Moffat County ends regular schedule with shutout to start playoffs with confidence
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
From this point on, every game could be the last for Moffat County football, and the Bulldogs intend to keep their season going as long as possible.
MCHS is in the Class 2A state playoffs mix with CHSAA seeding the Dogs 13th and setting them up for a matchup with No. 4 The Classical Academy this weekend. MoCo will travel to Colorado Springs on Friday, Nov. 4, for the first round of the postseason.
No doubt shutout
The Bulldogs’ record for the regular season is 7-2 following their Thursday, Oct. 27, game on the road against Grand Valley.
MCHS took its first shutout of the fall with a 41-0 victory. The game was all but over by halftime, and coaches pulled their starters in the second half.
Among the highlights, senior Catcher Jackson started off scoring with a rare touchdown for a center, senior Johnny Lopez recorded an interception for a touchdown; senior Evan Atkin scored four TDs, including one off a punt return; and senior Garrett Anson, juniors Hudson Jones and Kenny Frederickson, and sophomore Clayton Vandersluis all logged sacks.
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Moffat County senior Catcher Jackson dives into the end zone against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County junior Evan Beaver takes a shotgun snap against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County junior Aron Aguilar wraps up against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County junior Jimi Jimenez looks for extra yardage after a catch against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County football players confer during a timeout against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County senior Johnny Lopez reels in an interception against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
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Moffat County senior Evan Atkin weaves through the defense against Grand Valley Thursday, Oct. 27.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press
Sweet stat sheets
At 4-1 in conference play, Moffat County finished as the runners-up in the 2A West, while also leading in multiple statistical categories.
With 90 rushing yards in the Grand Valley game, Atkin went into quadruple digits for the second year, and has 1,009 yards on the ground so far. Though he ranked third in the league after missing several games, his yards per game (168) and yards per carry (10) averages were by far the highest.
Atkin also finished the regular season as the leader in touchdowns (21) and thanks to his duties as a kicker, total points (136).
Atkin and Jones also ranked second and third, respectively, in league receiving yards, with 298 and 228. Likewise, junior Evan Beaver was ranked third in passing yardage with 649.
On the other side of the ball, Lopez led the league in interceptions with six, while senior Michael Voloshin was tied for No. 1 in sacks with five. Senior Cort Murphy ranked fifth in the league in tackles with 69.
The competition
The Bulldogs won’t have long to rest as they ready to face The Classical Academy. The 8-1 Titans were hyped in CHSAA polls as the top 2A team for most of the season. However, a 15-14 loss to Elizabeth in the past week cost TCA a league title.
Though this desire to bounce back makes the Titans all the more dangerous heading into the postseason, Moffat County coach Lance Scranton maintains that it shows they are wholly beatable.
He’s reminded Bulldog athletes that last season, their No. 5 playoff seeding meant little as they were upended by 12th seed University.
“Overall, we’ve just got to start fast and force them to make some adjustments,” he said. “On paper, definitely gonna be a challenge for us, but we match up pretty well with anybody. It’s playoffs, so you never know what’s gonna happen.”
Scranton said that whatever happens, he’s glad to have gotten back to this point.
“We’re happy we’re there with all the things we’ve gone through this year. Our kids are battle-tested and we’ve been looking forward to this all year,” he said. “I’m proud of them to have met that goal, and I know they’re going to show up Friday.”
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