Five playoff teams-one scoring the ultimate prize-in 2014 highlight Bayfield Football's 2015 schedule, recently released to the media by BHS Activities/Athletics Director Rob Dean.
And if one counts the Wolverines themselves, that makes an impressive six.
The crown jewel of the lineup, as it currently reads, will be a 7 p.m. Homecoming Week visit on Sept. 25th from twice-reigning Class 1A State Champions Paonia, which went 13-for-13 overall last fall and 5-for-5 in the Western Slope Conference.
Last season's trip to Paonia Town Park proved to be one of the season's wildest battles, with 89 combined points and Bayfield able to rally from an early 20-point deficit, tie at 27-all by halftime, and take a 34-27 lead in the third quarter before the Eagles ripped off 28 more unanswered points to prevail.
Long before that contest kicks off, the Wolverines will begin Aug. 28 at Kirtland Central in New Mexico, with the Broncos coming off a 5-6 campaign ending with an opening Round-of-12 loss at Santa Fe St. Michael's in the NMAA Class 4A State Playoffs. However, KCHS was a strong 4-1 in District 1-4A.
Following a Sept. 4 'bye,' Bayfield will play before its Wolverine Country Stadium loyalists for the first time when Miyamura High School from Gallup, N.M. comes to town on Sept. 11.
Always up to take the game aerial in past meetings, the Patriots were an outstanding 10-2 overall and 3-1 in District 1-5A play in '14, with a postseason comprised of a 27-2 rout of Los Lunas in the 5A State Playoffs' initial Round-of-12 and a whopping 69-20 quarterfinal loss at Las Cruces Centennial.
Sept. 18 is also shown as being an open date on the slate, and after seeking payback against PHS, BHS will get into its 2A Western Slope-South workload with Olathe coming to the Valley on Oct. 2.
OHS went a disappointing 0-5 in conference and 3-6 overall in 2014-a far cry from Bayfield's Oct. 9 road opponent: Gunnison. The Cowboys went 5-0 to win the Western Slope-South, and 9-2 after edging Sterling in overtime in the 2A Playoffs' opening Round-of-16, then losing to Eaton in the quarterfinals.
The Wolverines then travel to Montezuma-Cortez on Oct. 16 to find out what the Panthers will have retained in the wake of last year's 8-3 (4-1 WS-S) resurgence-including a Round-of-16 victory over Colorado Springs St. Mary's prior to a lopsided quarterfinal loss at Englewood Kent Denver.
Turnovers tripped Bayfield at nearly every turn last year as M-CHS beat Bayfield 47-13 at WCS.
The regular season then ends with Alamosa in town on the Oct. 23 for Senior Night, and a trip to Pagosa Springs on the Oct. 30. The Mean Moose and Pirates combined to go 5-13 overall and 3-7 in conference last fall, though AHS proved tougher than expected with the Wolverines winning away by just five. PSHS, however, managed just a safety at Bayfield High School, losing by 27.
BHS broke even at 5-5 overall in 2014 after a first-round playoffs loss at Arvada Faith Christian, meaning head coach Gary Heide will enter his fourth year with a 21-10 overall record.
