MORENCI — What started out looking like a grind ended up as a promising start to the 2026 season as the Morenci Bulldogs defeated the Bellevue Broncos 38-22 on Aug. 28 at Henry Geisler Field.
With the teams evenly matched coming into the season — both Morenci and Bellevue finished last year 3-and-6 — it could have been a tight game. The first quarter was slow-going, with each team getting only one possession, and ended with Morenci on the wrong side of an 8-0 deficit.
But the Bulldogs got the wind back into their sails when a second-quarter touchdown by Skyler Trent and a two-point conversion by Mason Cleveland tied the game.
Then, with a good catch by freshman Carter Scivoletto in the end zone, the Bulldogs took the lead — and they never gave it back.
With just 57 seconds left in the second quarter, the Bulldogs put another eight points on the board with a touchdown by Cleveland and conversion by Trent, going into halftime with a 22-8 lead.
The Broncos weren’t going down without a fight, and they narrowed the margin to 22-16 early in the third quarter. But then the Bulldogs put some more distance between themselves and their foes when a touchdown by Drew Joughin and a conversion by Brenden Hudik widened the gap to 30-16.
The Broncos managed one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, making it 30-22, but their attempt to put another two points on the board was blocked by Colsen Waltzer. And in an echo of the way the second quarter ended, a touchdown by Cleveland and conversion by Trent brought the final score to 38-22.
The win was especially notable given that the Bulldogs’ 15-player roster was about half the size of their opponents’ squad.
“We went into the game preparing for a team that, we thought, was a lot like us. So we were expecting a battle,” head coach Ryan McDowell said. “They might not be the most talented line we play, but they were probably the biggest.”
Cleveland led the team in rushing with 138 yards, followed closely by Trent with 126.
“After a slow start and getting down 8-0, I thought the boys settled in and we were able to do what we wanted to,” McDowell said. “We had two 10-plus play drives of 80 and 70 yards where we ate up a lot of clock and wore them down. Then we got the explosive play right before half. We won the turnover battle and didn’t have any pre snap penalties, which I’m not sure happened in any game last season.”
A pivotal point for the Bulldogs’ momentum came with a second-quarter play by Trent where he timed a blitz, forced a fumble and recovered it himself. That play came when the game was tied, and McDowell said it “really flipped the whole script.”
“Overall, it was a good way to start the season, but not perfect by any stretch. I was proud of the way the boys responded after a rough start. But next week will be the real litmus test for us and we’re looking forward to the challenge,” McDowell said.
The Bulldogs travel to face Mendon on Sept. 3.
