The Sierra Linda Bulldogs football program enters the final week of the regular season with a 7-2 record and after Friday night’s victory, the 4A Copper Sky region championship.
The Bulldogs entering week 11 already have shattered the previous program record of four wins in a season, and the region title is the first in school history.
Yet, despite those accomplishments, the Bulldogs still may not make the playoffs. Nate Gill is in his fourth season as head coach and wants the program to just receive an opportunity even if they’re the No. 16 seed.
“We don’t want to be just another feel good story, we want an opportunity to show the 4A what we have” said Gill.
The Bulldogs do have the talent to back up Gill’s talk. The duo of Xavier Quintanilla and Traven Vigenser have contributed two interceptions each and a combined 55 tackles on defense. Offensively the duo has six receiving touchdowns each and a combined 1,235 receiving yards on the season.
Stephon Daily is a junior three-star wide receiver who had 11 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns in their victory Friday night against region opponent Carl Hayden, bringing his season totals to 43 catches, 880 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
Joshua Berg, a senior running back, leads the Bulldogs this season with 1094 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
With the talent the Bulldogs have, what is keeping them from the playoffs?
The Bulldogs are the victims of circumstance. In previous seasons, the 4A Conference had automatic bids for region champions. But earlier this year the conference committee voted to eliminate automatic bids, thus leaving the Bulldogs with little to no room for error on their schedule.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Bulldogs sit as the No. 22 team in the 4A, yet they have a better record than twelve teams ranked ahead of them, nine of whom are currently ranked in postseason positions. The team ranked one spot ahead of the Bulldogs sits at 2-7.
The Bulldogs have a 5-0 record against 4A opponents, as well as two victories against 5A competition. In total the Bulldogs have played four 5A opponents, the most of any team in the 4A.
Their only two losses on the season came to teams ranked No. 23 and No. 27 in the 5A conference.
Gill was asked Friday night about his feelings on the rankings.
"We want a seat at the table, but we can only control what we can control,” he said.
As the regular season enters its final chapter, the party of the postseason looms nearby. If a team that may finish 8-2 and is a region champion is not in the mix, what does that say about the ranking system that is in place? A seat at the table shouldn’t be given because you took your lashings by the teams above you, it should be given to the teams who have the record and recognition to justify a spot. The Bulldogs may finish with both accomplishments yet a seat at the table may elude them in the end.
Regardless of what happens Saturday morning when the final rankings are released, the coaching staff, players, and parents should be proud of the season. If it ends Friday night, next week, or even weeks after that, the foundation has been built to where the Bulldogs' seat at the table in future seasons is nailed to ground and is sturdy.
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