Bayfield High School quarterback Isaac Ross and senior lineman Kobe Prior headlined BHS’ all-conference selections from the 2A Southwest League.
Ross was named the league’s skill player of the year, and Prior was named co-lineman of the year, sharing the honor with Alamosa’s DJ Jaramillo.
Head coach Gary Heide was named the league’s coach of the year after leading the Wolverines to a conference championship with a 4-0 league mark. The team out-scored its league foes 151-24, finished 7-2 overall and hosted a first-round playoff game.
Ross completed 180 passes for 2,094 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, averaging 232.7 passing yards per game. He also ran the ball 66 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Ross also received one of the league’s two automatic nominations to play in the Colorado High School Coaches Association game. Jaramillo received the other automatic bid, and Prior and Cael Schaefer received at-large nominations.
Prior played guard for the Wolverines, protecting Ross and opening up holes for his running backs. On defense, Prior led the team with 80 tackles this season, including 78 solo and five sacks.
Ross also played defense and had the third most tackles on the season with 51 to go along with four interceptions. Schaefer, who’s a senior, was the team’s second leading tackler with 56 and one of Bayfield’s six first-team all-conference selections.
Schaefer, senior James Mars, junior Deegan Barnes and senior William Sullivan joined Ross and Prior on the all-conference first team.
Senior Andrew Peacock, junior Nic Twedt, and sophomores Caden Wood, Donte Candelaria, C.J. Lowe and Granite Truby earned all-conference honorable mentions.
Schaefer led the team’s rushing attack with 786 yards on 111 carries, averaging 87.3 yards per game. He also rushed into the end zone 12 times for the Wolverines.
Sullivan hauled in a team-high 40 catches, which was good for 395 yards and three touchdowns.
Mars caught five touchdown passes and averaged 17.4 yards per reception. He also made 45 tackles.
Barnes caught 37 passes for 423 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On defense, he made 49 tackles.
Twedt led the team in receiving yards with 448 on 28 grabs.
Peacock sacked opposing quarterbacks seven times and had a total of 47 tackles on the year.
Drew Johnson of Salida was named the league’s defensive player of the year. Haley Farris of Alamosa was named the special teams player of the year.
Montezuma-Cortez had four first-team selections, including Ryder Higgins, Tay Wheat, Dorrian Hilliard and Zander Cruzan. Ace Dennison also recieved an at-large nomination for the all-state game.
Alamosa had five players earn first-team honors: Jaramillo, Kade Jones, Kasey Jones, Donovan Ramirez and Hayden Shawcroft.
Pagosa and Salida each had two first-team selections, including Aaron Aucoin and Tommy Baker for the Pirates and Johnson and Braden Collins for the Spartans.
