Running with the Wolff: Senior QB leads Haxtun to 8-man football title

PUEBLO – Haxtun quarterback Ryland Wolff says he stands at 5-foot-11 and weighs about 165 pounds. But he doesn’t know how fast he can run 40-yard dash.

But after a memorable night at Dutch Clark Stadium, he should be able to find someone who can time him out on a 67-, 63- and 48-yard dash. Those are the length of Wolff’s three touchdown runs as the Fightin’ Bulldogs beat Akron 46-20 to win the 8-man football title.

His first of the runs, the 67-yard score, came on the first play of the game, just after he gave coach JD Stone a hug as they tried to enjoy the moment of competing for a state championship.

“That was the best feeling ever,” Wolff said. “But I couldn’t do it without my line dogs, my whole team. They opened up a hole for me and I just went.”

It was perhaps the ideal way to build momentum considering the disappointing playoff endings Haxtun experienced the last two years. They lost to Simla in the 2022 semifinals and then lost to Mancos 40-0 last year. Wolff took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2022 and since then has been a first-team all-state player. But this championship win is a moment that is worth every minute of work and effort given by the team.

“We had that in the back of our mind,” Wolff said. “Falling short sucks. But we got here and it feels amazing.”

The Bulldogs (12-1 overall) took a quick 14-0 lead thanks to Wolff’s touchdown run followed by another long run of his that setup a Zach Statz 12-yard touchdown run.

Haxtun had beaten Akron 48-0 in the regular season, but the Rams rebounded from a shaky start much more effectively than they did in that loss back on Oct. 11.

Anderson Filla broke for a 12-yard touchdown run, then in the second quarter a little trickery once again kept the Rams (11-2) within striking distance. Jace Curtis found Filla on a backwards pass allowing the big back to find Jakzon Livesay for a 48-yard gain. Two plays later, Filla ran in for his second touchdown of the night.

It was clear that in Round 2, the Rams were going to throw the kitchen sink at Haxtun.

“It’s always hard to beat a good team twice,” Stone said. “That’s not just a dumb cliché. Jerome [Weers] is a great coach and that’s a hall of fame coaching staff over there. Their kids want to win too and we knew they were going to come out and throw some haymakers.”

Perhaps none more important than a mishandled snap deep in Haxtun’s own territory. Jax Kusel fell on the ball in the end zone to cut the Bulldogs lead to 26-20.

As Haxtun pushed into the red zone on the next drive, the Rams forced a fumble, getting the ball back down six. But on their first play, it was the Bulldogs forcing a turnover with Ryan Davis recovering a fumble, allowing for another Statz score.

And then for good measure, Wolff added two more long touchdown runs to put the game out of reach and solidify his place as the National Football Foundation’s Most Outstanding Player for the 8-man championship game. And when the clock ran out, coach and player again hugged, but this wasn’t a hug to savor the moment. It was a hug to celebrate championship gold.

“Ryland is a special kid,” Stone said. “He’s always in the weight room, he’s always watching film with me. Most coaches have a close connection with their quarterbacks and he’s been a three-year starter for me. I love all my kids and I build my program love.”

This is Haxtun’s ninth football championship in program and second in four years. The Bulldogs now stand alone at No. 6 in state history for most football championships. And as long as Stone builds his program on love and the hard work that the 2024 team showed, the number of titles should only go up.