If there’s a particular sport you follow, there’s a good chance one of our local teams is playing it at home this weekend.
So, take your pick from this week’s plethora of activities:
Cycling
While Animas High School and Durango High School made a successful tour through Leadville’s altitude last week and the top-ranked Fort Lewis College cyclists are pedaling in Golden, there is still cycling to be had in Durango – always.
The Skyhawks’ annual fundraiser, the Durango Fall Blaze, features a 37-mile, 60-mile and 100-mile ride. All proceeds benefit the Cycling Scholarship Fund at FLC dedicated to rising young cyclists.
The tour will start at 8 a.m. Saturday from the FLC clocktower.
Football
Durango takes its perfect 4-0 record to Palisade for a Saturday afternoon game, but Bayfield High School (2-2, 1-1 Western Slope) and Ignacio High School (3-1) both will host under the Friday Night Lights.
BHS will host Grand Valley at 7 p.m. Friday at Wolverine Country Stadium.
IHS, which has won three in a row and its last two games by an aggregate score of 125-0, will host Monte Vista at 7 p.m. Friday.
FLC (1-2, 0-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) will host winless Western New Mexico (0-2, 0-1 RMAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. The Skyhawks will be playing for FLC first-year head coach John L. Smith’s first RMAC victory.
Soccer
Durango will play a Southwestern League doubleheader Friday and Saturday in the Grand Valley, but Bayfield will be playing home games.
BHS has struggled to an 0-6 overall record and an 0-4 league mark under first-year head coach Dave Foster, who has inherited the Wolverines’ rebuilding project.
BHS will host Ridgway at 3 p.m. Friday and Telluride at 11 a.m. Saturday at Wolverine Country Stadium.
Both nationally ranked FLC soccer programs will be playing on the road this weekend – the men at UC-Colorado Springs and Regis and the women at Western State and CSU-Pueblo.
Softball
Durango played the entire first half of its schedule on the road, which means the Demons get to play the second half at home.
Durango (3-9, 2-9 Southwestern League) will continue its homestand this weekend with back-to-back doubleheaders against Eagle Valley on Friday and Rifle on Saturday.
DHS will host Eagle Valley at 3 and 5 p.m. Friday and Rifle at 10 a.m. and noon Saturday at Aspen Field on the FLC campus.
Swimming
Why not?
Durango doesn’t swim their seasons until the winter (girls) and spring (boys) seasons, but the Durango Swim Club swims year-round.
The DSC will host a two-day home meet at the Durango Community Recreation Center. Saturday’s swim will start at 12:30 p.m., and Sunday’s swim will start at 10:30 a.m.
Tennis
Durango will be debuting the Demons’ 2013 boys team at home with back-to-back duals against Montrose and Fruita Monument.
The Demons have played exclusively on the road so far this season.
DHS will host Montrose at 4 p.m. Friday at the DHS tennis courts, then will host Fruita Monument at 10 a.m. Saturday at the DHS tennis courts.
Volleyball
Like the tennis team, the Durango Demons will be playing home openers this weekend, and they’ll be the first home games for rookie head coach Colleen Keresey, a Durango volleyball alumna.
DHS navigated its early season road schedule for a 4-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the Southwestern League.
DHS will host Montrose at 6 p.m. Friday and Grand Junction at 11 a.m. Saturday.
IHS (1-5, 1-4 San Juan League) will host Ridgway at 4 p.m. Friday, and BHS (8-2, 2-0 Intermountain League) will host Centauri at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
FLC, yet to play a home match this season, will continue its road swing with a 7 p.m. match Friday at Western New Mexico in Silver City, N.M.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
