Playing a top-10 team in Class 5A to open the season was an eye-opener for the Durango High School girls soccer team.
Cherokee Trail of Aurora scored three times in the first half and secured a 4-0 win against the Demons.
“We saw where we need to go and what we need to do to improve,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “We saw some positive things from some individuals at positions we weren’t really sure about, so that was something we took away from today. We’re heading in the right direction.”
DHS will play two games Saturday to wrap up the Air Academy tournament. Action will begin at 8 a.m. in Colorado Springs.
High School Baseball
High School BaseballThe seventh inning cost the Demons two games in two days.
Opening the season at the Farmington Invitational at Ricketts Park in Farmington, the Durango High School baseball team was on the wrong end of a 3-2 game of the second time in as many contests. It was Belen, New Mexico, that beat the Demons Thursday in the bottom of the seventh inning. Friday, it was Littleton that scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off win.
“Pretty similar circumstance,” DHS head coach Eric Baker said. “I don’t know if it’s nerves or what, but we are just not able to close it out right now.”
Peyton Woolverton pitched five strong innings, and Gavin Mestas finished the final two.
Durango will use a committee of arms at 9 a.m. Saturday in its final game of the tournament against Southwestern League foe Montrose.
“They’ll be scrappy and tough,” Baker said.
Boys High School Lacrosse
Boys High School LacrosseKyle Robinette scored a career-high nine goals and added one assist, as the Demons ran past Timpview of Provo, Utah.
The Durango High School boys lacrosse team took more than 8 minutes to score their first goal Friday after scoring in only 15 seconds of a 24-1 win Thursday against Santa Fe Prep.
DHS (2-0) led 5-2 after one quarter and 10-3 at halftime. The lead was cut to 10-4, as DHS played two-men down because of penalties. After that, Durango scored 10 unanswered goals to secure the win. It was a bit of revenge after Durango surrendered a two-goal lead to Timpview on the road last year before falling in overtime.
“The game was a lot closer than the score indicated,” DHS head coach John Robinette said. “We kept telling the guys it was never over.”
Easton Verduzco again was a force in faceoffs, as he won 17-of-18. He also picked up seven ground balls and had one assist.
TJ Rifkin poured in three goals and had three assists for one of the best games of his career. Cullen Robinette added three goals and five assists.
Seven of Kyle Robinette’s goals came in the first half. Tommy Rodgers finished with three goals and two assists, and sophomore Harrison Kairalla and senior Collin Barkely also added goals.
Coach Robinette was most impressed with the play of the team’s defense, as brothers Connor and Dillon Coleman teamed up with Connor Collins to enforce their side of the field. Goalie Dylan Gaver had eight assists.
DHS will play Telluride at 4 p.m. Tuesday at home.
Girls High School Lacrosse
Girls High School LacrosseFacing the No. 6 team in the preseason Class 4A poll, the Durango Demons were up against a formidable foe Friday.
The Durango girls lacrosse team lost its season opener 20-0 at Air Academy.
“We have probably 10 girls who have never played a game before,” DHS head coach Jeff Einfalt said. “Coming and playing a top-end team, it was eye-opening. The girls never broke and kept their wits. In the end, we were attacking their cage and made them play some defense.”
Durango will face Liberty at 11 a.m. Saturday in Colorado Springs.
“They’ll get a better game from us,” Einfalt said. “We will take what we learned tonight and bring it to Saturday.
“We will be one of those top-end teams. We’ll get there through our drills and practice.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
