Fifteen seconds was all Kyle Robinette and the Durango Demons needed Thursday.
Durango High School opened the boys lacrosse season in dominant fashion with a 22-1 home win against the Santa Fe Prep Griffins. Robinette scored the first goal of the game and the season only 15 seconds into the first quarter, and he scored five in the opening 12 minutes before taking a breather in the second quarter.
“Best way to start the season,” Robinette said.
The Demons didn’t let the Griffins breath in the first quarter, as they built a 13-0 lead. Robinette scored the team’s first three goals and had five in the first 5:33 of play.
After Robinette was assisted by Tommy Rodgers on his fifth goal, he returned the favor to Rodgers only moments later. Rodgers then went on a tear of his own with three goals in a little more than three minutes.
“I feel like our team has really good team chemistry this year,” Rodgers said. “Everyone put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it’s showing in our play. Hoping we can keep it up.”
Durango played mostly reserves in the second quarter and still carried a 15-0 lead into the break. After a Santa Fe Prep goal early in the third quarter, the Demons again came alive. TJ Rifkin fired in a goal, and Robinette scored his sixth of the game for lacrosse’s “sock trick.” He finished with seven goals and four assists.
Jackson Steigelman, one of the Demons’ 10 seniors, scored four goals. Rodgers, a junior, finished with three goals and four assists.
The Demons won all but two faceoffs, with Easton Verduzco winning 15-of-16.
“Any time you can start off the season with a convincing victory, it’s good,” said DHS head coach John Robinette. “With Santa Fe, you never know what you’re gonna get. A couple years ago it was a five or six goal game. We came in with the mindset it would be a barn burner. To come in and pump in a goal in 15 seconds and 13 in the first quarter, we took the foot off the gas after that.”
The schedule will only get tougher after Thursday’s lopsided win. Timpview of Provo, Utah, will visit at 7 p.m. Friday. Timpview went 7-7-1 a year ago. The Demons also will host Telluride in its first league game of the year at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the guys get tested,” coach Robinette said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
