of those meetings, Carter was approached by MCHS Executive Director of Secondary Ryan Frink, who expressed interest in their campaign.

This winter, Carter, Frink and Hoselton sat down for a meeting, where they “talked through logistics of how to go about adding the team,” according to Hoselton.

The trio collaborated to address academic and athletic considerations, consulting with the Colorado High School Activities Association and preparing a startup budget.

Carter said recent community support has been robust, with multiple individuals even expressing a willingness to cover startup costs. Carter herself has committed to organizing fundraisers with players to support ongoing expenses.

The push for a girls softball team gained momentum with 28 girls expressing interest, according to Carter, who hopes that more will join if the opportunity arises.

She emphasized the importance of providing diverse sports options for students and pointed out the recent cancellation of boys and girls swimming at MCHS, underlining the need for more offerings for girls.

Carter also noted that this year’s MCHS’s volleyball team cut 11 girls during tryouts.

“I was like, 11 girls — you only need 10 for softball,” Carter said, suggesting that many of the girls who didn’t make the volleyball team may have appreciated another option for fall sports participation.

“It’s never a bad idea to give our kids, our students, another option for something positive to do in our community,” Carter said. “Why not give kids options to be involved?”

Carter’s outreach extended to neighboring communities in Hayden and Steamboat — neither of which have a girls high school softball team of their own — offering participation opportunities to girls from those areas if softball becomes an official high school sport in Craig.

“They are more than welcome,” she said.

Hoselton credited MCHS parents for “taking the reins” in the push for softball, and expressed optimism about potential competition next year against teams from Aspen, Basalt, Cedaredge, Delta, Gunnison, Meeker and Cortez — and the possibility of participating in larger tournaments on the Eastern Slope.

While scheduling and competition-level considerations are still in progress, a survey conducted by the school earlier in the year confirmed sufficient interest among students to field a team.

Frink also outlined the school’s enthusiasm and commitment to the cause, stating that “all the things are in place” to put the proposal before the board.

Monday’s upcoming school board meeting will be crucial, with parents and school officials hoping for approval to move forward with establishing a girls softball team. The proposal has so far garnered widespread support at various levels, leading to optimism among backers.

Carter said that Monday’s meeting will provide “a chance to present everything to the school board for approval” with Frink presenting on behalf of the parents and players.

In anticipation of the meeting, Frink stated, “We’ve got all those pieces ready to go for Monday’s board meeting to present that,” and expressed his excitement about putting the proposal in front of the board for approval.

Carter expressed hope that the community will rally behind the cause by attending the school board’s Monday meeting, at 5:30 p.m. in the district administration building (600 Texas Ave.) or by reaching out to the district administration and school board members prior to Monday evening to voice support.

Moffat County basketball routs Rifle, splits with Steamboat

This past weekend marked the end of the first portion of Moffat County hoops’ journey through the 4A Western Slope League.

Now they will see how much they’ve improved by seeing the same faces all over again.

Both Bulldog squads marked a win Saturday afternoon over the Rifle Bears, one of two weekend opponents they hosted.

Back-to-back beatings

MCHS girls gained a pair of victories as they rounded out the opening half of the WSL schedule.

Friday’s rivalry game against Steamboat Springs was all about the Bulldogs as the Craig crew came away with 32-19 win.

Leading the entire evening, MoCo girls were up 10-0 before the Sailors put one in the hoop.

Still, coach Dillon Hoselton said there was some sluggishness.

“It took us a while to get going,” Hoselton said. “Steamboat is much-improved, and their defense is more effective. I told them at halftime, ‘the time is here, time to go’ and they responded.”

In a well-rounded scoring night for the roster, junior Caitlyn Adams led with eight points while senior Katie Jo Knez and junior Mena Tucker each added eight rebounds.

The next day was a much bigger deficit for the visitors in the Doghouse, as MCHS won Saturday’s match with Rifle 56-18.

That was due in no small part to Tucker having the hot hand with a personal-best 22 points, including a trio of triples. She also added five assists, five rebounds, and was on the cusp of a double-double with nine steals.

