After winning its first home playoff game in 15 years, No. 5 Durango is off to play a team that resembles itself. When two teams are as evenly matched as No. 13 Loveland and the Demons, an exciting, tightly-played contest is a likely outcome.

In Saturday’s second round Colorado High School Athletics Association’s Class 4A State Football Playoffs matchup, the Demons (10-1) and the Indians (6-5) are mirror images on paper. The meeting sets up to be as thrilling as the memorable 24-21 contest Durango won against Loveland in the 1988 playoffs.

This time around, the similarities are plenty. Both teams have talented dual-threat quarterbacks and offenses that like to run the ball. Meanwhile, both squads boast crippling defenses that made the difference in their first-round wins.

“They’re a lot like us,” Durango head coach David Vogt said after the team’s first round 21-6 win against Aurora Central. “They like to run, and so do we. They play good defense, and so do we. It’ll be a good matchup, and whoever executes what they do better will come out on top.”

For Loveland, the offense revolves around senior quarterback Ayden Eberhardt, who has thrown 13 touchdown passes in the Indians’ eleven games to go along with 10 rushing scores. The senior has rushed for 1,030 yards and passed for 1,336.

Last week, in a 30-14 upset win on the road against No. 4 Vista Ridge, Eberhardt ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His 7-for-13 passing effort for 109 yards wasn’t eye-popping, but it was efficient and mistake-free with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Eberhardt’s right-hand man is senior running back Charles Dunkelman, who has racked up 943 yards and 13 touchdowns as the lead rusher out of the Indians’ backfield. In last week’s first round win, Dunkelman rushed 20 times for 69 yards.

Durango has a weapon in the its rushing attack that can run around or over would-be defenders. Senior Lawrence Mayberry has carried the load this season for the Demons’ offense. Running behind an offensive line that has been a wall of power and strength, Mayberry has compiled 1,374 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns but was held in check for the most part in last week’s 21-6 win. He finished with 46 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

While both teams are effective with the run, the Demons have an advantage through the air. Durango quarterback Terrence Trujillo has thrown for 1,744 yards this season with a 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions. The senior also has seven scores on the ground.

Trujillo’s favorite target is senior wide receiver Lucas Baken, whose 14 touchdowns lead the Demons receivers, but he’s not the only weapon in that group.

Baken was held without a catch last week against a tough Aurora Central defense, but other receivers in red came to the forefront.

A 56-yard touchdown catch by senior Kyle Duran gave the Demons a 21-6 fourth quarter lead that iced the game last week. Sophomore Gavin Mastas had some beautiful catches in the first round win, and he’s dangerous no matter where he is on the field.

Mestas does a bit of everything for the Demons. The slippery sophomore returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the regular season finale against Rampart. He’s racked up more than 150 punt return yards in the last two games, he’s a versatile weapon on offense at the wide receiver position and he’s also the punter.

Mestas is also an important cog in a Durango secondary that intercepted Aurora Central four times in Saturday’s win.

Durango’s defense has forced 32 turnovers and averages slightly more than two sacks per game. Last week, it was the Demons’ secondary that led the charge as James Brennan had two interceptions, including a pick on Aurora Central’s opening drive that set the tone for the afternoon.

Mestas and Dawson Marcum each had an interception, and the front line of Diego Arias, Max Hyson, Laitham Johnson, Jack Madden, Sterling Worley and company wore out and beat up the first round opponents.

Loveland’s defense has forced 17 turnovers, much less than Durango, but the Indians’ exotic blitz packages can cause serious problems for opposing offenses. In last week’s win, Loveland bottled up one of the state’s premiere passers in Vista Ridge’s Elway Tubbs and shutout the Wolves’ offense through three quarters.

Tubbs and Vista Ridge could only manage 64 yards in the first half against the tough Indians’ defense. The heavy blitzing by the Loveland defense led to 14 tackles for a loss.

“It’s just going to be another knockdown, drag-out game and that’s what we like,” Vogt added.

jfries@durangoherald.com

If you go...

Who: No. 5 Durango (10-1) at No. 13 Loveland (6-5)

What: CHSAA Class 4A State Football Playoffs, quarterfinals

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Ray Patterson Field, Loveland

Listen Live: KDGO 1240 AM, 98.3 FM

Twitter: @The7thFreezer