Now that it’s 2024, it’s a good time to look back at 2023 and highlight some incredible moments in La Plata County high school sports.
The Durango Herald spoke with numerous coaches from Durango and Bayfield High Schools to discuss their favorite memory from 2023.
Durango boys basketball: Beating Montrose
The Demons had a tough season in 2022-23, as they finished 7-16. Durango had numerous three-game losing streaks and finished last in 6A/5A Southwestern League standings.
A bright spot toward the end of the year was a 53-51 home win over Montrose on Feb. 17. Montrose finished the season 15-9 overall and was 4-4 in the league.
“That was a turning point for us to realize that this was a team game and we came together to accomplish a win against the number nine team in the state,” Durango coach Alan Batiste said. “It just gave us the belief for the boys that they could play with people, play with people in the state.”
So far the Demons are off to a stronger start this year at 6-4.
Bayfield boys soccer: Winning the league title
The Wolverines had a disappointing end to their season with a 11-1 loss to Peak to Peak in the 3A state playoffs.
However, Bayfield finished the season 9-5-1 and won the 3A Southwest league championship after beating Pagosa Springs 4-0 on Oct. 20.
“It was the first time that we've won the league,” Bayfield coach Chris Zoltowski said. “There's been times that we swept those teams, but we also had Ridgeway, Crested Butte and Telluride in our league and Ridgeway won the league instead of us. But to actually win the league for the first time in school history. When we clinched it, it was our senior night it was our home game, it was at night, under the lights. We had smoke going off and purple smoke. But to see the look on the boys’ faces, that smile, you couldn't take away from them and just that feeling for me, that was the best moment.”
Bayfield football: Homecoming win against Salida
The Wolverines’ football program has struggled over the past few years, but all the losses were a distant memory when Bayfield beat Salida 27-20 on Oct. 13.
It was the program’s first win since Oct. 29, 2021 and the first win for coach Glenn Wallace.
“It was just really gratifying because I think our boys knew that they could win that game going into it,” Wallace said. “They've played really hard and played really well. It was a close game, but I think we kind of knew we were going to win the game the entire time.”
Wallace also said it was gratifying because Bayfield played the most difficult schedule the last two years in 2A Colorado football, according to MaxPreps.
Durango cross country: The difficult schedule
Numerous runners made it to the state championships, and Demons coach Ron Keller attributes that success to the meets Durango competed in.
“We had eight meets this year that we had not gone to before,” Keller said. “It’s a very diversified schedule and levels of travel involved. I think what I like best is going into the meet of the unknown. You don’t know anybody they don't know you. It’s a growing experience for the kids. You have that unknown factor into their racing strategy and there's a lot to be learned about how they go out and take risks or don’t take risks.”
Keller said it was the toughest schedule he’s put together with trips to Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Aztec, just to name a few.
Durango girls lacrosse: Winning first playoff game
The Demons had their first 10-win season in over 10 years this past spring, capping it off with the program’s first playoff victory. Durango beat Liberty 19-6 in the first round of the 4A state playoffs on May 9.
“That was my first group of freshmen,” Durango coach Eric Elliot said about his seniors last season. “It was quite a bit of validation for those girls because we pride ourselves on working hard and just out running the other team into the ground. The last two years, the fruits of that really started to show and then it all came to a head last year.”
Elliot also recognized senior defender Jaden Rambo for earning First Team All-State honors. Rambo was the first Demon to earn that accolade since Elliot has been coach.
Durango football: Comeback playoff win against Mead
The Demons had an excellent regular season as they entered the playoffs with an 8-1 record and an eight-game winning streak. But all of that success looked to be for nothing as Durango fell behind 27-10 in the third quarter.
However, the Demons battled back and won 31-27 to advance to the second round of the 3A state playoffs.
“If you looked at the beginning of the year before we played the football game this season, you’d probably surprise a handful of people who said we're going to win a playoff game and ended up 9-2,” Demons coach Matt Burton said. “It's not an easy feat to win any playoff game, especially against a team like Mead, who we'd played earlier in the season, and it was a close, hard-fought game on both sides. They came in with a really good game plan. We hurt ourselves plenty in that game. But luckily, we were able to find a way to overcome our own hurdles for the victory.”
Durango fell in the second round to Lutheran, 39-30.
Durango baseball: Senior game against Montrose
The Demons struggled last spring and finished with a 9-14 record. Despite losing 15-0 against Montrose on April 29, new Durango coach and former assistant Austin Anderson remembers the day fondly.
“There was hands down more community members related to the program or not even related to the programs that came out,” he said. “You could tell that everybody was there to watch baseball and they all enjoyed themselves and a couple other Durango alumni came back and watched the team and it was one of the best moments of the season for sure.”
Durango boys wrestling: Ryan Dugan winning the Warrior Classic
Ryan Dugan’s tournament title at the Warrior Classic on Dec. 15 was the first win at that event for a Demon in at least 20-plus years, according to coach Jason Silva.
“He's a very coachable kid,” Silva said. “He's willing to put in the work and he puts in all the extra work in the offseason that a lot of other kids don't do. The dedication to the sport and his craft has been really tough to match against any of the other kids in there. That's really where he's getting that edge.”
Durango will resume its wrestling season with the Rocky Mountain Invite on Saturday at Pagosa High School.
Durango girls basketball: Beating Cheyenne Mountain
In a new era after star guard Mason Rowland graduated and Lauren Moran succeeded Tim Fitzpatrick as the Demons’ coach, Durango opened the 2023-24 season at 4-5.
One of those four victories was a resounding win over Cheyenne Mountain 34-6 on Dec. 9.
“The best memory would be our final game at the Pueblo County tournament,” Moran said. “We had a tough loss to Lewis Palmer on Friday of that tournament but then on Saturday, we were able to bounce back and play really well against Cheyenne Mountain. And I think that particularly our defense really drove our success in that game and that the way we want to play and so I'm hopeful that was kind of a precursor of, you know, good things to come.”
The Demons will resume their season Tuesday at home against Bloomfield.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