With a running clock kicking in during the fourth quarter, the second of the two weekend games better showcased the whole group’s capabilities, Tucker said.

“We were passing pretty well together, got a lot of steals,” she said. “We kept composed and worked the ball a lot better.”

Battling back

While Moffat County fans were hoping for a sweep over Steamboat teams, things didn’t work out that way for the Bulldog boys.

Despite a one-score MoCo lead of 19-17 at the break, the Sailors found their rhythm in the second half and slowed the Bulldogs to a crawl with a 20-4 third period. MCHS guys found their mojo again in the final frame, but with Steamboat clicking at the free throw line, the result was a 49-41 loss for Craig.

The upside of the defeat? Extra motivation for the following day against Rifle.

The Bears kicked off scoring with an early triple, only for the Bulldogs to go on a rampage with 19 unanswered points in the first quarter.

“We knocked down a lot more shots in this one,” said coach Mark Carlson. “Last night, we didn’t shoot, especially from three, very well. Steamboat, we had that letdown in the third quarter, and we didn’t have that today. We just quit moving in that one.”

No such problem troubled the Bulldogs on Saturday as they pushed their way to a 65-47 win, their first victory at home since December.

“What really went well was we listened to coach and worked as a team, especially on defense,” senior Logan Bickford said. “That really contributed to it.”

Bickford added that the Steamboat rivalry tends to add more pressure than it should.

“It ramps everyone up and everyone tries to do too much, but we were more together in this one,” he said.

Bryant Carlson led the Rifle game with 20 points, including three successful outside shots.

Fellow seniors Ian Hafey and Alejandro Tarango each got a double-double with their prominence beneath the rim — Hafey put up 17 points and 15 boards, and Tarango had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Hafey also got a double-double against Steamboat with 19 on the scoreboard and 13 grabs.

Besides controlling the second-chance points on both sides of the courts, Coach Carlson said his players showed more hustle Saturday by repeatedly going after the rock at every opportunity.

“Effort is huge, and we’ve been preaching that. All those loose balls matter,” he said.

Here we go again

The close of conference play saw the Bulldog girls go 4-2 against Western Slope foes, and the boys 2-5.

Now that they’ll be facing the same teams a second time, the rematches ahead of them will show if and how they’ve worked out their weaknesses.

“Now that we’ve seen them, we’ll be able to watch film a little more and see where we can improve,” Hoselton said. “It’s not always easy, but the mentality is that nothing is given right now.”

MCHS girls will see their big test this coming weekend, hosting Coal Ridge on Saturday. Tucker is more than ready, which she credited to Hoselton’s coaching style.

“He’s helped us throughout the season and given us a lot of confidence more than anything,” Tucker said. “He wants us to get the ball in the paint a lot more because we’re doing really well there right now.”

With most of their recent losses settled by a single-digit deficit, Coach Carlson said the key will be to shake the habit of having one bad quarter derail the entire game.

“We’ve got to play consistently,” Carlson said. “We’ve had too many up-and-down moments. We have the talent, and we’ll continue to work hard.”

Moffat County’s Caitlyn Adams drives to the hoop against Steamboat Springs.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Moffat County’s Junior Welch fights for the rebound against Steamboat Springs.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Moffat County hoops teams heat up during weekend games

The past week wasn’t without its difficulties for Moffat County basketball teams, but with the temperature plunging, Bulldog scores were on the rise by the weekend.

MCHS rode out some losses only to come out with key wins Saturday on the road in Basalt, as both teams learned from their previous outings.

On the rebound

For Bulldog boys, the game against the Longhorns was their third in five days, following a 95-68 road loss to 5A Eagle Valley on Jan. 9 — the silver lining of which was a double-double for senior Hudson Jones with 16 points and 13 rebounds — and a Friday defeat to conference opponents Aspen.

Back on their home floor for the first time in several weeks, MoCo boys kept pace with the Skiers to start, trailing only slightly in a 19-15 first quarter. However, Aspen remained ahead all night as it cruised to a 67-52 win.

