Four Wolverine football players were recently named All-Western Slope Conference for 2014.
Powerful in the trenches from start to finish, or better yet 'A' to 'Z,' senior linemen Aubry Brown and Zane Westbrook were First Team selections, as was senior receiver/running back/defensive back Colter McMenimen and junior running back/defensive end Zane Phelps.
Junior center/DE Noah Loutherback was named Honorable Mention All-WSC, as were juniors Taed Heydinger, Brody McGhehey and Kyle Killough.
In addition to their football opponents, McMenimen and Killough both also hit the books well. They were named to the CHSAA First Team Academic All-State, along with junior quarterback Kelton McCoy and sophomore defensive back Frankie Turner.
Honorable mention honors for Academic All-State went to Brown and Heydinger, as well as senior lineman Blane Barnes and junior kicker Matias Karhumaki.
Head Coach Gary Heide also announced the BHS team awards this week. McMenimen was named the Wolverines' best defensive back (he led BHS with four interceptions), but also most valuable player.
Brown was named best offensive lineman, while Westbrook was chosen the top defensive-liner and Phelps the top offensive back. Killough copped best linebacker and Heydinger the best receiver/slot back.
Senior lineman Henry Walter was given the Wolverines' outstanding attitude award. Most improved went to junior defensive back Cash Snooks and to junior offensive-liner Sam Westbrook. Freshman back Carl Heide received Bayfield's Scout Team player-of-the-year honors.
Also reaching the postseason from the Western Slope Conference South Division were first-place Gunnison and runners-up Montezuma-Cortez, but both Bob Howard's Cowboys and Casey Coulter's Panthers were both eliminated in the playoffs' quarterfinals.
Gunnison (9-2 overall) began with a 29-28 escape over Sterling, but found themselves losing 43 to 21 to Eaton the next Saturday. Meanwhile, M-CHS (8-3) also avoided an upset with a 40-37 defeat of Colorado Springs St. Mary's, but had no such luck against Englewood-based Kent Denver and fell 56-18.
Seeded #2 in the 16-team field, Kent Denver reached the season's grand finale last Saturday against #1-seed Brush. Brush won 14-6.
In the process of advancing to the state championship, Brush (13-0) blanked #8 Arvada Faith Christian 21-zip in the quarterfinal. Faith Christian had eliminated #9 Bayfield in the first round.
