As Moffat County varsity football prepares for the postseason, the Bulldogs have some difficult decisions to make about how many of their younger players suit up for the next big game, with hopefully more than one playoff event in store.

But given how they’ve competed this fall, junior varsity athletes will likely make some noise for years to come. The Bulldog JV/C-Team finished with an 8-0 record Halloween night following a 32-0 rout of the Grand Valley Cardinals.

Coaches Brayden Peterson and Shane Hadley were ecstatic at the final buzzer, with Hadley displaying a homemade belt — similar to those in boxing and pro wrestling — inscribed “Universal Champions.”

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He said he’s been waiting for the opportunity to break it out.

“I’ve had it the last couple years, and I thought it would be cool to have if we got an undefeated season,” Hadley chuckled.

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The Grand Valley match was not a far cry from the varsity game several days earlier as the Dogs seized on Cardinals mistakes to take an early lead in the first half, including multiple punts that went awry and let the boys in blue pick up quick points.

Hadley said most of the year has been one-sided.

“We had one or two close games. The freshmen had never beat Steamboat and we won 23-20,” he said. “When we went to Rifle, we were playing a true JV team, and we won 20-12.”

Sophomore Damien Lira was the starting quarterback for the squad, noting he was rarely worried about getting sacked thanks to a strong offensive line.

“When we pass, it’s pretty well-blocked, but the team is just really good all-around,” he said. “Defense wins games.”

Hadley anticipates that even those who don’t travel with the team this weekend to varsity’s game with The Classical Academy will be big components of the program as they get older.

“They’re going to do fantastic things,” he said. “I’m so excited for the future of Moffat County football.”