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Lines push YAFL teams into playoffs

The end of the regular season arrived Saturday for the local Young America Football League teams, but the season is only just beginning.

A march to the YAFL Super Bowl games will begin this week for four Durango teams, including the No. 1 seeded fifth-grade team.

The fifth-graders wrapped up the season with a 42-7 win against the Farmington Oilers. Beau Brunson once again found the end zone on the opening kickoff return. Brady Hansen scored his first touchdown of the season, and Andreas Garcia blocked a punt to help spark the team.

After losing the first week of the season, the fifth-graders will enter the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak. Durango will face the Farmington Badcats at 9 a.m. Saturday in Bayfield in the first round of the playoffs.

The sixth-graders also recorded a lopsided win, a 37-0 result in what head coach Bubba Matava deemed an unofficial start to the playoffs for his team.

With the solid blocking of linemen Travis Barkley, Xavier Chavez, Lincoln Clay, William Knight, Hunter Stahl and Marcos Stevens, the Demons’ four-headed rushing attack of Wil Hadrick, Cole Matava, Jordan Stanley and Emmet Thompson piled up a combined 252 yards on 32 carries. Thompson scored four touchdowns – three on the ground and one reception on a pass from Stanley – while Hadrick and Matava each scored once.

Defensively, the sixth-graders were led by Cass Maloney, who had a fumble recovery and an interception. Nate Messier and Hadrick also were tough defensively. The sixth-graders will enter the playoffs 6-2 and earned the fifth-seed. They will take on Bayfield at 11 a.m. Saturday in Farmington.

The fourth-grade Demons needed a win Saturday to make the playoffs, and the team delivered in a big way with a 25-7 win against the Farmington Sting to finish 4-4. That win gave the team the sixth-seed in the playoffs.

Brett Hamer had three rushing touchdowns, and Zac Unruh was on the receiving end of a touchdown pass from Tyler Harms thanks largely to the skilled play of the team’s offensive line.

Clay Braida’s interception helped the team hold Farmington to only seven points. The strong defensive play has been a theme for the team all season.

The fourth-graders will face the Farmington Force at 3 p.m. Saturday in Aztec.

Durango’s third-graders wrapped up a 7-1 regular season with a 26-0 win against Bloomfield. Braxton Waddell led the way with two rushing touchdowns, while Cole Pontine led the team in yards with 90. Linkin Griego had another 40 yards and one touchdown.

Head coach DJ Griego credited offensive linemen Owen Arias, Micah Brown, Jackson Dreyfus, Connor Jones, Nick Lee, Elija Oyler, Bryson Quimby and Damian Wiebe for making huge holes for the running backs.

Defensively, Otto Aaland collected seven tackles.

The third-grade squad will begin the playoffs against seventh-seeded Bloomfield at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bayfield.

The season came to an end for the 3-3 second-grade team with a 20-0 win against Bayfield. Offensively, Braeden Brown, Tres Esquibel and Antonio Martinez each had one touchdown. Lance Baker led the team with 60 total yards. Baker, Martinez and Cooper Mitchell each made five tackles on defense, as the team collected five sacks and two fumble recoveries.

heraldsports@durangoherald.com



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