Two quick goals energized tired legs for the Durango Demons on Saturday.
Durango High School’s boys soccer team played its fourth game in seven days but was at home for the first time during that stretch. The Demons welcomed the Evergreen Cougars to campus for an early-morning non-league game. Two early goals in the first half by Max Wilson and Jack Beattie gave the Demons a 2-0 cushion, and they used it to cruise to a 3-0 victory.
“For us to beat them and play well in our fourth game in seven days is big,” DHS head coach Dalon Parker said. “It’s a confidence builder for the boys.
“Today was the best game we’ve played out of our give games. When you play four times in a week and the last one is the best you played, it means the boys are doing something right. They are locking in.”
DHS is now 5-0 this season and is already 2-0 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League.
Wilson scored the team’s first goal, and Beattie added a second off a corner kick for the Demons. The team’s third goal came in the second half and was an own-goal by Evergreen (1-3), as the ball deflected off a referee and back into the Cougars’ goal. William Lammons was credited with the goal for the Demons.
“It’s super big for us to get an early goal,” DHS senior captain Elijah Fenton said. “We came out with high energy, and that’s really important. I’m proud of how we came out. The goal was to pick up one early, and we brought it to them.”
Fenton added an assist, and Ren Beasley also was credited with an assist for DHS.
Trey Furnas returned to goal for the Demons and recorded a shutout. He missed one week with an injury.
With a rare team from the Front Range visiting Durango in a non-playoff game, the second-ranked Demons were focused on defending home field and sending a statement to the rest of the state.
“If we don’t put a Front Range team on our schedule or if we do but don’t beat them, everyone says, ‘Told ya so, they’re only beating Western Slope teams again,’” Parker said. “We’re very happy Evergreen came to play us.”
The Demons will stay at home to play Aztec at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Parker doesn’t envision the team practicing all week after the immense travel over the last week and another trip to Albuquerque looming Thursday.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
