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Wolverines pummel Paonia

BHS now #2 in 2A after 35-0 shutout

Last year's loss was avenged.

Verbal cues predicting a vicious Wolverine attack couldn't not be heard on the Bayfield sideline.

Physically-imposing junior lineman Sam Westbrook roaring "Let's go!" as he paced inside the players' box provided pre-game energy within Wolverine Country Stadium that visiting Paonia couldn't hope to match.

And senior Zane Phelps' "Coach, gimme the rock!" to boss Gary Heide while coming off the field early in the first quarter showed he'd seen enough to sense the Eagles would be grounded the more ground he'd gain.

Soon Phelps racked up 81 yards on just 14 carries. After he scored his first-from three yards out with 8:25 left in the second quarter-of two touchdowns, the Homecoming Hammering was in full effect with BHS ahead 15-zero, en route to a 22-zip halftime score. The Wolverines ultimately made an amazing 35-0 blanking of Class 1A's #1-ranked, two-time defending state champions.

Phelps would gain 66 more rushing yards on 10 second-half tries, and finished with crushing 28-155 figures. PHS senior Taylor Walters had few chances to show his game-breaking knack, well known to the Wolverines from last fall's 55-34 loss at Paonia Town Park. Walters made just 39 first-half yards, while his throwing arm found no receivers, except Phelps on the second quarter's last snap.

BHS senior Kelton McCoy, meanwhile, didn't have to fling many times but made his first three tosses-all completions-count. Two of them produced 12 points on the scoreboard. An eight-yarder to Taed Heydinger ended an 11-play, 78-yard, 4-minute-20-second march and started the scoring with 9:49 left before intermission. Another 19-yard pass with 4:54 left to his classmate completed a six-play, 41-yard push.

He would finish the night 7-of-8 for 79 yards, with a third aerial score finding senior Wyatt Freier's hands from five yards out early in the fourth quarter.

Heydinger kicked the extra points after Phelps' first TD run and his second TD catch, after McCoy had flipped a two-point conversion pass to Phelps for a tone-setting 8-0 lead.

The Wolverines have now moved from third place to second place in this week's CHSAANow.com Class 2A rankings.

Now 3-0 overall, BHS begins Western Slope-South Conference play at home (7 p.m. kickoff) tonight against Olathe. The Pirates improved to 3-1 overall with a 38-0 road whipping last week of New Castle Coal Ridge.

DEVASTATING DEFENSE: Paonia (now 3-1) had six first-half possessions, but Bayfield's resistance during the opening 24 regulation minutes was ruthless in keeping the Eagles under wraps.

PHS went three-and-out twice in the first frame, fumbled away to Freier at their own 20-yard line on their first play of the second stanza, punted from their own 9 on the sixth snap of their fourth series, had their fifth drive stopped by Phelps batting away a Walters fake-punt pass, and their last drive thwarted by pass-breakups by seniors Cash Snooks and Brody McGhehey and finally Phelps' interception as the buzzer sounded.

McGhehey later recovered a fumble, leading to Phelps' last touchdown.

CHSAANOW.COM CLASS 2A POLL, 9/28: 1.Englewood Kent Denver, 2.BAYFIELD, 3.La Junta, 4.Kersey Platte Valley, 5.Brush, 6.Eaton, 7.Sterling, 8.Westminster The Academy, 9.Lakewood Alameda Int'l, 10.Gunnison. Others receiving votes-Lamar, Olathe, Arvada Faith Christian, Denver Bishop Machebeuf, Gilcrest Valley, Craig Moffat County.