What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
THE BULLDOG FOOTBALL team brought home the 8-man State Runner-Up trophy following a match up with Mancos in Pueblo last week. Team members are pictured with their trophy front row (l-r), managers Grant Firme and Greyson Biesemeier, Gabriel Becerra, Josh Wright, Aspen Starkebaum, Luke Gales, Braden Plumb, Carter Lock, Kanin Koberstein and Brandon Nall; back row (l-r), coaches Marc Bornhoft and JD Stone, Cole Firme, manager Trevon Thayer, Seth Seger, Max Grauberger, Michael Knox, Kailin Kelley, Ryan Chaney, Chase Goddard, Aiden Starkebaum, Jack Feik, Bret Kanode, Corbin Andersen, Colin Cone, Jaxsen Schram, Brock Miller, Mason Bornhoft, Keegan Colglazier, Grant Statz, Ryland Wolff, Zach Statz, Avian Calderon, Zach Fryrear, Kaiden Schelling, Ryan Davis, coach Matt Ramirez, Tate Michael and coaches Kyle Wilson, Andy Wernsman and Dave Shafer.
HAXTUN BULLDOG senior #45 Kailin Kelley fights for extra yards through a host of Mancos Bluejays in the Colorado 8-man State Championship in Pueblo last week. Kelley registered 33 yards and 11 total tackles in the contest.
JUNIOR GRANT Statz looks for running room at CSU-Pueblo on Friday night.
KEEGAN COLGLAZIER, Haxtun senior, pushes for extra yards on a catch and carry last week.
QUARTERBACK Ryland Wolff, a junior, drops back for a hand off in the Championship.
One game doesn't define a season ... that's the message Bulldog Head Coach JD Stone gave his players following a runner up finish in the 8-man state football title game last Friday.
Despite a loss in the championship game in Pueblo last week, the 2023 season has been impressive. In fact, the last four years have been monumental in the program's history.
This year's team includes seniors Mason Bornhoft, Keegan Colglazier, Kaiden Schelling, Josh Wright, Kailin Kelley and Brock Miller. Those seniors boast an overall 38-6 record including a final four finish, a runner-up title and a State Championship.
"Our seniors are a special group, they helped us turn our program around," Stone said. "Three of them started as freshmen and one has been on the sideline since our staff took the program over, but all are great young men. They only lost six games in high school and three of them happened in the shortened covid year."
This year's team, boasting 33 young men on the 2023 roaster, has put up some impressive numbers on the field and have been even better players in their community.
From stepping up to set up at local community events to welcoming young children to school in the mornings and reading to elementary students in their classrooms, the Bulldog's are learning much more than what it takes to be great football players.
"Off the field, I love some of the events we do throughout the year with the elementary students," said Stone. "You see what amazing husbands, fathers, teachers, coaches and community leaders they will all become someday."
And on the field, the Bulldogs are just as impressive. This year's team went 11-2 overall and 4-1 in league play while holding top rankings in Colorado 8-man standings all season. Haxtun went 4-1 at home and 7-1 on the road.
The Bulldogs put more than 70 points on the board in their season opener, won a close contest over Mancos in mid-September, held an eight game winning streak well into late October and revenged last year's semi-finals loss to Simla with a 30-12 victory on the Cubs home field.
From camp this summer in Chadron, Neb. to the season opener in Concordia, Mo. and eight road games on the schedule, the Bulldogs put on more than 4,000 miles this season.
"This year's team was a group of road Dogs, they traveled 4,445 miles together from camps to games and everything in between, Stone added. "This season had a lot of adversity, nothing came easy to this group but the amount of resilience they showed was amazing."
On the field, many Bulldogs finished the season leading stat categories in the Lower Platte League. Kelley leads the League in total tackles with 127 on the year. He averaged 10.6 tackles per game. Grant Statz, his brother Zach, and Colglazier also made the top 10 list in tackles.
Junior Ryland Wolff scored a total of 160 points this season, finishing second in scoring in the Lower Platte. Wolff averaged 13.1 points per game this season. Grant Statz added 101 points while Colglazier contributed 78.
Wolff finished third in league rushing yards, racking up a total of 1,187 yards on the ground. He averaged 98.9 rushing yards per game in 2023. Grant Statz, Kelley and Zach Statz also made the top 10. Grant Statz racked up 829 yards, his brother Zach tallied 520 and Kelley registered 630.
Along with holding second place in rushing yards, Wolff finished second in passing yards with a grand total of 1,231 yards in the air. The junior quarterback connected with 57 passes this season, averaging 102.6 yards per game. Colin Cone came in seventh with 254 yards off 13 passes.
Colglazier finished in the top two in Lower Platte League receiving yards with 618 total this season. He averaged 51.5 yards per game. Mason Bornhoft totaled 271 yards, also making the top 10 list.
Beyond the stats and the wins and losses, Stone said this year's team formed a Bulldog family that supported each other and their community on and off the field.
"One thing that really jumps out to me is when Ry went down against Byers," Stone said. "I watched every player step up to support Kaiden (Schelling) at quarterback. He hadn't taken a snap in weeks and he played so good with everyone behind him. I want to thank the School, Board, Boosters and all the people and businesses that support this group of young men, they help give them such an amazing experience."
While a 40-0 loss to Mancos in the State Championship isn't the ending to the season anyone wanted, one game doesn't define the 2023 Bulldog season.
"We are still blessed guys, we are still blessed," Assistant Coach Andy Wernsman told his team in the final huddle as the Bulldogs accepted their Runner-Up trophy at the CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl last Friday.
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