In some ways, it’s a new era for Moffat County football with a new head coach, but ultimately the Bulldogs look to keep the best things about the program going strong while also making that leap to the next level.

MCHS gridiron athletes have been wasting no time getting back to the grind in recent weeks, with full-fledged practice sessions showing how much players and coaches have missed the physicality of the game.

Nick Colgate is taking on the mantle of head coach this season after spending several years as an assistant with the team.

Colgate is leading a successful squad that has qualified for the 2A postseason in four straight seasons. Under former coach Lance Scranton’s leadership the past three years, the Dogs had a combined record of 19-7, as well as earning a league title in 2020.

Still, making it to the playoffs and seeing elimination in the first round each time has the older Bulldogs ready to step up their game.

“Really good practices, a lot of great kids out there working hard,” Colgate said. “We’ve had a lot of turnover with our kids in the program, but they’re really buying into playing, so they’re working out during the summer.”

Colgate added that having players who also engage in soccer, basketball, track and other sports adds to their capability to stay self-motivated.

“That whole issue with getting back into shape was minimal this year, I felt,” Colgate said. “Having multiple-sport athletes helps because it keeps them on a path to staying healthy and doing the right thing and out of trouble. We work year-in, year-out to get this group of kids pretty far into the postseason, and I think this team is one where we can do that.”

With a double-digit amount of seniors on the roster of about 50, Colgate has plenty of players who have put in the time over the years, plus upperclassmen who are new or returning to the sport.

Among the more seasoned seniors are receivers Hudson Jones and Bryant Carlson.

Jones racked up 247 yards and two touchdowns last season, as well as 47 tackles and an assisted sack at linebacker.

Carlson combined for 69 yards between rushing and catching, scoring one touchdown. However, his specialty has been interceptions with three picks across the past two seasons, not to mention 87 yards in running them the other direction as a cornerback.

During practices, receivers and defensive backs trade off on who does what while running the routes of passing plays.

“Getting those reps individually helps work out all the technical things,” Carlson said. “There’s an infinite amount of reps you can get with that. Our passing game will be what really steps it up this year. We’re gonna have to be more versatile without being able to give the ball to a freak athlete like Evan Atkin.”

In the backfield, Aron Aguilar looks to be the heir apparent to Atkin — who graduated this spring — as the go-to running back for the team.

Though he saw fewer handoffs later in the season last fall, Aguilar filled in well when Atkin was injured, with back-to-back triple-digit rushing games as part of 327 total yards he compiled. Aguilar also added three sacks and 52 tackles on the other side of the ball.

Evan Beaver will serve as the Dogs’ starting quarterback, a role he stepped into midway through his junior season and finished the fall with 880 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and a league-best QB ranking of 102 with only three interceptions.

And he’s only feeling more confident going back into the fray.

“I’ve got the feel for varsity and the speed of it more this year,” Beaver said. “I got a little bigger and stronger so I can take some more hits. I want to be able to stay in for the whole season.”

MoCo will have more than its share of muscle on the line, whether offensively and defensively, with seniors like Wyatt Dade, Caleb Squires, Ian Hafey and Anthony Jordan prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the pocket.

Ethan Schaaf, likewise, will be serving in whatever capacity he’s needed as both a tight end and defensive end.

“Wherever they need me and wind up putting me, I don’t care if my whole job is just to be a human punching bag,” Schaaf said. “I’ll be the meat shield. It’s coming along fast. It feels like just a season ago we were freshmen and just learning the ropes and starting to get better. And now we’re here.”

Schaaf added that as much as seniors bring to the team, there are plenty of younger teammates who will bring a lot this year, pointing to junior linemen Clayton Vandersluis and Adam Delay.

“They’re going to be huge on the line,” Schaaf said. “In practice, they give us all a real good fight.”

The schedule ahead is simply the reverse of last year, with home and away games flipped, meaning Moffat County football fans will have to wait until Sept. 9 for the home opener against Bayfield.

The Dogs will start with a familiar foe as they travel to Loveland on Aug. 25 to face Resurrection Christian. Since moving to the 2A division nearly a decade ago, MoCo has faced the Cougars five times and has yet to beat them.

Last season, Resurrection took a 33-6 victory on the Bulldog Proving Grounds.

Competing against a program that hasn’t seen a losing season since 2009 is nonetheless a good way to start the season, Colgate said.

“They’re always a tough team and hoping we can start off the season on a good note. It’s a real kickoff game for us.”