Two weeks on the road didn’t faze the Bayfield High School football team, and now the Wolverines return home ready for a rivalry against U.S. Highway 160 foe Pagosa Springs.
Led by a four-touchdown game from senior Hunter Killough and another three touchdown passes from junior quarterback Hayden Farmer, the Wolverines rolled past Montezuma-Cortez 56-12 last Saturday. Now, the Pirates are set to bring a strong 4-2 record, including a 2-0 start in the 2A Intermountain League, to Wolverine Country Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday for a key league game against Bayfield.
The Pirates stunned Delta on the road 26-7 in their league opener. A 56-7 win at home last week against Gunnison sent the Pirates into a tie with the Wolverines atop the IML standings with Alamosa and Delta each now 1-1. The winner of Friday night’s game will control its league championship destiny the final two weeks of the season.
Farmer now has 20 TD passes this season and ranks fourth in the state in the category. Dax Snooks has hauled in nine of those TD passes, and he is in a four-way tie for third in the state.
Defensively, Bayfield senior Ryan Phelps leads the state with 11 sacks. Cole Wood is 16th with another seven sacks, as the Wolverines team has racked up 28 sacks of opposing quarterbacks and countless more hits and hurries.
The Wolverines defense will be in pursuit of Isaiah Griego, the Pirates’ senior QB who Phelps knows well from basketball season.
With Archuleta County fans eager to cheer on the Pirates and the usual strong Bayfield contingent in the stands, the players can expect a big-game environment. The Wolverines are used to that this year after hosting Durango and coming away with a 20-13 win.
Last year, Bayfield won 41-7 at Pagosa.
BHS will enter the game ranked fifth in the all-important CHSAA Class 2A RPI rankings, which determine playoff seeding. But the Wolverines are ranked second in the 2A coaches poll. As always, winning and winning big will be important for the Wolverines’ hopes of earning a top-two seed for the postseason. Meanwhile, competing tough against Bayfield could help the Pirates’ postseason aspirations.
What: 3A South Central League football
When: 5 p.m. Friday
Where: Harrison High School, Colorado Springs
Listen Live: KKDG 99.7 FM
Twitter: @karltschneider
More info: Durango enters the contest with a three-game losing streak, with all three losses coming on the road.
The Demons (3-3, 0-1 South Central League) have a chance to stop the skid in their fourth consecutive road game, this time versus Sierra High School in Colorado Springs.
Durango lost last week to Pueblo East 38-16 in Pueblo. After falling behind 28-14 at halftime, Durango had freshman Jordan Woolverton play the entire second half at quarterback, which moved starter Max Hyson to running back – the position he played all last season.
The Stallions (1-5, 0-1 SCL) have struggled to move the ball this season. They’ve completed only 31.9 percent of its passes, and in their five losses they’ve averaged 131.8 yards of offense per game without cracking 200 yards in any loss.
Durango hosted Sierra last season and came away with a 46-0 victory.
What: 1A Southern Peaks League football
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Centauri High School, La Jara
More info: Fresh off an upset win against Dolores on the Bears’ homecoming night, the Ignacio Bobcats (2-4, 1-1 SPL) will hit the road to face undefeated Centauri (6-0, 1-0 SPL), the second-ranked team in the CHSAA RPI standings and third in the CHSAA coaches poll.
Ignacio will have to slow down a Falcons offense the has averaged 204.8 rushing yards per game. Sophomore Taj Cornum accounts for 86.8 yards per game on the ground and has scored a team-high nine touchdowns. Senior Brandon Buhr also is a threat with 403 yards and four touchdowns this season and another four interceptions and a fumble recovery on the defensive side of the ball.
Ignacio’s line will have to do a good job protecting quarterback Isaiah Jacket if the Bobcats hope to score. The Falcons have 22½ sacks this season, with senior Brian Shawcroft leading the way with 7½. Centauri has allowed an average of only 6.5 points per game this season.
Last season, the Bobcats played the Falcons tough but came away with a 20-0 loss.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who: Pagosa Springs at Bayfield
What: 2A Intermountain League League football
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Wolverine Country Stadium, Bayfield
Listen: KLJH 107.1 FM
Twitter: @jlivi2
