Durango head football coach David Vogt said he wanted the team to “get back to doing what we do” after losing 41-3 at No. 1 Pine Creek last week. Friday night at Air Academy, senior running back Lawrence Mayberry and the Demons did just that.
Mayberry had another monster performance for the Demons. The shifty running back gouged the Air Academy defense for 175 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries in a 48-6 blowout win.
Lucas Baken found the end zone twice, and the Durango defense forced four turnovers in the rout. Gavin Mestas had two interceptions to highlight the defensive performance.
“We got started off a bit slow, but we got things figured out like we normally do,” Vogt said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald.
The slow start lasted half a quarter, but Mayberry picked up the slack in a hurry. His first touchdown, a 6-yard run, put the Demons (8-1, 3-1 Class 4A Pikes Peak League) up 7-0 halfway through the first quarter.
After a Terrence Trujillo interception, Air Academy (3-6, 0-4 PPL) capitalized with a 46-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Cale Powers to Nate Renfrew but missed the extra point to keep Durango ahead 7-6.
That was the last time the Demons defense would allow a point. The stout group that patrols the defensive side of the ball forced four turnovers and wreaked havoc on Class 4A’s third most prolific passing offense.
“We designed some different looks and put in a dime package on defense,” Vogt said. “Our defense executed the new wrinkles perfectly.”
Baken’s first score, an 11-yard run, put Durango up 14-6 at the end of the first quarter. He struck again shortly after, as Trujillo found his favorite target for a 12-yard touchdown reception to take a two score lead. It was the pair’s 12th touchdown connection this season.
With a comfortable lead, Durango turned to the running game to milk the clock and keep the high-powered Kadet offense on the sidelines.
Mayberry’s 1-yard touchdown run at the end of the first half put the Demons up 27-6. Then it was a 15-yard run in the third quarter for his third of the night. A 9-yard scamper shortly after gave his team a 41-6 lead and the starters a much needed rest. If Vogt was hoping to milk the clock, Mayberry did one better and forced a running clock with his efforts.
“He was on a mission (Friday night),” Vogt said. “He always runs hard and, when our line opens holes for him, he finds them and keeps going.”
It was a big night for the offensive line and star left tackle Laitham Johnson, who celebrated his birthday in a big way.
Backup quarterback Peyton Woolverton came in for Trujillo at the end of the third quarter, and Kyle Duran took over in the backfield. The offense didn’t miss a beat. Duran’s 61-yard dash capped off the scoring for the evening and put an emphatic mark on the Demons’ All Hallows’ Eve resurrection from last week’s demise back into the win column.
jfries@durangoherald.com