Bryant Carlson led with 22 points, with fellow seniors Ian Hafey and Evan Beaver grabbing seven and nine rebounds, respectively.

Still, players were quick to recognize what they needed to do better and what they did well.

“Defense and rebounding was tough, and we let them get way too many offensive rebounds,” said Junior Welch, an MCHS junior. “I think we still played good as a team. We had good passing and ball movement and that stuff matters a lot. We just need to hustle more on defense.”

The energy was far different Saturday in Basalt as the Bulldogs gave a well-rounded performance in a 72-60 victory. With nine three-pointers as a group, Jones had three triples as part of the 21 points he put on the board, with Hafey adding nine boards and Beaver seven assists.

Coach Mark Carlson said Saturday the first win in 4A Western Slope League play was a much-needed confidence boost.

“You know, last night we played hard, just didn’t finish around the rim and that I thought changed the momentum of the game,” he said. “Today we did a better job around the rim, we knocked down some threes that got us in a groove and had some good contributions from the bench today.”

Blowout in Basalt

MCHS girls likewise made a big comeback from earlier in the week as Jan. 9 saw them take on 3A Grand Valley in Parachute, falling 48-33.

MoCo kept it even against their former league rivals with a 25-23 lead at halftime, only to be held scoreless in the third quarter and unable to do much in the fourth.

The Bulldog girls took that loss and turned it into their highest scoring game yet when they tipped off against Basalt, jumping out to a 16-6 lead in the first frame, making it 38-8 at halftime, and ultimately crushing the Longhorns 65-20.

With the full roster adding to the scoring spree, senior Teya Miller led with 17 points, while junior Caitlyn Adams added 16 and senior Quincy Lowe 11. Adams and senior Katie Jo Knez each added six rebounds, while junior Mena Tucker had a personal best 10 steals to keep the Longhorns from maintaining possession for long.

MCHS teams each travel to Summit this Friday before hosting Delta the next day.

Moffat County’s Logan Bickford is introduced before a boys basketball game against Aspen.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Moffat County’s Alejandro Tarango shoots from the post against Aspen.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Moffat County’s Hudson Jones moves the ball against Aspen.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Moffat County’s Bryant Carlson works to start a play against Aspen.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Moffat County’s Zaylan Kirby readies for an inbound pass against Aspen.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Moffat County wrestlers back to the grind, send 11 athletes to podium

In their return to the mat after several weeks without any competition, Moffat County wrestling teams showed just how well they could bounce back from the winter doldrums.

MCHS had 11 total athletes place Friday and Saturday during Tournament of Champions in Vernal, Utah and at Grand Junction’s Border Battle.

TOC of the town

The Bulldog boys were at TOC — hosted by Uintah High School — an event renowned for attracting a wide array of schools from Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Juniors Kaeden Martinez and Zach Hedman stood toe to toe with some of the best athletes in the region and wound up on the podium as a result, with Martinez placing second in the 144-pound class and Hedman fourth at 157.

Martinez took two pins in the opening rounds and won the quarterfinals 9-2 and semifinals 8-6 to get into the finals against Uintah’s Jaxon McCurdy. He fought to the finish in the championship round, ultimately losing 11-2 in a major decision.

Hedman likewise cruised through Friday action, complete with a 15-4 MD and 5-2 decision leading up to a third-period fall in the quarters to guarantee placement. A 16-1 technical fall sent him to the consolation rounds, where he got the pin for a chance at third place. He narrowly fell in his final bout, 5-4, to Pinedale’s Garrett Haley.

Moffat County’s Zach Hedman stands at fourth place on the podium as part of the Tournament of Champions.
Courtesy Photo

The first tourney back from the holiday break is one that tends to show which grapplers have kept up with training in their off time, though none of the competition is easy. Even so, nearly all of the Bulldogs in attendance at TOC won at least one match whether in the championship rounds, JV tourney or Saturday’s Second Chance event.

With athletes able to take advantage of a two-pound weight allowance that kicks in after Jan. 1, the shift is one that Bulldog wrestlers appreciated.

