Keyon Prior works to deflect a tackle as he moves the ball for Bayfield on Friday. Prior made a one-handed catch for a touchdown in the game, but Bayfield lost 16-32.
Photo courtesy Richard Monyek
Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School hands off to Dawson Marcum while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango Harley-Davidson leads the Color Guard before the start of the Durango High School football game against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School football players run onto the field on Friday evening before taking on Bayfield High School at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School football players run over to the Bayfield High School band on Friday night before the start of the game at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The coin flip during the Durango High School football game against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Color Guard faces the crowd before the start of the Durango High School football game against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Alex Hise of Durango High School goes up for a reception as Dylan Hunter of Bayfield High School breaks up the pass on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School and Bayfield High School football players shake hands on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Gage Mestas, left, and Dawson Marcum of Durango High School have a little fun before kickoff of the Bayfield High School football game on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Gage Mestas of Durango High School uses his blockers while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Bayfield High School coaches yell in instructions while playing Durango High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango Dance Team cheered on the Durango High School football team on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Alex Hise of Durango High School tries to cross the goal line while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School and Bayfield High School coaches had their hands full on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School hands off to Dawson Marcum while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Hayden Farmer of Bayfield High School hands off and fakes against Durango High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School gets pressured by Alec Demko of Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Alex Hise of Durango High School rushes the ball and gets tackled by David Hawkins of Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School gets sacked by Issac Lorenzen of Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Head coach David Vogt of Durango High School talks with his team while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Savion Jones-Embry of Durango High School tackles Alec Demko of Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School gets his pass blocked by Daniel Westbrook of Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Dawson Marcum of Durango High School rushes the ball against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School passes the ball against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Dawson Marcum of Durango High School rushes the ball against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango High School student section was full during the Bayfield High School game on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School runs the ball against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School cheerleaders pump up a full stadium while playing Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Head coach Gary Heide of Bayfield High School calls in a play against Durango High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Jordan Woolverton of Durango High School passes the ball against Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Not an empty seat during the Durango High School-Bayfield High School game on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School students Taylen Yazzie, 14, left, and Lassen Griggs, 14, ring the bell after DHS scored during the Bayfield High School game on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Not an empty seat during the Durango High School Bayfield High School game on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Bayfield High School cheerleaders cheer on their side of the stadium at Durango High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Quarterback Hayden Farmer of Bayfield High School passes on the run while playing against Durango High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Durango High School and Bayfield High School battle it out on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango High School football team hoists up the inaugural Vallecito Bowl trophy after defeating rival Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A pass to Keyon Prior of Bayfield High School is broken up near the goal line by a Durango High School player on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The Durango High School football team hoists up the inaugural Vallecito Bowl trophy after defeating rival Bayfield High School on Friday night at DHS. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
As historic as the Bayfield High School defense has been since the team's reign of Class 2A dominance began in 2015, it was the defense of the Class 3A Durango Demons and the high-powered offense behind sophomore quarterback Jordan Woolverton and senior running back Dawson Marcum that stole the show Sept. 14 in the inaugural Vallecito Bowl. The Demons roared to an 18-0 halftime lead against the defending state champion Wolverines.
Durango (2-2) kept up the pressure in the second half on the way to a 32-16 victory at home Friday night against its La Plata County rival Bayfield (3-1).
"Durango is a great team," BHS senior Keyon Prior said. "They came out and executed. They jumped on us the first half and the third quarter, and we didn't have enough time to come back. It hurts right now."
The 32 points were the most allowed by Bayfield since a 2014 first-round playoff loss to Faith Christian. The Wolverines lost 40-14 in that game.
All eyes turn upward for the coin toss Friday night between Bayfield and Durango. Bayfield has now won one game and lost two since the teams playing each other again in 2016 after a long hiatus.
Photo courtesy Richard Monyek
Bayfield was outplayed throughly in the first half. It wasn't until the team's final drive that it picked up its initial first down, and the Wolverines marched behind the running of Prior and Dylan Hilliker. But the Durango defense stood tall when backed up against its goal line in the final 30 seconds of the half, and Everett Howland intercepted a Farmer pass on fourth-and-goal from the Durango 7 to end Bayfield's scoring threat. It was a key play in the game, as a last-minute score would have given BHS momentum going into a third quarter in which the Wolverines received the kickoff.
But Howland's interception gave all the momentum back to Durango.
"Explosive," DHS head coach David Vogt said of his team's first half. "We put it all together, finally. We've been waiting for the defense to click and come together. I'm sure glad it happened sooner than later."
Photo courtesy Richard Monyek<br><br>It's all defense for Bayfield as the Wolverines take down a Durango player on Sept. 14.
Dylan Hilliker reaches for a pass Friday in Bayfield's 16-32 loss to Durango High School.
Photo courtesy Richard Monyek
Bayfield finally answered in the second half, as quarterback Hayden Farmer hit Hilliker for a big gain and David Hawkins ran the ball hard. Hilliker scored on a reverse play from 4 yards out, and a 2-point conversion pass from Farmer to James Mottin was successful to cut the Durango lead to 32-8 with 7:27 to go in the third quarter.
The third quarter would go to bed quietly, with each defense getting stops. But a resilient Bayfield team didn't go down without a fourth-quarter fight.
Farmer, who finished 10-of-24 passing for 107 yards and four interceptions, put together his best drive of the game, and he hit Prior on a one-handed 16-yard touchdown pass. Prior then had a halfback pass of his own on the 2-point conversion. He rolled around, backtracked and then found Hawkins wide open in the end zone. With a little more than 7 minutes to play in the game, it was suddenly a two-score game, with Bayfield trailing Durango 32-16.
"Our mentality is that we don't want to lose," Prior said. "Of course, it's going to happen sometimes. I'm just proud of my boys for fighting back and not giving up. That's not Bayfield football. We don't give up, and I'm proud of them."
The Wolverines have this weekend off before they begin Class 2A Intermountain League play against Alamosa at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at home.
"We will use this week off to regain some focus, work on ourselves and work on execution, because (Durango's) defense dominated us," Prior said. "We need to focus on executing on both sides of the ball, and a week off will help a lot."
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