Though the 4-1 final of Durango High School’s boys soccer game against Grand Junction Central was lopsided, it doesn’t represent how dominant the Demons were Saturday morning.
The Demons (9-3-1, 4-1-1 Class 4A/5A Southwestern League) outshot the opponents 26-4, outworked the Warriors (3-10, 0-6 SWL) from the opening whistle and dominated a game that would have been a mercy rule with plenty of time to spare if not for a memorable performance by Grand Junction Central goalkeeper Jose Enriques-Avila.
Enriques-Avila recorded 21 saves, many of which had the Saturday morning crowd and both benches shaking their heads in awe. Though he was the best player on his team, he couldn’t stop the well-oiled machine that has become the Durango offensive attack.
In a matchup where the Demons’ effort and intensity overwhelmed the opponents, Luke Stetler led the way with two goals, Elijah Fenton had one and Camden Garland added another to lead the Demons to their third consecutive win.
“We’ve been working so hard and we take pride in our work ethic,” said Stetler, son of Anne and Mark Stetler. “If we’re hustling more than the other guys are and working harder than they are, we’re going to win a lot of games.”
The first two goals for Durango were beautiful demonstrations of soccer skill.
At the 10-minute mark, after a series of near misses, Fenton took matters into his own hands by dribbling through the entire Warriors defense before sending a blast into the net to give Durango a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes later, Stetler undressed the defense with his own nifty moves and slipped one through Enriques-Avila to make it 2-0.
Camden Garland’s put-in off a rebound extend the lead to three in the 23rd minute.
The only shot that got through Durango goalkeeper Trey Furnas was a penalty kick from Warriors’ captain Eddie Cardenas that found a hole through Furnas and put a hole in the net.
Aside from that, it was another clean game for the Demons.
Early in the second half, Stetler out-muscled and out-hustled the entire Warriors back line before burying his second of the game and putting the game out of reach.
“We’re rewarding kids who work hard and you’re seeing that out on the field,” Durango head coach Dalon Parker said.
The hard work is going to have to continue as the Demons’ next matchup is one they’ve been waiting a month for.
Western Slope rival Montrose will head to town homecoming weekend, and the Demons will look to avenge a 3-0 loss the Indians handed to them Sept. 18 in Montrose. Durango hasn’t lost a game since, and the Demons are champing at the bit for another shot.
“We feel like the game there was a fluke and we psyched ourselves out,” Parker said. “We feel like we’re getting better every day and we’re ready for them. Us and Montrose are at the top of the league, and if we take care of business and give them a loss, we’ll be where we want to be.”
The matchup against Montrose is at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Riverview Sports Complex. If the Demons win out and beat the Indians by more than three goals, DHS will win the league title once more.
jfries@durangoherald.com