Hedman especially liked the rule as he was competing at much higher classes in December.

“I feel a lot better, especially being at my own weight now,” Hedman said. “I feel a lot smoother and cleaner now with my technique, just trying to tighten it up before regionals and state.”

Battle-born

MCHS girls were likewise at an event that drew in schools far and wide to Grand Junction’s Central High School.

The Border Battle consisted of two separate tournaments — with Friday a team dual event — in which MoCo placed second with a 4-1 run as a group, taking wins of 45-30 over Durango, 42-30 over Rifle and 47-36 over Mead.

While the Bulldogs bested District 51’s JV group 60-18, their only team loss was to D-51’s packed varsity roster, 75-6.

MoCo’s Kayla Deaton was feeling particularly confident after a 10-8 sudden victory in her bout at the 130 weight with Durango, though it took some time to get her head in the match.

Moffat County’s Kayla Deaton works for points during the Border Battle on Friday, Jan. 5.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

“I wasn’t really thinking that much, I was just looking back at my coaches thinking, ‘what am I doing?'” Deaton said.

Though she trailed most of the round, a last-second takedown put her into extra minutes.

“Once we got into overtime, I realized I’ve got to do something and do it good to get the win,” Deaton said. “You’re just so tired that you kind of want to give up, but you’re not going to.”

Saturday’s bracket tourney saw the sophomore Deaton and senior Kenleigh Pubanz (235) end the day in second place. Deaton took two pins and Pubanz four, with each of them only losing in the last round. Senior Abby Martinez (140) likewise went 3-1, with all wins by fall, to place third.

Raegan McMillen (110) and HayLee Staker (125) each went 2-2 and took fourth, with fifth place going to Amanaki George (135) with a 3-2 day.

Sydney Brazeal (100), Lily Bush (105), and Alexza Ibarra (145) each rounded out the podium placement with sixth.

Moffat County’s Lilly Bush locks up her opponent during the Border Battle.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

With two different formats, the Border Battle was a good transitional return into the schedule after winter break, said coach Ashlee Griffiths-Ripka.

“We’re not out of shape, but it’s a good one to get back into it,” she said. “There’s a lot of girls that we haven’t seen before that are here today that we will see again at regionals.”

Both Bulldog teams will be in Wyoming this weekend, with boys at the Trojan Border War hosted by Casper’s Kelly Walsh, while the girls will compete at the Thoman Wrestling Invite in Green River.

Moffat County hoops teams split with Coal Ridge to start league play

The first weekend back on the court before classes resume was certainly a learning experience for Moffat County basketball players.

The Bulldog girls and boys teams saw their first opponents in the 4A Western Slope League on Saturday afternoon as they tipped off on the road against the Coal Ridge Titans, with varying results for MCHS teams.

MoCo girls walked away with a 28-21 win in a game in which both sides limited each other’s scoring.

“Defense won us that game and I was really happy with the man-to-man they played,” coach Dillon Hoselton said. “I preached it from the start that defense would win us games.”

The Bulldog girls led the entire game, with a 16-4 first quarter opening and closing with three-pointers by senior Teya Miller, who led the squad in scoring with eight points.

What the Titans lacked in buckets in a 24-9 first half, they made up for in physicality, as senior Brook Wheeler found out as she came off the court briefly with a bloody nose after fighting for a loose ball.

“I felt like a wrestler out there,” Wheeler said. “There was some aggression out there.”

Though the Bulldogs were on target at first, the second half was frustrating as multiple shots failed, with only one layup and two free throws adding to the scoreboard, all by senior Quincy Lowe.

Still, Hoselton wasn’t too worried as his players made it work by keeping Coal Ridge scoring slow even while their own shooting was not working, as evidenced by stats such as seven rebounds apiece for junior Mena Tucker and senior Katie Jo Knez.

“I was happy with the looks that we got,” Hoselton said. “They just weren’t falling. On offense, we struggled at times, but I think we’ll start clicking a little bit more.”

