Fruita Monument tied the game in the 70th minute. The second-ranked Durango High School boys soccer team answered with fury.
Max Wilson fed a crossing pass to Elijah Fenton, and the senior captain struck the ball with all his might from 25 yards out. Fenton’s laser found the back of the net to give the Demons a 2-1 lead Tuesday afternoon in Fruita. That score stood up until the final whistle, moving Durango to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League.
“Eli ripped it from 25 yards,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “It took a deflection and went in.”
Logan Fullington scored the Demons’ opening goal in the 25th minute with an assist from Lance Townsend.
Sam Pflug scored the goal for the Fruita Monument Wildcats (1-1, 0-1 SWL) in the 70th minute. He hit a crossing pass into the box, and Durango goalkeeper Bryce Diethrich tried to come out from goal and catch the ball, but it slipped through his hands and went into the back of the net.
“It was a fluke goal,” Parker said. “It wasn’t dangerous. Our defense did a great job.”
Durango played a bit tired at times after a long bus ride. The team will face the same bus trip Thursday morning for a trip to play Grand Junction Central that afternoon.
Parker will give the team Wednesday off to catch up on school work and support the junior varsity team.
Bayfield’s Tilden Berriman scored three times in the game’s final five minutes to beat the Panthers (0-3) on Tuesday in Cortez.
The win was the second in a row for the Wolverines, who are now 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the 3A Intermountain League.
BHS is now only one win away from matching last year’s win total. The Wolverines will play at Ridgway at 11 a.m. Saturday, seeking redemption from a 3-2 double overtime loss to Ridgway last Friday.
Volleyball
VolleyballDown 24-19 in the second set, new Bayfield volleyball coach Danica Frost called a timeout and reminded her team to play its style. The Wolverines responded and won the second set 26-24 en route to a straight sets 3-0 win Tuesday night at rival Alamosa.
Bayfield (1-0, 1-0 3A Intermountain League) defeated the Mean Moose of Alamosa 27-25, 26-24 and 25-15 to take the victory.
“In the first set, I wasn’t too worried,” Frost said. “You still have four sets to work with. In the second set, being down 19-24, that was exciting the way the girls finished to get that win.”
Frost was especially proud of how the team buckled down in the third set to close out a rival in emphatic fashion in the season opener. Alamosa fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the IML with the loss.
“The girls didn’t buckle under pressure. It was a really mature show they put on,” Frost said.
Individual statistics were not immediately available Tuesday night. Frost said Tymbree Florian locked up the libero position and Courtney Bayles was sharp at the setter position. Kills were well spread out between Jade Pascale, Ashley Mottin, Kylee McCoy and Sydney Gabbard.
Frost also highlighted the play of sophomore Mavis Edwards at outside hitter.
BHS will travel to Monument to play in the Lewis-Palmer tournament this weekend.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
