The Winslow Bulldogs will start the 2018 campaign on the familiar turf of Emil Nasser Stadium at 7 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 17, against the Blue Ridge Yellowjackets. These teams have been rivals for decades and both have had their share of success.
The Bulldogs were one of the top teams in their division in Arizona under Emil Nasser but have had success also under most of the coaches who followed him and have usually been a serious playoff and state champion contender. They expect to be under Brandon Guzman this season.
Blue Ridge is mentored by Bob London and his son, P. J. London, will see considerable action guiding the team at the quarterback position. Though only a sophomore, he is expected to be a coming star in that important role. The Yellowjackets have at least a dozen seniors returning and should be a formidable opponent.
Winslow will probably have senior Brennan Sawyer at the quarterback position. He is a talented player and has an experience advantage over London.
The Bulldogs have a number of returning players who were key performers last season. These include senior running back Nick Reyes and a number of other key players from last year’s playoff team.
Winslow will go on the road for its next two games meeting Monument Valley Mustangs at Kayenta and going to Page to play the Sand Devils. The Bulldogs will probably be favored in each of those games and in their fourth game at home against Chinle. A win over Blue Ridge should be a big step toward the playoffs for the Bulldogs.
