It has been more than a month since Durango High School hosted a football game, so it’s fitting this Friday’s matchup against No. 7 Palmer Ridge is homecoming.
Last week, No. 6 Durango (6-0, 1-0 Class 4A Pikes Peak League) went to Colorado Springs and disrupted the celebration of Liberty’s homecoming with a 49-17 beating. Senior running back Lawrence Mayberry had three touchdowns to lead the way for the undefeated Demons, and senior quarterback Terrence Trujillo threw two touchdowns and ran for one.
This week, it’s Durango’s turn to host homecoming night.
The Demons will look to repay Palmer Ridge (5-1, 1-0 PPL) for what happened in last year’s matchup, a 45-2 Bears win in Monument that will be remembered mostly for the foggy weather conditions.
“There was something weird in the air, and we didn’t play how we normally play in that game,” Durango head coach David Vogt said Thursday in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We can’t make excuses; they took it to us last year, and I’ve been reminding the guys all week and showing them the final score of last year’s game.
“There are a lot of distractions with homecoming going on, but we’re making sure the guys have their heads in the right place, and we’re just excited to be back at home, playing on grass and in front of our fans.”
Palmer Ridge is coming to town after a 45-21 win last Friday against Rampart in which senior quarterback Isaiah Sanders threw for 301 yards, four touchdowns and rushed for 71 yards.
Sanders is a player the Demons need to contain if they want to keep the six-game winning streak alive. The Bears’ quarterback threw for two touchdowns in the last meeting, and he has been very efficient this season with 18 touchdown passes against only two interceptions.
Palmer Ridge running back Collin Ambrose was also a force in last year’s game. He ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns in the previous meeting and has already amassed 503 yards and five touchdowns on the ground this season.
“Their quarterback is really slippery, and he can run the ball just as well as he can throw it,” Vogt said. “He reminds me of Terrence (Trujillo) and, actually, their whole team is a lot like ours with a good running back and a tough defense. It’ll be a great matchup.”
The Demons have plenty of weapons of their own and a defense that has made life difficult for opponents all season. In six games, the Durango defense has forced 19 turnovers and wrapped up opposing quarterbacks for 15 sacks.
The work of Collin Barkley, Richard Hall, Laitham Johnson, Jack Madden and Sterling Worley up front has overpowered the opponents on both sides of the ball. The group has owned the line of scrimmage time and time again.
“Those guys deserve most of the credit,” Vogt said. “They’ve dominated up front and opened holes up on offense. The same guys are going out on defense and making plays there, too.”
With a physical line in front of him, Mayberry has taken advantage. His three touchdowns at Liberty gives him six in the last two weeks. The senior has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in each of the six games this season, and he keeps getting stronger as the season goes on. His total of 194 yards on the ground last week against Liberty was tops for his season thus far. He also leads the defense in interceptions with three and is second on the team with three sacks.
The Trujillo to Lucas Baken connection wasted no time getting together again last Friday. Baken’s ninth receiving touchdown this season came on the Demon offense’s first drive of the game. He’s caught a touchdown pass in every game this season and his 28 receptions for 477 yards leads the team in both categories.
While next week’s opponent, No. 1 and two-time defending state champion Pine Creek, has been the one circled on the schedule all season, Durango can’t afford to take this Palmer Ridge squad lightly.
“All season long our measuring stick has been Pine Creek,” Vogt said. “We’re not taking it one game at a time, we’re taking it one play at a time, and if we keep playing Durango-style football we’ll have great success.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who: Palmer Ridge at Durango
What: High school football
When: 6 p.m. today
Where: Durango High School
Listen Live: KKDG 99.7 FM
Twitter: @The7thFreezer