In the game that followed, the Bulldog boys were matched evenly with the Titans in a back-and-forth first half as the score was tied repeatedly, including a 12-12 first period.

The Titans caught fire late in the second frame with an 11-point run before senior Ian Hafey scored on a putback to end the first half 32-26.

The two WSL foes were back on even footing coming out of the locker room, which senior Hudson Jones credited to a new sense of motivation.

“Getting riled up like we did in the second half was good for us because it brought some energy, but we really need to play more like a team and trust one each other more,” Jones said.

Coach Mark Carlson said he saw the greatest chance to turn things around right as the fourth quarter began, with the Bulldogs trailing only 45-41. However, a messy sequence at that point ultimately helped seal the deal.

“We missed a layup, get a stop, get fouled and missed two free throws,” Carlson said. “Then they hit a shot, so instead of a tie ball game, we’re down six.”

The Titans stayed comfortably ahead the rest of the game with a final score of 57-46.

Though they weren’t hurting for strong stats — senior Bryant Carlson led scoring with 19 points, four assists, and three steals, while Hafey earned 10 points and nine boards — Coach Carlson said the loss was a tough one to swallow.

“We missed way too many inside shots to beat a team as good as Coal Ridge is,” he said. “We had a lot of mental lapses, and we’ve been working on that in practice. We talked before the game about how we wanted to defend those guys, and when we got out there, we just didn’t do those things.”

Both Bulldog teams will have non-league games midweek, with the boys hosting WSL’s Aspen on Friday night and both groups traveling to Basalt the next day.

While they will see each conference opponent twice, the first event after winter break is one Wheeler hopes will set the tone for the rest of the schedule.

“It’s a great way to start the league.”

Moffat County’s Caitlyn Adams reaches for the opening tipoff against Coal Ridge.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Moffat County 2023 sports year in review — Part 1

With some huge accomplishments in the past 12 months, the athletes of Moffat County have plenty of reason to look back on 2023 fondly. We’ll recount some of the biggest moments for the Bulldogs across the year, starting with the early half of the calendar.

From left, Moffat County swimmers Megan Neton, Evie Gruben, Anna Richman and Zoe Anfang gather as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay at the 3A CHSAA State Championship finals on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.
Melany Neton/Courtesy photo

Water world

This winter marked a big change in MCHS sports as a girls swimming season did not come to be.

That followeded one of the best finishes in years in 2022-23, as the combined team of MoCo, Steamboat Springs and Meeker athletes represented the Northwest corner of the state well at the 3A CHSAA State Championships in February.

Following a season that saw her place third six times, second eight times, and first on three occasions, Steamboat’s Zoe Anfang was the first MCHS swimmer in a decade to earn medal in a state event as she went the distance in the 500-yard freestyle with sixth place at 5:32.17

Bulldog swimmers made it to state with eight total entries, including earning a season-best 4:07.86 in the 400 free relay by Anfang, Evie Gruben, Anna Richman and Megan Neton — a group which made it all the way to the finals, placing 16th.

Moffat County’s Mary Willems and Natalie Womble, and Meeker’s Kate Lockwood also swam their hearts out at state in relay and individual events that included the 50 free unified, 100 backstroke, 100 free, 100 IM, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.

Moffat County’s Makaela Simpson defeats Mireya Estrada of Loveland 11-0 at the CHSAA Girls Region 4 wrestling tournament Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, in Edwards.
Eli Pace/Craig Press

Pin power

January and February marked many milestones for the MCHS wrestling program, which saw two teams for the first time ever in the inaugural season for a girls grappling team.

Makaela Simpson started the year off with a win at the Tournament of Champions in Vernal, Utah — typically one of the toughest competitions in the Bulldog schedule — directly after holiday break.

The same tourney saw Kayla Deaton and Kenleigh Pubanz place third, Adrianna Price fourth, HayLee Staker and Rylie Dschaak fifth, with the group tied for fourth among 18 girls teams.

