When Pagosa Springs beat Alamosa 24-14 last Saturday, it wrapped up a third consecutive 2A Intermountain League football championship for a team not even playing in the game.
That team was Bayfield High School. Thanks to the Pagosa Springs Pirates, the Bayfield Wolverines (8-0, 4-0 IML) won't need to win Friday night in Alamosa to secure the league title.
But wins still matter for the Wolverines when it comes to playoff seeding, and Bayfield will be ready to go for a 7 p.m. Friday kickoff at the home of the Alamosa Mean Moose (5-3, 2-2 IML).
Bayfield is fourth in the CHSAA RPI standings, which determine the playoff seeds. It will be tough for the Wolverines to claw much higher without a loss from No. 1 Platte Valley (8-0), No. 2 Kent Denver (8-0) or No. 3 La Junta (7-1). In the final week of the regular season, there is no room for error.
The BHS defense hasn't budged all season and will face an Alamosa team that relies heavily on rushing touchdowns. Twenty-four of Alamosa's offensive scores this year have come on the ground, with seven coming via pass.
Bayfield's run game hasn't slowed a bit this season, but the passing game has sputtered in recent weeks. With the return of David Hawkins and Keyon Prior to the backfield after mid-season injuries, the Wolverines have plenty of options to hand the ball off to. Carl Heide has 647 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and Hunter Killough has been running strong in place of Hawkins with 401 yards and five touchdowns. Even with missing the better part of five games, Hawkins has 314 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore sensation Dylan Hilliker also has 285 yards and four touchdowns, and the Wolverines have totaled 1,946 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns as a team this season.
Even with the passing game out of rhythm, junior quarterback Hayden Farmer has thrown for Bayfield single-season records of 1,391 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. Dax Snooks has been on the receiving end of 10 of those touchdown throws and is one away from matching Brian Mashak's record of 11 set last season. Killough also has four receiving touchdowns this season.
Defensively, Bayfield's Ryan Phelps continues to lead the state in sacks with 14. Cole Wood has another nine for the Wolverines, and Wyatt Killinen has seven to help BHS to a total of 37 sacks this season.
Killough leads BHS with 88 tackles, Wood is second with 81 and Kirk Malone is third with 71.
The Bayfield defense has also forced a lot of turnovers, including 20 interceptions. Heide and Killough each have five to lead the way.
Bayfield has a chance to add to those stats but will surely look to build an early lead to rest its key players before next week's playoffs.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
Bayfield at Alamosa
What:
2A Intermountain League football
When:
7 p.m. Friday
Where:
Alamosa High School
Listen Live:
KLJH 107.1 FM
Twitter:
@jlivi2
