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DHS hosts opener at home away from home

Durango football will open against a California school in Pueblo
Casey Dunlap hopes to streak into the endzone as many times as possible in 2014. The senior wide receiver will get his first opportunity to score Friday night against Beckman High School of Irvine, California, in a game set to be played at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

It will be called a home game for one, but two teams will open the 2014 high school football season hundreds of miles from home.

Durango High School will begin its season Friday afternoon against Beckman High School of California. The game will be played 278 miles away from the Demons’ home of Durango and 1,119 miles away from the Patriots’ home of Irvine.

“I’m really excited for this game. They’re a good team, and we have a lot to prepare for, but we are going to come out strong,” DHS senior defensive end and wide receiver Dayne Rowley said after a scrimmage Aug. 22 against Aztec and Bayfield. “I think it will be a good game.”

The Demons know very little about their opponents this week. They have film from one of their games from last season, but that’s it.

“We don’t know much, but they’re going to be big and fast,” DHS head coach David Vogt said after the scrimmage. “We hope to have enough film to break down and find some weaknesses, but they looked pretty good last year.”

Beckman finished the 2013 season 4-6 overall and 1-4 in its league. The Patriots enter this season ranked 6,733rd nationally on the MaxPreps.com poll, and the Demons are ranked 3,820th.

A year ago, Beckman averaged 120 passing yards per game while connecting on 15 passing touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Patriots averaged 142.3 yards per game on the ground and 4.5 yards per carry. They did not make the state playoffs.

Durango is fresh off an 8-3 season and a state playoff berth. Playing in a new league this year, the Pikes Peak League, the Demons are eager to start the season with a win to accumulate as many as possible before playing No. 2 Montrose and defending champion and top-ranked Pine Creek later in the season.

“The biggest key is discipline,” said Rowley, son of Darren and Kari Rowley. “If we fulfill our responsibilities and not worry about everyone else and just do our individual jobs, we will be fine.”

Durango’s options at quarterback remain senior Hayden Sill and junior Terrence Trujillo. Both players were considered equals during preseason practices, but it is expected the senior will get the first chance to start. Vogt couldn’t be reached Thursday night for comment.

Leading the DHS rushing attack will be seniors Jalon Malone and Steele Spies, as well as junior Lawrence Mayberry, as the Demons aim to utilize each athlete’s strengths.

Defense once again will be in focus for Durango football.

Though DHS enters the game higher ranked by MaxPreps, the Demons still are taking the mindset of underdogs against the big-state program.

“We are going to stay together and tight as a family, and we’re gonna be real intense this next game,” said DHS senior safety and wide receiver Justin Marcum, son of Damian and Stephanie Marcum. “Beckman better watch out for us, because we’re going to come out and hit them hard.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com

Aug 28, 2014
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Aug 28, 2014
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Durango warms up with a season-opening shutout
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Durango cobbles together a top-3 result


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