For the boys team, some of the bigger accolades came in the final weeks, with the team narrowly missing a regional title despite four of their own at the top of the podium — including Kaden Hixson, Michael Voloshin, Eli Fredrickson and Zach Hedman.

Additionally, Blake Hill, Kaeden Martinez, Aron Aguilar, Billy Lawton and Cyrus Goldsmith joined them in qualifying for state.

Simpson also won a regional title on the girls side, with Pubanz, Deaton, Price and Cydny Witherell all placing to move on to state.

The season wrapped at Ball Arena with Voloshin taking fifth and Hedman and Lawton each sixth, while both Simpson and Hixson made it to the championship round.

At 35-4 on the season, Simpson ended the year as the runner-up of the girls 170-pound class with a 13-5 loss by major decision in her last bout, while Hixson’s 49-7 record wrapped with a final win and the Bulldogs’ first state championship since 2007.

Simpson also became the first female wrestler from Moffat County to sign with a next-level program, as she later committed the Iowa Western Community College team.

Moffat County senior Cayden King goes up for a shot against Rifle on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Hoop dreams

Bulldog basketball teams saw some ups and downs in the 2022-23 season between coaching changes and close games.

In their first year back at the 4A division, MCHS boys struggled to stay up in the rankings of a competitive Western Slope League, finishing seventh of eight teams at 5-9 in conference play.

Nevertheless, the MoCo statistics were still favorable, as Bryant Carlson stood at third in the league in scoring, with 312 points, as well as leading the team in assists (70), and steals (39) with a season highlight 32-point scoring spree in January against Middle Park.

MCHS girls finished third in the league with a 13-9 overall record that also saw them qualify for the playoffs. A second-half turnaround included a five-game win streak in late January that set the tone for success.

In February, a single-season record in rebounds (281) for Lizzy LeWarne and a personal best 24 points for Cayden King in the playoff loss to Kent Denver was indicative of the team’s refusal to quit. King and LeWarne were each named team MVP, Carlson was selected Player of the Year for the 4A WSL, and the three all took multiple All-State honors.

King also went on to compete in the sport for Colorado Mesa University.

Moffat County’s Easton Eckroth crosses home plate and heads back to the dugout after a home run against Coal Ridge on Monday, May 1.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Keep swinging in the spring

The winter hangover didn’t help spring sports much, as Bulldog girls soccer and baseball each faced challenges with a playable field in March and April.

For soccer, a program that continues to build had games as close as 2-0 in a winless season as well as goals by Genesis Villlalobos and Sofia Luna, improving on a year earlier.

For baseball, the Bulldogs kept it competitive early in the schedule with highlights such as doubleheader sweeps against opponents Aspen and Meeker.

However, things got rougher in the latter half of the season as the Bulldogs ended with an 8-14 record and sixth in the 3A Western Slope League.

Easton Eckroth led the team and the league in terms of batting average with a .522.

From left, Moffat County’s Zeke Cordero, Andrew Duran, Evan Atkin, and Owen Gifford display second place medals for the 4×400-meter relay finals at the 3A CHSAA State Championships.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

The need for speed

MCHS track and field had a good start but a better finish in May with conference championships in both the girls 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay events — the former with Quincy Lowe, Sadie Smilanich, Cayden King and Camila Nunez, and the latter with King, Teya Miller, Alexis Jones and Lizzy LeWarne.

Bulldog boys earned a regional team title and also claimed championships in five events: Hudson Jones in the triple jump, Andrew Duran in the 200 dash, and Evan Atkin in the 100 dash, 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

As far as state, the Bulldogs qualified for every relay race as well as gaining entries in boys and girls 200 dash, boys 800 run, girls high jump, boys triple jump, boys discus and girls shot put.

Though they just missed taking home medals in several events, girls made it to the podium in the 4×200 relay, as Nunez, Miller, Alexis Jones and Smilanich placed sixth at 1:47.56.

For the boys, Hudson Jones placed fourth in the triple jump at 43 feet, 3 inches and Ian Hafey took ninth with a discus result of 135 feet, 5 inches.

