Fall sports have officially ended with the completion of the high school football state championships. Winter sports are in full swing despite not an inch of snow on the ground in Durango.
Regardless, now is a good time to see what fall athletes stand out compared to other schools’ athletes. Here are the Durango athletes who ranked in the top 15 in their sport’s class in key statistical categories.
Football: Cully Feeney in passing yards, total yards
Durango senior quarterback Cully Feeney had a solid season in his lone year as the Demons’ starter. He finished 10th in 4A in passing yards with 1,753 yards. He had 20 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Feeney played some great football after a slow start and it looked like he and interim head coach Ryan Woolverton got more comfortable with each other as the season went on.
He also ranked eighth in total yards with 2,241. Feeney was a dual-threat quarterback all year and was the Demons’ top rushing option at times.
Feeney threw for over 200 yards in two of his last three games and threw multiple touchdown passes in his last three games. But Feeney had five interceptions in his last three games. Durango football will miss his abilities next season.
Wyatt Bartel in tackles
Senior outside linebacker Wyatt Bartel was one of the most consistent defenders for Durango, especially after Braxton Waddell went out for the season with injuries. At 5-foot-7-inches and 165 pounds, Bartel finished the season 12th in 4A with 101 total tackles. He had 58 solo tackles and 43 assisted tackles.
Bartel had at least 10 tackles in six of Durango’s last seven games, including a season-high 12 tackles against Vista Ridge and Heritage to end the season.
Durango will lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball to graduation and Bartel will be a key piece to replace.
Dylan Burns in kicking, PATs, kick scoring and punt yards
Durango football’s offense had a lot of success scoring touchdowns this year. When the Demons didn’t they could always rely on junior kicker/punter Dylan Burns to make a play in special teams.
Burns tied for second in 4A with five field goals made for Durango. He went 5/9 with his field goals. Burns was 13th in 4A with 28 PATs and went 28/31. He was eighth in total points with 43 and 14th in yards per punt with 35.61.
The Demons will have a new quarterback next season with Feeney’s graduation so there will be questions about the offense next season. Burns will be a huge asset on offense next season to help out Durango’s new pieces.
Dawson McInnis in kickoff returns, total returns
Durango’s offense started with great field position a lot of times, thanks to junior wide receiver/defensive back Dawson McInnis.
McInnis finished first in 4A with 38 yards per kickoff return. He was 14th with 337 total return yards. At 6-foot-2-inches and 185 pounds, McInnis had the strength to break through tackles and the speed to break a long return.
Next season, it’ll be interesting to see if McInnis returns a lot of kicks or plays more of a role as a wide receiver. Regardless, he should be a weapon for Durango with his size and speed next season.
Boys soccer: Dylan Burns in points, goals
The two-sport fall star was a dominant force for Durango boys soccer as a junior. Burns finished seventh in 4A with 45 points from 20 goals and five assists despite missing a few soccer games due to being with the football team. The 20 goals were fourth in 4A.
Burns has a great combination of size, speed and skill. If he has space, he can get off a powerful shot that’s tough to stop.
The Demons made it to the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament this year. Burns will be a huge reason if Durango can advance farther than that next season.
Quinn Harrison in saves
Durango junior goalkeeper Quinn Harrison was a staple in between the two posts for the Demons this season. Harrison ranked fifth in 4A with 119 saves. He’ll be a big part of the defense’s success next season in his senior year.
Volleyball: Eva Stewart in assists
The Durango volleyball team didn’t have the season it wanted and finished 10-15 overall and 3-7 in 4A/5A Southwestern League play. Senior setter Eva Stewart finished her four-year varsity career in style and finished 12th in 5A with 637 assists.
Stewart did a great job this year and throughout her career of setting up Durango’s outside hitters perfectly for kills. She spread the ball out to keep defenses guessing and showed off a great dump shot to keep defenses on their toes.
She’ll be a huge loss in the middle for Durango volleyball head coach Kelley Rifilato as the Demons look to bounce back next year.
