LOS MOLINOS, Calif. -- Even on a cold, rainy day you'll find the Los Molinos Bulldogs preparing the D-5 section championship game. Their first year playing 11-man football going from 8-man.
"It used to be go on the outside, just find a hole somewhere and go through it," said Hunter Landingham. "Now we have to have a hole in a certain spot at a certain place in order to run our plays and it's just a lot more people, it's a lot harder to get yards.."
Los Molinos' school enrollment exceeded 200 students this year, making the decision to leave 8-man for eleven, easy.
"They told the athletic director and football coach last year that if we wanted to stay 8-man we were not allowed to participate in playoffs so obviously we decided to go to 11-man and I think it's the best thing that's happened here for this school," said head coach James Humphrey.
But the Bulldogs didn't start so hot in league play going 2-2 to start. But, things turned around after that second loss.
"After we lost to Modoc which was a game that we felt like we should've won and our kids came together and a lot of things changed to where we bought in," said Humphrey.
The Bulldogs went 3-1 the rest of the way securing the No. 3 seed in section playoffs. After losing to Biggs in their first meeting, the Bulldogs avenged that loss beating a Biggs squad that went 9-1 overall winning 20-10.
"We have a great team all around it's not just a one person thing. It's everybody working together doing their jobs that makes a difference."
Los Molinos will head to Fall River this Saturday. Game is at 7 p.m.