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No. 6 Durango takes unblemished record into Liberty

Durango High School’s league season set to open on the road in Colorado Springs
Durango’s Lawrence Mayberry raced around the Liberty Lancers in a homecoming win in 2014. Now, as a senior, the running back who averages 108 yards per game will look to do it once more.

The next game after an emotional win can be tough for professional teams and even tougher for a group of teenagers to prepare for.

But, after a short celebration of last week’s thrilling 36-35 last-second win over Montrose, the No. 6 Durango Demons (5-0) got back to work Monday in preparation for Friday’s league opener, a 6 p.m. matchup with Liberty (3-2) in Colorado Springs.

“We were able to enjoy the win, but we got right back at it,” Durango head coach David Vogt said Monday. “We told them ‘It’s not going to get any easier from here on out so just keep that drive,’ and it’s the league opener, so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble getting them up for this game.”

On homecoming last year, Durango hosted the Lancers and came away with a 28-23 victory. The defense had six sacks in that game, but the Demons allowed Liberty to get back in the game after leading 22-3 in the third quarter.

If last year’s defense did a number on the Lancers, it could be a feeding frenzy for this year’s dominant Demons defense that forced seven turnovers against Farmington and stymied what had been an offensive juggernaut Piedra Vista squad.

Though the 35 points Montrose put on the board may be a hefty number, the defense wasn’t responsible for many of those points. The Indians took the opening kickoff all the way back for a touchdown and the defense was put in some tough spots after the offense turned the ball over a couple of times deep in their own territory.

“We need to take care of the ball a little better and not put our defense’s backs against the wall,” Vogt said. “Those guys (on defense) have been so solid for us. I challenged them to win the line of scrimmage last week and they only gave up 37 rushing yards, so they’ll be ready.”

The 37 yards given up is especially impressive considering Montrose was averaging 293 rushing yards per game before the Demons came to town.

Liberty will be itching to get back on its home field Friday night after being on the road the last three weeks. Though they started the season 3-0, the Lancers will open league play on a two-game losing streak in which they were outscored by The Classical Academy and Pueblo County 79-17.

Senior quarterback Hunter Wierenga, younger brother of Fort Lewis College sophomore women’s soccer player Kyleigh Wierenga, is averaging just over 100 passing yards per game. He played against Durango last year, so he’ll want to avenge the loss and the six sacks Durango put on him.

Cole Pelt, a 5-foot-11, 230 pound junior, leads the team in rushing touchdowns and Jake Moore, his counterpart in the Lancers’ talented backfield, leads the team in rushing yards.

“We remember them from last year, so we have a feel what they like to do offensively, defensively and what their coaches like to run,” Vogt said. “We’ve been watching film and they’re pretty solid, so we have to be ready. It should be a fun game.”

Every game has been fun thus far for the undefeated Durango squad. While the aforementioned defense has mistreated every opponent that has lined up across from them, the offense has been lights out, too.

Senior Terrence Trujillo continues to make big plays at the quarterback position and has been very efficient in that spot with a 14/3 touchdown to interception ratio. His go-to-guy in the passing game is fellow senior Lucas Baken. Their 43-yard touchdown hookup last week was the eighth time in five games the duo has burned the opposing secondary.

“We’ve got to keep getting better every day,” Trujillo said during Monday’s practice. “We’ve got to treat every game like we’re playing (two-time defending state champion and top-ranked) Pine Creek so when that time comes, there won’t be any surprises.”

Durango senior running back Lawrence Mayberry’s three-touchdown performance last week wasn’t a surprise to anyone who has followed Demons football the last couple of years. Mayberry is averaging 108 yards per game. He has rushed for five touchdowns and added two as a receiver.

“There’s so many guys that we have out there who can do the job,” Vogt said. “We have the option to attack in a lot of different ways, and we plan on doing that as often as possible.”

jfries@durangoherald.com

If you go

Who: Durango at Liberty

What: High school football

When: 6 p.m. Friday

Where: District 20 Stadium, Colorado Springs

Listen Live: KKDG 99.7 FM

Twitter: @jlivi2/@The7thFreezer

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