Freshman Zane Pontine, beginning to see more and more reps under center with senior quarterback John Riepel’s Ignacio football career rapidly wrapping up, might have given the Bobcats an understated morale boost Friday for this week’s 2022 regular-season finale.
Pontine scored a touchdown and added the subsequent two-point conversion in a 41-8 road loss to preventing IHS from being shut out in La Jara by CHSAANow.com’s No. 6-ranked 1A Centauri – meaning neither CHS nor No. 4 Monte Vista held IHS scoreless this fall.
The Falcons improved to 6-2 overall, 4-0 in Southern Peaks Conference play before visiting Monte Vista (8-0, 4-0) on Friday with the SPC championship at stake.
Meanwhile, Ignacio (4-3, 2-2) will host Del Norte at 7 p.m. Friday, with Henry Castillo’s Tigers coming to IHS Field standing 3-5, 1-3 after whipping Trinidad last week.
Del Norte senior Michael Laymon scored six touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving, one defensively via fumble return) in the 40-14 blowout to drop the Miners to 0-8, 0-4. Trinidad will play its season-ender at Center (3-5, 1-3) on Friday.
The Bayfield High School football team, meanwhile, will wrap up its season Friday at Pagosa Springs. The Wolverines (0-7, 0-3 2A League 5) have been competitive in most of their games and come close to pulling out a few wins, but so far haven’t been able to get over the hump. Pagosa Springs (3-5, 2-1) also lost its first five games of the season, but will take a 3-game winning streak into Friday.
Durango will also play what could be its regular season finale after Battle Mountain forfeited its remaining varsity games. DHS (7-1, 3-0) will host Palisade (3-5, 2-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday and can clinch the 3A League 3 title with a win.
The regular season concludes for all classes, except 3A, on Oct. 29. The top-16 teams in 1A, 2A and 3A will make the state playoffs. Ignacio is currently No. 17 in Class 1A’s ratings percentage index. Bayfield is No. 32 in 2A and Durango is No. 2 in 3A.
