The Durango football program has started the last two seasons the same way: with double-digit losses.
This season was worse than last season. Durango started the season on the road on Friday and lost 42-16 at Montrose. The last time Durango lost a game by this much? Sept. 10, 2021, 39-7 at Montrose.
“As a player and a coach, I’ve only won there a couple of times in all the years,” Durango head coach Ryan Woolverton. “It's what I expected. Montrose has been, one of those teams you look up to in 4A. They've been a two-time semifinalist the last two years. If you want to compete at this level, it's a team you look at and you strive to be with as competitive and as physical as they are. With that being said, they were much bigger, as they always are, much more physical and much stronger, period.”
Woolverton said playing a team like Montrose with its size brings the team back to the drawing board in the weight room. Especially since Montrose plays smash-mouth football and grinds down the opponent with a constant running attack of at least 3-4 yards a run.
He also said the kids came out a little nervous and slow. This allowed Montrose to dominate the line of scrimmage early and got out to a multi-touchdown lead after the first quarter.
Durango responded and after Montrose scored 21 points in the first quarter, it scored 21 points for the rest of the game.
Senior Cully Feeney got the start at quarterback for the Demons. He finished his first start 10-18 for 78 yards with a touchdown and a late interception. Feeney also ran the ball 10 times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
Woolverton said Feeney did a good job of taking what the defense gave him with little check-down plays. Montrose was playing a lot of cover-3 defense which didn’t allow for many deep shots down the field. Feeney got better as the game went on and he gained more confidence.
Feeney threw his only touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Seb Tripp for a two-yard score late in the third quarter.
Next up for the Demons is Farmington at home on Friday at 7 p.m. Farmington won’t run as much but Durango will have to put pressure on Farmington’s dual-threat quarterback.
Boys golf goes very low in Montrose
Durango boys golf head coach Kirk Rawles said he hasn’t seen it in his 17 years as the Demons head coach.
On Thursday at Cobble Creek Golf Club, the Durango boys golf team shot -8-under par. The Demons’ top three players shot 208. Senior Owen Muraro had a career day with a -4-under 68. Senior Ben Ogden shot a 70 and sophomore Drew Jepson also shot a 70 for the Demons.
“Everybody was on and did their thing,” Rawles said. “But it was really unique. It was just wonderful for me as a coach to watch it, be a part of it and see it all come to fruition.”
The Demons finished 20 strokes ahead of second-place Gunnison. Fruita Monument finished third with a 238.
Junior Nolan Pace finished with a 72 and junior Wyatt Lafferty finished with a 75. Rawles said his top-five players finished with 28 birdies combined.
On Wednesday, the Demons played at Black Canyon Golf Course in another tournament. Grand Junction, arguably the best team in 4A, was there and won the tournament. Grand Junction finished with a -4-under 209 team score. Montezuma-Cortez finished second with a 218 and Durango was third with a 222.
Jepson was second with a -1-under par 70. Ogden was 10th with a 74 and Muraro was tied 11th with a 75.
“For me, that would have been great to have our kids do what they had done Thursday, and Grand Junction do what they had done the day before and go head-to-head. That didn't get to happen Thursday, but it was great.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
