Buzz is Building on 36th Lane: Hornet Football Looks to Continue Running in the Right Direction
The 7-0 Hornets have built their season around attitude, effort and competition–and now face one of their biggest tests of the season against Pueblo East.
There is a noticeable difference between a team that is simply winning and a team that believes in what it is building.
For the 2026 Pueblo County Hornets, that difference has been evident throughout an undefeated start to the season.
Pueblo County enters Thursday night’s matchup with Pueblo East at Dutch Clark Stadium with a perfect 7-0 overall record and a 5-0 mark in the South Central League. But according to head coach Ramie Enriquez, the identity of this team goes far beyond its record.
“This group is fast, physical, and comes to work every day with a great attitude and great effort,” Enriquez said.
What may separate this year’s Hornets from teams of the past, however, is how much they genuinely enjoy playing together.
Enriquez said the players have found a way to work hard, compete and still have fun throughout the process. That chemistry has translated into the way the team practices and performs on Friday nights.
The Hornets have bought into the idea that players can hold one another accountable, work hard and still enjoy the journey.
That mentality has helped shape a Pueblo County team that has become one of the area’s most impressive stories this season.
A Standard Set By The Seniors
The Hornets have received significant contributions from their senior class, and Enriquez believes the team’s upperclassmen have played a major role in establishing the standard for the program.
Their leadership doesn’t simply come from what they say.
It comes from what they do.
Enriquez pointed to their film study, the intensity they bring to practice and their commitment to improving every day. More importantly, the seniors understand that the standard has to be lived rather than simply discussed.
They hold themselves accountable and push their teammates to meet the expectations the program has established.
For Enriquez, that player-led accountability is critical.
Coaches can explain what they expect from a team, but when the players begin holding one another to that same standard, it carries a different weight.
That has been a major part of what Pueblo County has built this season.
Practice Like It’s Friday Night
Walk into a Pueblo County practice and one thing becomes immediately clear: the Hornets aren’t interested in making practice comfortable.
For years, Enriquez said, the program has preached that practice needs to be harder than the games.
That philosophy has created highly competitive practices where the players are constantly challenged by the best competition available.
When the first-team offense takes the field, the scout defense isn’t simply going through the motions.
They’re competing.
They’re celebrating when they make a play.
And even throwing in some friendly “smack talk” along the way.
The offensive staff does a strong job of putting the scout defense in positions where it can succeed, forcing the first-team offense to execute and earn every yard.
The same mentality exists on the other side of the football.
Pueblo County’s first team defense faces a scout team offense with plenty of speed, and that group competes just as aggressively.
The goal isn’t simply to prepare for Friday night.
It’s to make every day a competition.
Enriquez wants his players to understand that nothing is given, everything is earned, and improvement requires competing against the best every day.
That competitive environment has helped prepare the Hornets for the challenges they have faced throughout their undefeated season.
Four Headed Running Attack
The numbers tell part of the story.
Pueblo County has rushed for 2,551 yards and 34 touchdowns this season.
But Enriquez believes the secret behind the production begins up front.
The Hornets’ offensive line has been playing at a high level, creating opportunities for an offense that has no shortage of weapons.
Santana Baca, Orlando Rodriguez and Brady Ware each bring different running styles to the offense while possessing the speed to create explosive plays.
Adding to the running game is quarterback Brody Harrison and receiver Duane Spence, giving the Hornets even more ways to attack a defense.
The biggest thing Enriquez appreciates about that group, however, isn’t necessarily their talent.
It’s their willingness to share the spotlight.
Nobody is focused on who receives the credit.
They understand that opportunities will come, but the ultimate goal is winning football games.
That unselfishness, combined with the play of the offensive line, has made the Hornets a difficult offense to defend.
Baca leads the team with 748 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while Ware has added 494 yards and eight touchdowns. Rodriguez has rushed for 462 yards and five touchdowns, and Harrison has contributed 334 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
As a group, the Hornets have consistently found a way to put pressure on opposing defenses.
QB1 Gives The Hornets Another Dimension
At the center of it all is quarterback, Brody Harrison.
The senior quarterback has thrown for 885 yards and seven touchdowns so far, while completing a remarkable 74% of his passes, but his impact extends well beyond those numbers.
Defenses have to account for him as both a runner and a passer.
Load the box, and Harrison can make the right decision, buy time and attack through the air,
Drop back and protect against explosive pass plays, and Harrison can utilize his legs to keep the chains moving.
He’s also capable of making plays as a passer while moving outside the pocket.
Enriquez believes Harrison’s understanding of the offense is one of his biggest strengths.
He understands what each play is designed to accomplish and does a good job taking what the defense gives him.
That ability to make the correct decision puts pressure on opposing defenses to account for another weapon on every snap.
And when defenses have to account for Harrison, it can create opportunities for everyone else.
Defense Brings The Attitude
While Pueblo County’s offensive numbers have attracted plenty of attention, Enriquez isn’t overlooking the job the defense has done on the other side of the ball.
The defense is a major reason the Hornets are 7-0.
They have created turnovers, gotten off the field and even scored four touchdowns of their own.
More importantly, Enriquez describes a defense that plays fast and with an edge.
They fly to the football.
They compete on every snap.
And they take pride in making opposing offenses work for everything they get.
Every team wants to play complimentary football, and that’s what the Hornets have been able to do this season.
The defense creates opportunities for the offense, while the offense gives the defense chances to play aggressively.
Up Next: Pueblo East
One of the biggest challenges of the season lies ahead on Thursday night under the bright lights of Dutch Clark Stadium.
Pueblo East.
Offensively, East has an explosive quarterback (Dolphka Lewis) who is difficult to tackle, a running back (Logan Trujillo) who runs hard, and playmakers on the outside.
Defensively, the Eagles bring an active group of linebackers, a strong defensive line and a disciplined secondary.
For Pueblo County, the formula will be about execution.
The Hornets will need to stay disciplined, swarm to the football and eliminate explosive plays.
Offensively, Enriquez emphasized the importance of winning the line of scrimmage, executing and limiting mistakes.
It’s a matchup that will test the identity Pueblo County has developed throughout the first seven weeks of the season.
The message from Enriquez to his team is simple: play their brand of football for four quarters, do their jobs and let the results take care of themselves.
“We are looking forward to the challenge,” Enriquez said.
And a challenge it will be.
The Hornets currently sit No. 5 in the latest Colorado Class 3a Football Rankings, while the Eagles come into Thursday night's matchup at No. 8.
Both teams are 5-0 in league play, and this one will go a long way in determining the regular season league champion.
Game time is slotted for 7pm @ Dutch Clark Stadium on Thursday, October 15th.
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