The Haxtun Fightin’ Bulldogs picked a bad time to have a bad week. After rolling through their regular season schedule in 2023, the Bulldogs advanced to the 8-man football semifinals with every intention of successfully defending the state title they won the previous fall.
But Simla had other ideas. The Cubs won a defensive battle, beating Haxtun 27-20. The Bulldogs hadn’t been held to under 21 points since Oct. 31, 2020.
A promising season had a disappointing finish. But looking at what the Bulldogs have coming back in 2023, they could easily embark on a revenge tour.
Quarterback Ryland Wolff comes back for his junior season after he threw for 1,379 yards and 11 touchdowns and added 1,444 rushing yards and a team-high 20 rushing touchdowns. The leader and heart of the Bulldogs offense is ready to lead his team to program title No. 9 this fall.
It isn’t just his return that makes Haxtun a favorite coming into the year. While Michael Gerk graduated following a season where he rushed for a team-high 1,613 yards, Kailin Kelley is back and ready to assume a larger role in the ground game. He was just 11 yards shy of becoming Haxtun’s third 1,000-yard rusher on the year and he likely would have eclipsed that mark had the Bulldogs made it to the state title game.
It’s always foolish to discount a defending champion heading into a season and Dove Creek is certainly going to be a team that will be tough to beat week in and week out. The graduation of Kade Hankins, however, is a heavy loss and his production won’t be easy to replace. Hankins threw for 1,154 yards and 17 touchdowns and also led his Bulldogs in rushing with 1,707 yards and 22 scores.
Running back Gage Buffington will move into a bigger role in the offense with Hankins gone. He rushed for 1,184 yards and 15 touchdowns. That production will likely increase as he tries to solidify the ground attack for the defending state champion.
Simla might be one of the more interesting teams to watch. After stunning Haxtun in the semifinals, the Cubs lost to Dove Creek in the state title game.
But here’s the thing: A lot of key members of that team are back for 2023.
That includes quarterback Caston Cox, who threw for 1,801 yards and 21 touchdowns. Leading rusher TJ Eurich also returns. He went for 1,102 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall and will likely see an increased workload with the graduation of fellow running back Brayden Glover (1,017 yards, 17 touchdowns).
Tight end Brent Bowker was Cox’s favorite target last year and caught 37 passes for 801 yards and eight touchdowns. He’ll assume a senior leadership role as Simla tries to get back to the 8-an title game.
A team that returns a lot of talent and has the confidence to take down a dominant No. 1 seed in the postseason could be scary as it finds footing during the season.
Mancos is another team that will try to repeat its success from a year ago. The Bluejays made it to the semifinals before losing to Dove Creek 44-14.
**
6-man football
Returning All-State Players:
- Tyson Beanland, Dove Creek (First Team)
- Caston Cox, Simla (First Team)
- Ryland Wolff, Haxtun (First Team)
- TJ Eurich, Smila (Second Team)
- Anderson Filla, Akron (Second Team)
- Ryan McCaffrey, Akron (Second Team)
- Kail Wayman, Mancos (Second Team)
- Cash Caldon, Sanford (Honorable Mention)
- Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle, Mancos (Honorable Mention)
- Miles Dumbauld, Lyons (Honorable Mention)
- Jared Hodgson, Simla (Honorable Mention)
- Kailin Kelley, Haxtun (Honorable Mention)
- Cael Nordyke, Holly (Honorable Mention)
- Dre Salgado, Holly (Honorable Mention)
- Kaiden Wyatt, Mancos (Honorable Mention)
**
League 1
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Dove Creek | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Mancos | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Sanford | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Sargent | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Dolores | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Norwood | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
League champion: Dove Creek
Additional playoff teams: Mancos, Sanford
Projected 2023 league champion: Mancos
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Dove Creek, Sanford
**
League 2
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Vail Christian | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Hayden | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| West Grand | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Rangely | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Plateau Valley | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Soroco | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
League champion: Vail Christian
Additional playoff teams: Hayden
Projected 2023 league champion: Vail Christian
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Hayden, West Grand
**
League 3
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Simla | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Calhan | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Elbert | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| St. Mary’s | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Pikes Peak Christian | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| South Park | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
League champion: Simla
Additional playoff teams: None
Projected 2023 league champion: Simla
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Calhan
**
League 4
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Haxtun | 11 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Akron | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Merino | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Dayspring Christian | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Sedgwick County | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Caliche | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Haxtun
Additional playoff teams: Akron, Merino
Projected 2023 league champion: Simla
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Akron, Merino
**
League 5
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Lyons | 10 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Byers | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Front Range Christian | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Belleview Christian | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Justice | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Gilpin County | 1 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Lyons
Additional playoff teams: None
Projected 2023 league champion: Lyons
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Byers
**
League 6
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Crowley County | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Fowler | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Walsenburg | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Hoehne | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Dolores Huerta Prep | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Custer County | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Crowley County
Additional playoff teams: None
Projected 2023 league champion: Crowley County
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Fowler
**
League 7
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Holly | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Swink | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| McClave | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Wiley | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Springfield | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Las Animas | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Holly
Additional playoff teams: Swink, McClave
Projected 2023 league champion: Holly
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Swink
