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Demons dethrone the Lions in Alamosa

Durango wins its football opener 33-7

Durango had only one first down in the first quarter, but two turnovers forced by the defense sparked the Demons.

Durango High School started slow, going down 7-0 to Class 3A No. 10 Lutheran in the season opener Friday night at the neutral-site Rex Field on the campus of Adams State University in Alamosa.

But big second and third quarters from the Demons helped put the game out of hand before the fourth quarter even began. The Demons needed only three plays to score three consecutive touchdowns late in the first half and into the third quarter, including two long touchdown runs from senior running back Lawrence Mayberry that totaled 114 yards and put Durango up 33-7 after three quarters.

“It’s huge. We were preaching all week we needed to start the season with momentum. This win will push us forward,” DHS head coach David Vogt said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald.

Durango wouldn’t back down, going on to win the season opener 33-7. The win snapped Lutheran’s 14-game regular-season winning streak.

The Demons turned the first half around with an 89-yard touchdown drive that began with a big third-down scramble from senior quarterback Terrence Trujillo to extend the drive past the opening set of downs.

Gavin Mestas went on to turn a short pass from Trujillo into a big gain, losing a defender on the Lutheran 30-yard line and scampering down to the 11. A few plays later, Trujillo found a wide-open Mestas for a 13-yard touchdown, and a Nick Jernigan extra point tied the game at 7.

The Demons then turned a pair of Lutheran turnovers into 12 points to end the first half.

A Mayberry interception set the Demons up at midfield on the first scoring drive.

The Demons had a touchdown pass called back on a holding penalty, but, on fourth-and-23, Trujillo found Lucas Baken for a 32-yard touchdown pass to put Durango up 12-7.

On Lutheran’s next drive, the Demons forced a fumble and took over on the Lutheran 31 with only 1 minute, 9 seconds to go in the first half. The Demons needed only seconds to score, as Baken hauled in a short pass from Trujillo and took it to the end zone to give the Demons a 19-7 lead after a failed 2-point conversion.

Lutheran’s touchdown came on the Lions’ opening drive of the game. Fullback Nathan Holdridge rumbled 38 yards for a score to cap off a short 2-play, 46-yard drive. After that, Durango’s players buckled down to control the game.

“They stepped it up big time after that first series,” Vogt said. “We figured out exactly what (Lutheran) was doing, and the kids executed.”

The Demons ran only two offensive plays in the third quarter, and it was good for two touchdowns. With the defense flying to the ball and forcing a pair of turnover on downs by Lutheran, Mayberry broke two touchdown runs of 68 and 46 yards, giving the Demons their 33-7 lead.

“Lawrence was a little frustrated, but I kept telling him it would happen and to stick with it. He did, and he popped those big runs,” Vogt said.

The defense continued to stand strong, with Laitham Johnson coming up with mutltiple big plays and a sack in the fourth quarter. Kyle Duran also had a big sack.

The fourth quarter was mostly uneventful, with Trujillo sitting out after limping off the field after making a play on defense. He returned to knee out the clock and preserve the win.

Trujillo finished 8-of-15 passing for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Mayberry ran 10 times for 121 yards and the two scores. Baken finished with 89 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions.

Johnson led the defense with 11 tackles.

Durango will play its home opener at 7 p.m. Friday against Aztec. The Tigers lost their opener Friday night 48-28 at rival Bloomfield, New Mexico. The Tigers struggled to stop Bloomfield’s running game.

jlivingston@durangoherald.com

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