Two new opponents have emerged for Week 4 high school football matchups for Bayfield and Durango.
Durango High School will finally get a home game this week. It won’t come against either of the opponents DHS had spent time preparing to play in either of its previously scheduled home openers. Pueblo Centennial (0-3) informed the Demons (2-0) on Sunday night that it would not make the trip to Durango for a 5 p.m. Friday matchup.
It is the second time a Pueblo-based opponent has fallen off the schedule for DHS during the COVID-19 pandemic shortened fall season. DHS was slated to play Pueblo South (1-0) in a showdown of two of the top teams in all of Class 3A in the season opener Oct. 9, but the Colts revealed a positive coronavirus test the Thursday night before the game. DHS was not able to find a new opponent for that week, and its six-game schedule was reduced to five.
When Pueblo Centennial declared it would not travel to Durango this Friday, the Demons at least had time to find a new opponent. That will come in Evergreen (2-1) with a new game scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the DHS stadium.
“It’s a really crazy year,” DHS head coach David Vogt said. “You never know who you are going to play or where you are going to play. Our team will be ready. They are responding well and want to play football.”
It will be a tough matchup for the Demons against a team that has beat Thompson Valley 46-8 and Battle Mountain 41-14 after a season-opening 24-7 loss to Palisade when the Cougars were without their top quarterback, running back and three linemen.
The Demons are thankful to finally have a home game for senior day. Evergreen sacrificed its homecoming week game to make the matchup.
“It’s huge for us to play at home,” Vogt said. “The kids have been looking forward to it and worried it might not happen. It’s going to be great for our fans, our community and the players not having to travel six hours to another game for a third week in a row.”
Class 2A Bayfield had plenty of time to find a new opponent other than Manitou Springs. The Mustangs canceled their season after COVID-19 forced the team out of its first two games of the schedule.
Now, the 0-3 Wolverines will travel to Class 1A Florence (3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday.
Last week, Florence was ranked fourth in Class 1A and shouldn’t lose any place this week after a 48-6 bashing of Peyton last Thursday. The Huskies have also earned wins of 32-8 against Gunnison and 48-6 against Rocky Ford.
BHS will try for its first win of the season after three losses to teams all ranked in the top six of Class 2A to open the season.
Durango quarterback Jordan Woolverton was injured on his first run of the game last Saturday at Pueblo County. he played through the right shoulder injury through the end of the first half and helped the Demons to a 21-7 lead at the break before he was removed from the game.
An X-ray late Saturday night revealed good news for Woolverton and the Demons. The senior was diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain of the AC joint in his shoulder. That was better news than original fears that he may have broken his clavicle.
He is considered questionable to play this Saturday.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” said Vogt. “Having your leader go out changes the game plan. The fact he is questionable this week is huge.”
The Demons were hopeful to rest Woolverton against Pueblo Centennial to prepare for the final two games of the regular season and the playoffs, but DHS now will face a top-10 opponent with every win critical in a shortened season with only eight teams to make the state playoffs.
Senior wide receiver Ben Finneseth played quarterback for the second half of Saturday’s 49-21 win against the Hornets. He rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns and went 1-of-3 passing for 11 yards.
“Ben did a great job last week, and we will build a great game plan around him this week. If Jordan is able to go, then obviously we can open up the playbook a bit more. But we feel great with what we can do with Ben.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
