Bulldogs Earn Region Title With 54-6 Win Over Monument Valley

By Sam Conner
   The Winslow Bulldogs defeated the Monument Valley Mustangs 54-6 in Winslow last Friday night to clinch the 3A North Region Championship. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 9-1 record for the season and undefeated at 6-0 in the region. Monument Valley wound up 4-6 for the season and 4-2 in the region. The Mustangs finished in third place in the region behind Winslow and Holbrook.
   Winslow totally dominated the game, scoring on all of its first half possessions. It wasn’t until inside the final minute when the Mustangs scored on a long pass play.
   The first quarter saw Winslow put 41 points on the board. Chayse Russell scored on a 26-yard run to cap a 53-yard drive with 10:25 left in the first quarter. Aaron Martin’s conversion gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
   Kraig Shirley hit Tevin Renfro on a 71-yard pass the next time the Bulldogs had the ball and the conversion increased the lead to 14-0.
   Shirley scored the next touchdown on defense with an interception and a 34-yard return to the end zone. The conversion extended the lead to 21-0.
   Russell got his second touchdown on a six-yard run and the conversion made it 28-0 in favor of the Bulldogs with still over two minutes left in the quarter.
   The Winslow defense scored its second touchdown when Rhett Hardy recovered a fumble in the end zone. The conversion increased the lead to 35-0.
   Winslow scored on the final play of the first quarter, a 61-yard punt return by Anthony Huerta. The conversion failed, leaving the score at 41-0.
   Huerta got his second straight touchdown on a 59-yard return the next time the Mustangs punted and the conversion made the lead 48-0, assuring that the rest of the game would be played with a running clock.
   The Bulldogs were content to keep the score down and Martin kicked a 28-yard field goal on first down on their next possession. The boot made the score 51-0, which was the margin at the intermission.
   The entire second half was played with a running clock. Martin booted a 22-yard field goal for the only score of the third quarter which gave Winslow a 54-0 lead.
   The only score of the final period belonged to Monument Valley on a 44-yard pass from Jonathan Delmar to Preston Parrish with only 45 seconds left in the game. The conversion pass failed and the 54-6 final score was on the boards.
   Winslow will host a 3A Conference State Championship first round game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. The opponent will be named later after power point standings are determined.