Haxtun advances to quarterfinals following 48-8 win in their #Q49

In their quest for a ninth State Championship the Bulldog football team is one step closer following a 40-point win over McClave in the first round of post-season play. The win puts Haxtun at 10-0 on the season and the leading team in all of Colorado 8-man action. The Bulldogs advance to quarterfinals set for this week at Adam Wernsman Field. Haxtun will face off with the eighth ranked Sanford Mustangs.

Haxtun put up 20 unanswered points in the first quarter against McClave at home on Saturday. The Bulldog offense racked up the points while the defense stopped the Cardinals every chance they had. In fact, the D-line didn't allow McClave a single first down until nearly the end of the first quarter. The hometown Bulldogs put another 28 points on the board before halftime to force a running clock the entire second half.

Neither team scored in the third as the clock quickly ticked away. As the fourth quarter got underway, many non-starters for the Bulldog team took the field for their chance in post-season action. McClave scored one solo touchdown late in the game for their only points in the game. Haxtun earned the win, 48-8, to keep their undefeated season alive and one step closer in the quest for the Bulldogs' ninth football State Championship in school history.

"We talk all the time about being fast and physical and the guys came out Saturday and played that way," said Head Coach JD Stone. "Currently our defense is playing fast, that comes from preparation by the guys. On the offensive side of the ball our read and RPO game along with our tempo is hitting and sparking some big plays."

This week the Bulldogs are gearing up for a match up with the 7-3 Mustangs from Sanford. According to their schedule on MaxPreps, the Mustangs have suffered losses to Simla, Dove Creek and Mancos this season. All three of those teams remain in post-season action following week one of playoffs. Sanford reached the quarterfinals following a 34-8 win over Vail Christian last week.

Stone said that at this point in the season he and his coaching staff are working to keep their players focused on the task at hand each week to continue to grind out wins. "Our message daily is to just remember our goals that we set back at the end of July," he said.

A win in the quarterfinals would put the Bulldogs one step closer to the championship game. A semifinals matchup would pit Haxtun against the winner of number four Simla and 12th ranked Holly.

"Sanford is a well-coached team that is only two years removed from playing in the title game, they know how to win football games," Stone said. "They look a lot like us, big upfront with a lot of speed in the backend."