A new school record earlier in the season in the 4×200 by Zeke Alcantar, Duran, Jimi Jimenez and Atkin (1:29.69) set the tone for the same group to place eighth in the 4×100, while Alcantar, Duran, Atkin and Owen Gifford placed second and set a new school record while also beating out the previous 3A state meet record with a time of 3:21.07.

With all his team achievements in his senior season leading into college track at CMU, Atkin had some of his best results solo, with new school records in the 400 dash (50.11) and 300 hurdles, gaining a state championship in the latter with a time of 38.49 seconds.

Moffat County wrestlers place four at high-level holiday tournaments

With several weeks before being back in competition, Moffat County wrestlers left it all on the mat in their last bouts of the early season.

MCHS had four grapplers take the podium at three tournaments in the past weekend, as the Bulldogs hit the Warrior Classic, Fruita Monument V Invite, and Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament.

The place to be

Running for nearly 50 years, Grand Junction Central’s Warrior Classic is often a milestone in any Western Slope wrestler’s season as they prove their mettle before their holiday break.

MCHS boys took 13th among 41 schools, with two varsity athletes placing. Senior Eli Fredrickson made it to the finals of the 138-pound class with three pins and a 9-5 decision.

He was paired with Fort Lupton’s D’mitri Garza-Alarcon, a three-time state champion and currently the top-ranked 3A athlete in the weight. Frederickson battled it out, but took silver honors after a 3-1 loss.

Both Fredrickson and junior Kaeden Martinez were the only MoCo members to make it past the championship quarterfinals Friday and reach Saturday.

Martinez was guaranteed to place in the 144 class after that victory, but he lost by a 13-5 major decision in the semifinals to an undefeated Columbine opponent. One win by pin later, he was was set up in the third-place match against Colton Lucero of Pagosa Springs.

Lucero took an early lead, though Martinez fought back furiously as he placed fourth with a 13-8 defeat. Despite that, he’s confident he can do better if and when the two meet again this season.

“I know I can beat him,” Martinez said. “I started scoring a lot on him in the last bit, so if I wrestle like that for a whole match, I know I can beat him.”

Though they didn’t make it to the podium, most of the Bulldog lineup took at least one win at the Warrior, including Blake Tupa (120, 1-2), Aron Aguilar (150, 3-2), Zach Hedman (165, 2-2) and Blake Hill (175, 3-2).

Down the road, freshman Owen Hill was the lone Bulldog to place at Fruita, taking third place in the 150 brackets by earning three pins as well as a win by forfeit.

Moffat County’s Kenleigh Pubanz stands with fellow placing competitors in the Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament.
Courtesy Photo

Back at it

Across the state, MCHS girls took on the packed Island Grove Event Center in Greeley, placing 26th of 62 teams at the NCCT.

The lady wrestlers fought through plentiful competition — with some weights featuring dozens of athletes — and picked up multiple wins: Lily Bush (100, 1-2), Rockelle Worley (110, 2-2), Raegan McMillen (115, 0-2), Miriam Jiminez (125, 1-2), Amanaki George (130, 3-2), Kayla Deaton (135, 4-2), Abby Martinez (140, 1-2), Alexza Ibarra (145, 1-2), and Callah Caperton (155, 1-2).

Still, senior Kenleigh Pubanz was the only athlete to place, earning sixth in the 235 class. After being unable to compete the past two weeks, the upperclassmen Bulldog earned back to back pins to get into the semifinals.

“It felt good getting back into the flow of things,” Pubanz said. “I was impressed with myself as I’ve usually been sucked into the consolation bracket by the semis. They were tough girls.”

Saturday was a little more challenging, as Pubanz was pinned twice and had to forfeit the final bout due to an injury.

“I was clouded mentally and that put me into a position of not putting my best out there,” Pubanz said. “The level of intensity with those girls was something I wasn’t used to.”

Both teams return to the mat in early January.

Moffat County boys basketball puts on show in home opener

As Moffat County’s Ian Hafey made a break for the basket Friday night, urging a full-court pass from teammate Bryant Carlson, the impending play made one thing clear to everyone in the stands.

