The game was over in two plays.
One year ago, the seventh-ranked Durango Demons visited fourth-ranked Palisade and saw the opening kickoff returned for an 86-yard touchdown. Two plays into their first offensive possession, the Demons turned the ball over on an interception thrown by Jordan Woolverton into the arms of Cam Tucker, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. In 1 minute, 5 seconds of game clock, Durango was down 13-0 on the road. The Demons would go on to fall 20-3 to the Bulldogs.
At 7 p.m. Friday at Durango High School Stadium, the Demons will get another chance.
“I told the guys, ‘This is the most important game of your life,’” DHS head coach David Vogt said. “They are a great team and very well-coached. They’ve got that quarterback back. He’s got tree trunks for thighs. He’s a stud.”
Last season, the Joe Ramunno-coached Bulldogs went on to finish 11-2 with a Class 3A state semifinal loss of 42-7 to eventual state champion Palmer Ridge. The Bulldogs entered the state playoffs as the top seed. Durango, meanwhile, played from the No. 14 position in the 16-team bracket and saw its season end in the first round with a 40-0 loss at Erie to cap off a 6-5 season.
This year, both teams returned many of the key pieces from a year ago, and it is No. 10 Durango (1-0) that wants to steal the focus on Class 3A football on the Western Slope away from the second-ranked Bulldogs (0-0).
“A win against Palisade would get us noticed,” said Woolverton, now a junior coming off a 9-of-14 passing game for 151 yards and a TD to go with two rushing scores in a 47-0 home win against Pagosa Springs. “It would show teams who we are and what we’re about if we can go out and get a win against Palisade.”
Ramunno expects another slugfest similar to what played out a year ago.
“We were very fortunate last year to even get out of there with a win,” the seventh-year Palisade coach and former Colorado Mesa University coach said. “Coming out with an opening kickoff touchdown and a pick-6, it was the difference in the game by a long shot. Durango is very, very good and has a game under its belt already. We know it’s a huge challenge.”
Palisade returned its star player in Tucker, the quarterback who ran for 1,662 yards and 28 touchdowns to go with 530 passing yards and another six TDs through the air while he completed almost 60% of his passes. The triple-option offense of the Bulldogs will make life difficult on all 11 players on defense for Durango, especially with three returning starters to Palisade’s offensive line from a year ago.
“We’ve been looking forward to this matchup all offseason,” said DHS senior linebacker and running back Everett Howland. “We’ve been training and just thinking that we wanted a rematch with them and prove we are better than they are. We had just a few mistakes last year, and we know we can beat them this year if we clean up our act.”
Where Durango could have an advantage is experienced players at skill positions. Anyone who caught a pass for Palisade a year ago has graduated or transfered, and the Bulldogs also lost the top-three rushers behind Tucker in yards last season. Returning are juniors Julio Rodriguez and Gabe Harrison, who combined for 321 yards and two TDs on 64 carries last season.
Durango will try to force Tucker into turnovers. He fumbled seven times last season, though he lost only three. Durango forced two fumbles against Pagosa Springs.
Durango’s offense won’t see as much room to run as a week ago against the Pirates. Stout linebackers will fill gaps faster, and Palisade returned Carl Cox from a year ago, when he had 104 total tackles. Tucker is also a force on the defensive side, as he had three interceptions and forced two fumbles last season. But the Demons have confidence their bigger, stronger offensive line than a year ago can get the job done.
“The line is going to take us as far as we go this year,” Woolverton said. “I hope they keep it up, and I believe they will. They can help us win that Palisade game.”
Woolverton will look for better results than last year’s matchup, when he went 20-of-33 passing for 230 yards and the interception. Howland, who had 176 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries last week, was held to 16 yards but on only three carries last season in the loss.
The Palisade defense hasn’t been able to practice much for the spread offense of Durango while going against its offense in practice.
“It’s so hard because Durango is so seasoned at doing what they do offensively,” Ramunno said. “It’s going to be tough for us, but that’s high school football. You try to match up. You can’t simulate Durango’s size, strength and speed.”
Spotted the early lead a year ago, Tucker threw the ball only twice with one completion for 25 yards. The Demons felt like they bottled up Palisade’s offense until a fourth-quarter touchdown when the Demons went for broke with blitz after blitz.
The Demons believe last year’s 20-3 score wasn’t reflective of the game played on the field. They aim to show that to their fans Friday night, and the players hope for a playoff-like atmosphere in their final home game until Oct. 18.
“We need the fans to show up,” Woolverton said. “They do a great job of coming and being loud. If they keep doing what they’re doing, that’s what we need for a game like this.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
No. 2 Palisade (0-0) at No. 10 Durango (1-0)
What:
CHSAA Class 3A football
When:
7 p.m. Friday
Where:
DHS Stadium
Listen Live:
KKDG 99.7 FM
Twitter:
@jlivi2
