They may be younger, but they’re no less ready to compete with the big dogs.

Craig Middle School started its fall sports seasons this week, including football, volleyball and cross country.

Coaches Ben Egger and Tony Maneotis will be running the football program, which started practices Monday for seventh- and eighth-grade athletes to get back into the mode of knock-around sports.

Meanwhile indoors, coaches Markie Green and Vicki Blomquist have the girls of the volleyball problem hitting hard and digging deep for their own games that will start in September.

Sara Linsacum will continue the school’s cross country team this season, available to grades six through eight for races through the coming month, concluding with the Bulldog Invitational for both CMS and Moffat County High School runners alike.

Additionally, Athletic Director and Vice Principal John Haddan said the school is in the midst of hiring a new cheer coach for the upcoming school year.

The following are the current schedules for CMS fall sports, which are subject to change.

Football

Time, Date — Opponent, Home/Away

5 p.m. Sept. 3 — Rifle, Home

10 a.m. Sept. 12 — Rawlins, Wyoming, Home

5:30 p.m. Sept. 15 — Rangely, Away

4:30 p.m. Sept. 22 — Steamboat Springs, Home

9 a.m. Sept. 26 — Meeker, Home

9 a.m. Oct. 3 — Steamboat Springs, Away

Volleyball

Time, Date — Opponent/Event, Home/Away

6 p.m. Sept. 3 — Rangely, Home

5 p.m. Sept. 10 — Baggs, Wyoming, Home

9 a.m. Sept. 12 — Steamboat Springs Quad, Away

5:45 p.m. Sept. 15 — Rangely, Away

9 a.m. Sept. 19 — Soroco Quad, Away

4:30 p.m. Sept. 24 — Rawlins, Wyoming, Home

9 a.m. Sept. 26 — CMS Tri, Home

5 p.m. Sept. 29 — Baggs, Wyoming, Away

5 p.m. Oct. 1 — Meeker, Home

9 a.m. Oct. 3 — Rangely Quad, Away

9 a.m. Oct. 10 — East Grand Tournament, Away

Cross country

Time, Date — Event; Location

1 p.m. Sept. 4 — Rawlins Invitational; Sinclair, Wyoming

5 p.m. Sept. 10 — Team Night Trail Runs and Family Night; Craig

9 a.m. Sept. 19 — Eagle Valley Invitational; Gypsum

2 p.m. Sept. 25 — Saratoga Invitational; Saratoga, Wyoming

9 a.m. Oct. 3 — Bulldog Invitational; Craig