Everything started coming together for the Moffat County football team in the final eight minutes of their first game of the fall, and while they may not have had the greater amount of points on the scoreboard, the late burst of energy is something they plan to carry on in the weeks ahead of them.

MCHS took a 24-20 defeat Friday night on the Bulldog Proving Grounds, turning a scoreless game after three quarters into a sudden nailbiter as they nearly turned the tables on the Commanders of John F. Kennedy High School.

After giving up three touchdowns — all with two-point conversions — to JFK, the Bulldogs found their footing at the end of the night by answering back with a trio of TDs of their own.

A hard-fought first down by junior running back Owen Hill to end the third quarter in scoring position went on to pay off on the opening play of the fourth frame as he maneuvered his way into the end zone for a five-yard rushing touchdown.

The Dogs got the ball right back as senior Kenyen Camilletti recovered his own onside kick, ending the drive several minutes later with a goal line score.

The TD was a relief for the upperclassman, who was experiencing some frustration after having a first-half touchdown called back due to a penalty with a fumble in the red zone following shortly afterward.

Camilletti’s first game as a senior came after a junior season in which he could only perform kicking duties due to a collarbone injury.

“It’s a real revenge season for all of us this time,” he noted.

He more than made up for that this time around, playing multiple positions throughout the evening.

“I didn’t touch the sideline once tonight,” Camilletti said with a smile. “Kicker, punter, safety, running back, QB for a couple plays — I did it all.”

MoCo athletes made the Commanders to sweat it out in the closing moments, with sophomore quarterback Jax Nelson punching the ball in for a final score with eight seconds remaining.

A few too many minor mistakes in the second and third quarters — neither team scored in the first — may have cost the Dogs the win, but a strong finish was still encouraging for MoCo coaches.

“We only lost by four points after being down by four possessions,” said head coach Nick Colgate. “Our kids played hard tonight. To see them come out in that fourth quarter and still have that resilience, that’s the positive takeaway.”

MCHS will take those lessons into the next game, facing rivals Steamboat Springs on Friday, Aug. 29, on the Sailors’ home field, and the hunger to prove themselves can only help going forward.

“I told the kids, ‘this is gonna hurt for a little while,'” Colgate said. “Through pain and experience, that’s how we grow and get better, and it’s going to be exciting to see how our kids take on that challenge.”

The opener for the Bulldog gridiron program came with some solemnity at the start of the night as the program memorialized Daniel Baker, a member of the team’s sideline chain crew who died last November in a winter weather car accident on US Highway 40.

Nick

The family of Baker — an alumnus of Bulldog football — were presented with a tribute to his time on the field the past five years.

Announcer Diego Quezada also read a memoriam — prepared by David Pressgrove — expressing Baker’s quiet helpfulness with the chain crew, a personality trait that exemplified his spirit.

“For Daniel, it was more than holding the chains — it was another way to support the hometown Dogs he loved so much,” Quezada said. “Daniel will always be remembered as part of the Bulldog tradition on the field and on the sidelines and in our hearts.”