Both Bayfield and Durango look to rectify last year’s first-round losses this week as the boys soccer state playoffs begin.
Durango was upset in the first round last season. The Demons were the No. 1 seed in the 4A state playoff bracket after going undefeated in the regular season. However, 32nd-seeded Coronado beat Durango 1-0.
Bayfield was a No. 28 seed last season and fell to fifth-seeded Roaring Fork, 5-2.
This year, Durango has earned an eight-seed after finishing the regular season with a 12-2-1 record and a 4A Southwestern League title. The Demons will host 25th-seeded Lewis-Palmer on Thursday at 6 p.m.
“Honestly, we’re trying to maintain the mindset that the seed who we’re playing what the matchup is important, but it shouldn't change the way we approach the game at all,” Demons coach Danny Suits said.
Durango finished its regular season by winning its last three matches. The Demons beat Fruita Monument 2-0, Montrose 2-0 and Grand Junction Central 5-0.
“It was honestly a really great team effort,” Suits said of those three matches. “Teryk Weber has been a critical aspect of our offensive success. His industriousness in the midfield, his work rate, how much ground he covers and his energy levels give no reprieve to the defense. And then we have guys like Dylan Burns and Sam Persing who are just incredibly fast and really tough for defenses to deal with, especially with Teryk running in between them.”
Suits said Lucas Foster and Duncan Madrigal have been critical for the Demons’ defense.
Foster and Madrigal have been the center-backs for almost every minute of the season, including the last four contests, in which the Demons’ didn’t allow a goal.
Foster has stepped up as a leader, communicating with the midfield and holding the whole backline accountable, according to Suits.
Bayfield is once again an underdog in the state playoffs, despite winning the 3A Southwest league championship and finishing the regular season at 9-4-1. Bayfield is a No. 30 seed and will face third-seeded Peak to Peak on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“We're really confident,” Wolverines coach Chris Zoltowski said. “Last year, you know, we got to go to the playoffs, go to Roaring Fork, kind of get a feel of it and explore unchartered territory. The whole talk last year was Roaring Fork and this year, the boys they're all about themselves. They got their minds right now and they're ready to go. They're excited, they're confident.”
Bayfield struggled with injuries midseason and lost a few matches during that time frame, which dropped their seeding, according to Zoltowski. Between Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, Bayfield went 1-4-1.
The Wolverines finished their regular season winning three straight, beating Alamosa (4-1), Montezuma-Cortez (3-0) and Pagosa Springs (4-0).
However, Bayfield will be without star forward Asher Madonna, who suffered a knee injury against Pagosa Springs. Zoltowski expects Max Baxter and Zach Hufnagel to both get opportunities playing alongside Wyatt Larson.
Zoltowski hopes these new combinations on the offense end can continue to find gaps in opposing defenses and spark a huge upset against Peak-to-Peak.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
