BAYFIELD – Home for the first time in 2016 and playing Aztec for the first time since 2009, the defending state champion Wolverines played like they had something to prove. Prove it they did.
The Bayfield High School football team stormed out to a 20-0 lead before claiming a 34-21 win against the Aztec Tigers of New Mexico on Friday night at Wolverine Country Stadium in Bayfield.
“It’s great to get our first win at home,” said BHS sophomore running back David Hawkins, son of Cindy and Frank Hawkins. “We got a big win last week, and we carried that mojo over to our first home game.”
Behind a defensive line that smothered Aztec quarterback Cody Smith and an offensive line that paved the way to 214 yards and two rushing touchdowns, the Colorado Class 2A Wolverines (2-1) looked every bit the equal of Class 5A Aztec (1-2).
Bayfield fans got the redemption they were hoping for after being beat a combined 102-30 during a home-and-home series in 2008 and 2009.
The Wolverines got extra motivation in the form of an Aztec sign. The Tigers ran on the field with a banner that read “Your town, our field.” After the game, the Wolverines gathered and let out a yell of “our field.”
“That fired us up for sure,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins once again led the charge with 133 rushing yards and one touchdown on 30 carries. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore was stuffed on his first two carries but then started to impose his will against a tough Aztec defensive front.
The Wolverines scored on their first two drives. The opening score was a 42-yard strike deep down field from Josh Westbrook to Brian Mashak, who spun with a defender on him into the end zone. The score ended an impressive eight-play, 93-yard drive.
Mashak also helped set up the second score with a big 17-yard reception on a long fourth down. Three plays later, Hawkins rumbled across the goal line to give Bayfield a 13-0 lead with 3 seconds to go in the first quarter. That drive was set up by a Carl Heide interception for Bayfield. The Tigers attempted a halfback pass with Zach Taylor, who was hit hard in the backfield before releasing an ill-advised pass. “That was big for momentum,” BHS head coach Gary Heide said of his son’s interception. “Then it was good to get the passing game going. We missed a few of those Week 1 and our confidence dwindled in it, but you saw the confidence grow after making those plays.”
Halfway into the second quarter, Keyon Prior capped off another scoring drive with a nine-yard touchdown run for the Wolverines. Aztec didn’t get much offense going until the final minute of the first half, when Smith hit Justin Black on a 46-yard touchdown.
But Bayfield came out of halftime and marched 61 yards on nine plays, ending with a 12-yard touchdown from Westbrook to tight end Ryan Phelps. That score gave BHS a 27-7 lead.
Aztec again scored in the final second of the third quarter on another long pass. Smith found Sebastian McNeal in the end zone, who tapped his toes for the score. That cut the Wolverines’ lead to 27-14. Bayfield had a chance to get Aztec (1-2) off the field on fourth-and-10 at midfield, but Smith found McNeal for a 14-yarder again to extend the drive.
But, once again, the Wolverines responded with a long drive. An 80-yard scoring drive was capped off by a touchdown pass from Westbrook to Carl Heide for Westbrook’s third touchdown of the night. Westbrook finished 6-of-9 passing for 126 yards.
“It was so good to get that going,” Hawkins said of the passing game. “We worked on our power game hoping to set up those passes, and it all came together.”
A relentless pass rush helped the Wolverines finish the game, as Smith was hurried four consecutive times and sacked once on Aztec’s next drive before a turnover on downs. He responded with a late touchdown pass to Brandon Trennepohi to cut the Bayfield lead to 34-21 with 1:25 to play. Smith finished the night 19-for-37 for 293 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked four times and hurried countless others. Aztec ran only five times for 17 yards.
Penalties were a problem for Bayfield all night, as the Wolverines were flagged 14 times for 115 yards. Four of those were personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Aztec head coach Matt Steinfeldt, who was also whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, said he had no comment on the game on the field or the officiating, clearly upset after the game.
Bayfield (2-1) will have a bye next week, giving the Wolverines extra time to prepare for a road contest at Durango. It will be the first meeting of the two varsity programs since 1936. It also will be homecoming for the Demons.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
