Hunter Killough ran for three touchdowns, the Bayfield High School defense had another shutout, and the Wolverines rolled past Alamosa in the regular season finale Friday in Alamosa.
Bayfield (9-0, 5-0 2A Intermountain League) led 10-0 at halftime and put on a show in the second half to take a 38-0 victory and build more momentum going into the CHSAA Class 2A state playoffs. Bayfield entered the game No. 4 in the CHSAA RPI standings and could move up to No. 3. The Wolverines will learn their fate Sunday and are guaranteed a home game in the opening round, likely against a team from the Western Slope League or Tri-Peaks League.
BHS won a third consecutive IML championship in a league that was tougher than in years past with the rise of Pagosa Springs and two tough squads in Alamosa and Delta.
Alamosa fell to 5-4 overall on the season and finished 2-3 in the IML. The loss likely ended the Mean Moose’s playoff hopes, as they finished fourth in the league behind Pagosa Springs and Delta.
“We knew our playoffs started three weeks ago,” BHS head coach Gary Heide said. “We knew Pagosa, Delta and Alamoa we’re all gonna give us their best shot. We knew they were quality football teams. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys and how they played and for giving us the opportunity they’ve now provided us to have.
“Our league was really strong this year. Delta and Alamosa may miss out here, but they are playoff-type contenders. Best of luck to Pagosa here going into the playoffs.”
Friday night’s game got off to a late start and lasted nearly three hours despite Bayfield running the ball up and down the field.
Killough finished with 105 yards on 14 carries to go with his three TDs. Carl Heide ran the ball 17 times for 104 yards, David Hawkins had 96 rushing yards on 13 carries, and Dylan Hilliker had 71 rushing yards on four carries and added a 23-yard receiving TD from junior quarterback Hayden Farmer, who was 6-of-14 passing for 88 yards, one TD and one interception.
“It’s fantastic having everyone back,” coach Heide said of his stable of runners. “Behind that strong O-line, it’s great. Sometimes it looks like we’re not scoring, but it shows here where we’ve scored a lot the last two games against good defenses.”
Dax Snooks hauled in an interception for Bayfield on Alamosa’s first possession of the second half. The defense was lights out, and Snooks helped save a TD on an Alamosa kickoff return in the second half to preserve the shutout, too. Alamosa’s Chad Jackson returned a kick and looked like he would score, but Snooks pushed him out of bounds at the Bayfield 20. Alamosa faced fourth-and-goal from the Bayfield 9-yard line, and a Cole Wood sack made sure the Moose wouldn’t score.
Killough broke a 15-yard TD run to open the scoring after some big plays by Keyon Prior got BHS in position. Prior ran for 39 yards but eventually left the game, as his turf-toe injury was reaggravated.
Alamosa had a chance to score in the second quarter, but a 41-yard field goal by Katie Gallegos came up short. On the next BHS drive, the Wolverines kicked a field goal of their own, as Chris Mooney was good from 32 yards out for his second made field goal of the year. That gave BHS a 10-0 lead.
Out of haltime, BHS marched down the field and scored on a 3-yard TD run by Killough. Killough added a 6-yard TD run later in the quarter to make it 24-0 after three quarters.
Hilliker added a 37-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. After Wood’s big sack, BHS marched down the field and scored on the Farmer to Hilliker TD pass.
Kirk Malone had another big game for the defense. He issued out big hits repeatedly against the Mean Moose, who changed quarterbacks in the second half. The highlight of the game for Alamosa, aside from Jackson’s kick return, was an interception by Cash Mueller.
BHS has state title aspirations after losing by one point in the semifinals to eventual champion La Junta in 2016. In 2015, the Wolverines claimed their second state title in program history by beating Platte Valley, the likely top seed in this year’s playoffs.
“Being one through four, it will be fine,” coach Heide said of the playoff seeds.
“We won’t play Platte Valley or Kent Denver in the second round and wouldn’t see them until the third round. We have a lot to do before then. Whoever comes here next Saturday is playoff bound and gonna be ready to play good football.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
