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Moffat County High School sports roundup

Andy Bockelman
For the Craig Press
Ryan Peck, (13) celebrates a first down during a game against Rifle won by Moffat County football.
Andy Bockelman / For the Craig Press

The fall season is rapidly approaching its close, although if Bulldog football keeps winning, they’ll be playing for a while longer yet. Here’s a look at what’s coming up as the seasons near their finish line.

Bulldog football maintains high rankings, impressive stats heading league title game

Moffat County High School varsity football maintained its undefeated streak Friday night with a 62-35 win over the Aspen Skiers.

Junior Evan Atkin rushed in four touchdowns during the match, as well as throwing the longest pass of the night, an 80-yard touchdown reception to senior Carson Miller on the first play of the Dogs’ opening drive.



Atkin’s 165 yards on the ground also saw him surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season, and the 1,045 he’s compiled so far makes him the leader in the category for the 2A West League, the 2A division overall and in the Top 10 rushers among all divisions.

“It’s always nice to get touchdowns, but I gotta thank the guys up front,” Atkin said, crediting his offensive line. “It’s nice to have dry grass again, so I can get my moves going.”



With 25 TDs across seven games, he has also crossed the goal line more frequently than any player in the state, according to MaxPreps.

Miller also earned triple-digit honors in the game with 111 receiving yards, while senior Ethan Hafey had 106 rushing yards on the night, including running in a touchdown.

Also scoring were seniors Trace Frederickson on the ground and Logan Hafey twice with successful catches, while quarterback Ryan Peck also kicked six successful extra points.

Despite a relatively small night throwing, Peck is ranked second in the league in passing yardage with 718 yards.

On defense, Ethan Hafey led in tackles with 12, Atkin 11, Ian Hafey nine and Cort Murphy eight. Atkin and Ethan combined for one sack, with Peck and Ian combining for another.

Atkin earned an interception, while Peck also blocked a Skier punt and Caleb Squires blocked an Aspen PAT.

The newest standings in the RPI details place the Bulldogs in third overall in the 2A division, while CHSAA rankings have them ranked fourth.

A lock for the playoffs at this point, MCHS boys face off against the 6-1 Delta Panthers this weekend on the road for what will effectively be the 2A West title game as both teams stand at 3-0 in conference play. The game will be a grudge match given MoCo defeated Delta in a reconfigured league in 2020 to gain the 2A West championship.

Bulldog volleyball seeking best record since 2007

Moffat County High School varsity volleyball’s postseason hopes may be somewhat out of reach, but it remains very much a possibility that the Bulldogs can have one of their best finishes in a long time.

The MCHS girls’ record stood at 9-9 Saturday following a successful match in Gunnison, where they swept the Cowboys in three sets: 25-13, 25-15, 25-21.

The victory followed a 3-0 loss the evening before in Hotchkiss, as the MoCo team fell against the newly formed North Fork Miners, losing 25-19 and 25-17 before a bid to force a fourth set resulted in a 27-25 tiebreaker that went to North Fork.

Earlier in the week, the Dogs went to overtime against Roaring Fork, a team they defeated twice before this season. The Bulldogs won the opening rounds 25-18 and 25-11 before the Rams turned the tables with three straight set wins: 25-17, 25-23 and 17-15.

The latest game against the Rams did not count for credit in the 3A Western Slope League, in which Moffat County is ranked fifth of 11 teams at 4-4.

Besides their best placement in the conference in a long while, the Bulldogs’ current status is a positive one. One more victory will grant the program its first 10-win season since 2007, and the team has a solid shot at breaking the .500 mark by the end of the season, which would also be the first time in 14 years.

MCHS next plays on the road Thursday against Caprock Academy, a team they swept at home Oct. 8, and the Dogs’ final home match will be Oct. 26 against Aspen, which will include Senior Night honors.

Moffat County soccer seeing positive wave to close season

Moffat County High School’s boys soccer program has seen a shifting roster throughout the fall, but the Bulldogs are on track to finish ahead of where they were in the previous season.

MCHS took a 5-1 loss Monday against Lake County in a rescheduled game at home.

Sophomore goalie Brayan Tarango earned 15 saves, while freshman Cesar Quezada scored the Dogs’ lone goal on a penalty kick right before halftime.

The home event followed multiple road events, including losses of 11-1 and 4-0 to Coal Ridge Friday and Gunnison Saturday, respectively. Prior to that, MCHS also fell 8-1 Oct. 11 in Rifle, as well as forfeiting a game to Roaring Fork Oct. 9.

However, Oct. 8 saw the Bulldogs’ first shutout win of the season in a rematch with Caprock Academy as they routed the Eagles 6-0.

In addition to two goals by Hector Luna, Quezada scored a hat trick and then some with four.

Quezada and fellow freshman Osbaldo Quintana joined the soccer program in recent weeks while also competing on the junior varsity football squad.

At 2-10, both wins were against Caprock, and MoCo soccer will host its final home game, also Senior Night, at 4 p.m. today against Basalt.

Bulldog runners seeking state bid at this week’s regional meet

Moffat County High School cross-country is looking to go all the way to state, and this week will prove if the Bulldogs have what it takes.

The 3A Region 1 Meet is Friday afternoon, hosted by Coal Ridge High School, at VIX Park in New Castle.

Among the competing schools are Alamosa, Aspen, Basalt, Bayfield, Coal Ridge, Middle Park, Montezuma Cortez, North Fork, Pagosa Springs and Rifle.

MoCo is one of the programs likely to qualify full boys and girls teams for the 3A CHSAA State Championships, as are contenders Alamosa and Basalt.

The Bulldogs wrapped up their regular season in the past week with Senior Night during halftime of the MCHS football game honoring upperclassmen including Halle Hamilton, Emma Jones, Bree Meats, Marta Pelanconi, Chase Serio, Alex Nichols, Kadin Hume and Hayden’s Kale Johnson.

Earlier in the day, both boys and girls teams finished second overall, each just behind Steamboat Springs, at the Oct. 15 Whistle Pig Invitational at Yampa Valley Golf Course.

Johnson finished third individually at 17:47.6, while Jones led the girls with fifth at 20:53.1.

Bulldogs had seven total runners in the Top 10: Ian Trevenen, Owen Gifford and Boden Reidhead fourth, fifth and seventh for the boys, while Hamilton took seventh and Meats ninth in the girls race.

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