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Wrapped up by Hotchkiss

Ignacio shut out during home opener

IGNACIO

Wade Katzdorn left an impression Friday in Ignacio.

The Hotchkiss junior running back ran around, over and through the Bobcats’ defense in a 43-0 win in the Bobcats’ first football game of the season.

He tallied 32 carries for 235 yards and three touchdowns in his 3½ quarters of playing time, shouldering the load for a Bulldogs running attack that finished with 265 yards total.

“They were really coming upfield on us, so it was hard to get our rollouts going. We said ‘let’s run it until they stop it,’” Hotchkiss head coach Mike Sirko said. “The kids did a nice job up front.”

Hotchkiss fullback Devan Curtis carried most of the rest of the load with 41 yards and a one-yard plunge into the end zone on fourth and one to start the fourth quarter and put Hotchkiss up 36-0.

Hotchkiss (1-0) needed to rely on its running game after quarterback Colton DeLuzio completed 3-of-6 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Backup Hotckiss running back Colton Peebles returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown with 1 minute, 3 seconds left to put the Bulldogs up 43-0 and start the running clock to end the game.

The Bobcats sacked DeLuzio once to end the first half.

IHS, playing its first game under new head coach Alfonso “Ponch” Garcia, kept the Bulldogs within striking distance through two quarters.

The Bobcats only trailed 16-0 at halftime and 7-0 after one quarter.

They forced three fumbles, two of them in the first half.

“Great first half. It’s just the little things, being young, it shows,” Garcia said. “We’re teaching the kids not to give up. Hopefully we can build.”

IHS sophomore Marcus Chapman blocked an extra point to start the fourth quarter.

Ignacio’s offense just couldn’t find traction in the veer offense.

Hotchkiss held IHS to negative 17 yards rushing.

“They’re big inside. They had all eight guys in the box, and we’re too small to try to run with them,” Garcia said.

IHS quarterback Zach Weinreich found some success over the top in the passing game, completing 6-of-15 for 64 yards with one interception.

Timmy Plehinger caught three balls for 23 yards, and Dalton LaBarthe grabbed three passes for 44 yards.

“We like to throw the ball, but we want to try to run,” said LaBarthe, son of Brenda and Brett LaBarthe. “Zach’s a good quarterback.”

The Bobcats fumbled once in the first half, and Weinreich was intercepted once in the second half.

IHS junior lineman Mike Cruz was injured with 8:18 left.

He was on the field for several minutes before paramedics loaded him onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.

IHS athletic director Rocky Cundiff said Cruz had feeling in his hands and feet when he was carried off, but they didn’t know what the specific injury was.

IHS (0-1) will have a bye next week before facing two-time defending Class 1A state champion Paonia at 7 p.m. Sept. 11.

The Eagles have won 23 consecutive games.

“We need to keep pushing into the kids that it’s going to be OK. They need some self esteem,” Garcia said. “It’s been great being part of this system. We started with kids with very little knowledge, and now it’s time to understand what we’re doing.”

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com

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