Steamboat Pilot & Today

Oak Creek — Despite all the excitement of Soroco High School football opening up its offense last week against Glenwood Springs' junior varsity squad, Rams head coach David Bruner was most impressed with the other side of the ball.

Bruner wasn't disappointed in the offensive output - quarterback Cody Miles threw for three touchdowns - but when the coach looked back at game film, the Rams defense stood out.

"Actually, I didn't know defensively what was going to happen," Bruner said. "But the defense played really well. They made some good adjustments against the spread offense and were never caught off guard."

Bruner said the defense will have to play well once again for the Rams (1-0) to beat Saratoga, Wyo., at 7 p.m. in Saratoga.

After beating the Blue Streaks in double overtime last year, Bruner said he expects a challenge from a team coming off a 7-2 season.

"They're pretty balanced," Bruner said. "They've got a running back that's super fast so we're really going to have to shut him down."

Offensively, Bruner gave Soroco's new spread option offense a B minus in its debut. He said he was impressed with Miles' play at quarterback and with the production from wide receiver Levi Gonzales and running back Dennis Morgan.

But Bruner said with the league opener at Meeker one week away, the Rams have work to do on the offensive line.

"Timing is the biggest thing," Bruner said. "We didn't totally open it up against Glenwood, but we want to do that by the time we play Meeker. With our motion and our option, it comes down to timing. That will get better as we get more experience."

The second nonleague game against a team as physical and big as Saratoga should help Soroco prepare for a tough Class 1A Western Slope League that boasts several teams in the top 10, including cross-county rival Hayden.

While Bruner said he's treating today's game much like an NFL team treats a preseason game, he said the goal is always to play well and win.

"From the first week to the scrimmage, we improved 10 times more," Bruner said. "We expect to do that again" today.