Tonight will be a win.

MCHS took a 69-52 victory over Middle Park in the first time on the home floor for Bulldog boys basketball. The evening’s highlight, if you ask almost anyone in attendance, was a slam dunk by Hafey midway through the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t the first dunk attempt during the matchup for the MoCo senior, as an earlier alley-oop pass wound up going off the rim. Still, Hafey was pretty pleased to complete the feat, which was done thanks to an inbound pass on the other side of the floor.

While the Bulldogs maintained a double-digit lead for much of the game, including a 25-14 first quarter advantage, the dunk helped energize Moffat County in the closing minutes.

“I think it really got us going after that,” Hafey said. “We came out a little sloppy and didn’t control the ball like we could have, but it’s just stuff to work on as a team.”

Still, the MCHS coach was a little worried that the spectacle could have had the opposite effect.

“It got the crowd going and got the lead to about 16, but at that point it’s when we need to settle down because that’s crunch time,” head coach Mark Carlson said. “With a veteran group of guys, we’ve got to hold our composure better than that.”

Hafey scored a season-best 26 points, with fellow seniors Bryant Carlson and Hudson Jones adding 19 and 14, respectively.

The two of them each hit a trio of triples, with Junior Welch also hitting a three-pointer in a good night for outside shooting.

Hafey gained eight rebounds, while Bryant had eight assists and five of the team’s 12 steals for the game.

However, as capable as MCHS players were at stripping the ball from Middle Park opponents, their coach noted that they gave up possession twice as much.

“Way too many turnovers, way too many,” Carlson said. “We lost some focus after jumping out good in the first quarter, and in the second, I think they thought they were just going to cruise to it even though we told them a hundred times that Middle Park was scrappy and going to fight.”

The last game before the school’s break was a festive one as the student section showed its holiday spirit with Santa hats and felt reindeer antlers.

This was also the last game until the 4-4 Bulldogs take on Coal Ridge on the road Jan. 6 to start 4A Western Slope League play. They will next play at home against conference opponent Aspen on Jan. 12.

“Our defense is getting better and we’re getting good contributions from our bench,” Carlson said. “We just need to clean up some stuff, but we’ll be ready for conference play.”

Moffat County’s Bryant Carlson angles for a shot against Middle Park.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

Moffat County girls hoops take tourney wins to wrap early season

With an even 4-4 record to round out December games, Moffat County girls basketball is among the top teams in the 4A Western Slope League before conference play begins.

The Bulldog girls went 2-1 during the three-day Longhorn Classic hosted by Basalt. The first two of those games were rematches against previous foes, and each of those turned out the same.

MCHS cranked up the score in their second time facing Eagle Valley, improving upon their initial 34-28 win over the Devils with a 51-34 win on Thursday.

The Bulldogs did especially well in a 30-17 second half, with senior Emma Tucker leading in scoring with a dozen points, followed by junior Caitlyn Adams’ 11, and nine by senior Teya Miller. Nearly everyone on the roster added at least one assist in the game, led by five from junior Mena Tucker, and the team totaled 14 steals and six blocks.

Moffat County struggled in the following round as it was paired with the Montrose Red Hawks, whom the Bulldogs faced during Glenwood Springs’ Demon Invite. The outcome was exactly the same as Montrose again won by 51-32, with Adams adding eight points and Emma Tucker seven.

MCHS turned it around nicely Saturday against former league opponents Roaring Fork, with the Bulldogs taking the 48-39 win over the Rams.

Adams and Miller each put up 10 points, with Adams, Miller, Quincy Lowe and Brook Wheeler all adding three-pointers. In addition to seven points, Mena Tucker had nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks in the final game of the early season.

With a .500 record so far, the Bulldogs have had one of the better starts to the schedule in the 4A WSL, with Coal Ridge the only other team to see at least four wins so far. Moffat County girls will face the Titans on Jan. 6 to get league play underway.

The team will be primarily on the road in the coming weeks, with their next home game against Delta on Jan. 20.