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Moffat County football bests Bayfield in home opener as players key in on improvement

Sports Sports |

Andy Bockelman
  

It would have been easy at the end of Saturday afternoon for Moffat County football players to just accept that a win is a win, but the Bulldogs were by no means satisfied with every part of their latest game even with a victory.

MCHS moved to 2-1 with a 42-33 win over Bayfield in the first home game of the season.

The Dogs led the scoreboard the entire day, though it wasn’t without a fierce fight from the winless Wolverines, who saw multiple injuries throughout the day, including one necessitating an ambulance.

“That’s a nightmare,” MCHS head coach Nick Colgate said. “Prayers to that kid and that school. I hope he’s doing OK.”

With 314 yards, MoCo quarterback Evan Beaver had best passing game yet, comfortably in triple-digit yardage before the end of the first quarter, with the Bulldogs’ first play of the game a 65-yard touchdown catch and run by senior Ian Hafey.

Beaver ran it into the end zone twice as well as sailing lengthy TD passes to fellow seniors Bryant Carlson and Hudson Jones, the latter of whom led in receiving with 98 yards on five catches.

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Gaining his first varsity score was senior Jimi Jimenez with a goal line end run after being called up to replace Carlson in the backfield.

Jimenez also had multiple kick returns Saturday and was among the corps of defensive backs kept busy all day. He was more than a little frustrated with Bayfield’s first touchdown, which he blamed on himself.

“I let that score happen, but I tried to make up for it,” Jimenez said. “I just need to focus on my job.”

The afternoon heat didn’t help anyone, though senior captain Caleb Squires said it was hardly an excuse he wanted to use.

“Who cares if it’s a thousand degrees out; we practice through that and we can play through that,” Squires said. “It’s about perseverance and coming out all cylinders firing.”

With the Wolverines seizing on turnovers more than once to narrow the deficit, the entire Bulldog roster focused less on their win once the final horn sounded and more on where to tighten up going forward.

“Next week we need to come out as hype as we can, as high as we can, and as hard as we can,” Squires said.

MCHS finishes its non-league schedule Friday, Sept. 15, hosting Rawlins, Wyoming for the Bulldogs’ Dad’s Night.

“Winning is not enough for these kids, which is awesome,” Colgate said. “They really want to take it the next level and elevate.”

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