Durango High School isn’t worried about the Pueblo County defense Friday night. Staying healthy is the concern,
A Demons team that was beat up in a 21-10 home loss to Pueblo South last week will take the field at 6 p.m. Friday at home against the Pueblo County Hornets. It will be senior night in Durango, as the Demons will honor 14 players from this year’s graduating class.
Durango’s goal this week will be to get a good lead early and give some banged-up starters extra time to rest before the regular season finale at Pueblo East, as a league championship might be on the line.
Still, the Demons can’t completely overlook the Hornets.
“It’s about executing,” DHS head coach David Vogt said. “If we do that, then we can play a lot of guys and get younger guys some experience.”
Durango (5-3, 2-1 3A South Central League) dropped two spots in the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A poll after last week’s loss. The Demons will enter No. 9 in the poll but are seventh in the all-important RPI standings that determine playoff seeding. Durango has played the second toughest strength-of-schedule this season.
Pueblo County will enter with a 3-5 record and 1-2 mark in the SCL, with a 17-14 win against Pueblo Central on Oct. 5 its lone league win.
The Hornets have allowed 245 points this season, an average of more than 30 per game. Durango has allowed only 118, which is less than 15 points per game.
While Vogt said nobody on Pueblo County’s defense really stood out on film, he was keenly focused on the Hornets’ quarterback, senior Lane Sherwood.
He has thrown for 327 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions this year, but he’s run for 739 yards and four more scores with three 100-yard rushing games.
“He likes to run the ball and is a guy we have to shut down,” Vogt said.
Durango is powered in all phases of the game by senior Dawson Marcum, who has rushed for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also thrown for a touchdown, scored a touchdown on defense, has 134 receiving yards, and leads the team with 79 tackles, two more than junior linebacker Everett Howland and six more than senior linebacker Gus Kidd.
Last week, Marcum was especially beat up after the Pueblo South game. He was ruled out of the game twice but came back into the game every time.
“It’s a reflection of how bad these guys want to win,” Vogt said. “It doesn’t matter how hard people get hit; they get up and get back out there for their brothers. They want to win so bad.”
Vogt thought his team was a bit complacent in the weight room the last two weeks, and that was a focus before this week’s game. He’s eager to see that hard work pay off Friday night.
“Losing is a learning experience,” he said. “We relate everything to life. It’s about how you’re going to respond. Will you stay down or get up? We’re ready to get up and get back on a winning streak.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
Pueblo South at No. 9 Durango
What:
CHSAA Class 3A South Central League football
When:
6 p.m. Friday
Where:
Durango High School stadium
Listen Live:
KKDG 99.7 FM
Twitter:
@jlivi2
