"Not enough athletes."
Ignacio High School Athletic Director Rocky Cundiff already heard those words, or a variation of them, once this summer - when Calhan High announced it would not have a varsity team - and had to hustle to find a gridiron replacement for the Bobcats.
Recently he found himself using the phrase again in a Facebook post stating IHS' 2016 schedule had again been reworked due to lack of opposition.
And as a consequence of Pueblo Dolores Huerta Prep's decision to pull out of tonight's season-opener, denying the 'Cats a home date, Ignacio will kick off its campaign with a swiftly-arranged 7 p.m. tussle tonight out in - ironically -Calhan country.
Getting the first look at second-year skipper Ponch Garcia's crew in Zero Week will now be Ellicott.
Ellicott won four of their first five last season in dominant fashion before finishing 6-4 overall after a 49-6 loss at Paonia in the state playoffs' first round. In league play, EHS finished 3-2 and placed third via a road victory over Peyton but a loss at Rye.
The Thunderhawks should return now-senior quarterback Matthew Davidson (1,371 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, 13 interceptions in 2015; 43-336 rushing, 3 TD), with classmate Jaylen Hayes (128-855 rushing, 13 TD) and now-junior Chiante Stewart (73-513, 7 TD) helping to power the offense.
Stewart also is EHS' top returning receiver, having caught 24 balls for 466 yards and five more scores in '15.
Next Friday, Ellicott will travel to Wray.
Ignacio will make a trip to 3A Crownpoint, New Mexico, to take on another seldom-seen opponent.
