Haxtun Bulldogs pick up 36-12 over Sedg. Co.; advance to 7-0

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Haxtun Bulldogs put a stomping on the Sedgwick County Cougars. Haxtun defeated the Cougars in their annual homecoming celebration on their home turf in Julesburg Friday night to improve to 7-0 on the season and remain one of three undefeated teams in all of Colorado 8-man action. The loss for the Cougars is the first from a Colorado team since Merino took them down in 2018.

The Bulldogs came out with a bang, putting six points on the board with a 95-yard kickoff return from junior Kyle Fryrear. Although the Cougars held Haxtun out of the endzone on the two-point conversion, the Bulldogs took an early lead and never let up. Sedgwick County added the team's first six points with five minutes on the clock in the first quarter with a short run into the end zone, however, Haxtun's defense stepped up to hold the two-point attempt to even things out at six all. Before the end of the first quarter, Haxtun added 14 more points to the board to hold a 20-6 advantage.

With six minutes left to play in the first half, the Cougars narrowed in on the scoring gap with six points from a nine yard pass in the air into the end zone, but the Bulldogs would gain it back with a five-yard run from senior Isaac Andersen. This time Haxtun added the two-points after for a 28-12 lead at the mid-way mark.

It was all Bulldogs the second half as the defense held Sedgwick County scoreless in the third and fourth quarters. Haxtun added one final touchdown with four minutes left to play with an 88-yard run from Michael Gerk to take a 36-12 win over the Cougars; something a Haxtun football team hasn't accomplished since the 2012 season.

"We came out a little flat, but the guys step up and played very physical," Head Coach JD Stone said of his team's performance in Julesburg Friday night. "I was really proud of some of the young guys who stepped in and played good with a few starters out."

The Bulldogs completed 38 total plays against the Cougars, including nine first downs. Additional stats were not available on Maxpreps at press time.

This week the Haxtun team has a bye, giving the Bulldogs time to rest up and prepare for a match up with Denver Christian on Saturday, Oct. 23. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Adam Wernsman Field.

The Bulldogs plan to honor members of the 1981 and 1991 State Champion on the same day. Championship teams are encouraged meet the Bulldogs for breakfast at the firehall at 8:30 a.m. followed by pre-game activities at the Ag Shop at 1:40 p.m. At half time, members of the 1991 and 1981 teams will be honored at center field. According to Maxpreps, Denver Christian is currently 0-5 overall.

"Our defense and defensive coaches have done an amazing job this year we have only allowed 52 points through seven games," Stone said recently. "Even our young guys have represented very well playing a lot of minutes against other team's varsity."