The playoff opened in grand fashion for Durango’s Young America Football League teams last week.
Three of the four teams competing in the postseason won Saturday to advance to the semifinals this week.
While the third- and fourth-grade teams earned shutout wins, it was the sixth-grade team that fought into overtime before securing a spot in the next round.
Hunter Houle scored the game-winning touchdown for the Demons in a 12-6 victory. Beau Brunson scored the team’s other TD in the game.
The semifinals will be played 1 p.m. Saturday at the KYA Field in Kirtland against the Farmington Panthers.
The third-grade team’s incredible run continued with a 19-0 victory against the Farmington Vikings. Nathan Beal, Logan Goodwin and Brady Hoerl all scored touchdowns in the win. It was Hoerl’s first TD of the year, as he hauled in a beautiful pass from quarterback Braeden Brown.
Defensively, the third-graders were led by Cooper Mitchell. The tackling machine finished the game with 15 stops. Sawyer Jones, Max Schtakleff and JJ Vickers forced fumbles, and Nathan Beal had an interception.
Durango will face Aztec at 9 a.m. Saturday at Doc Jones Field in Farmington. Bayfield and Bloomfield will face each other on the other side of the bracket.
Durango’s fourth-grade team also continued its impressive season with a 27-0 destruction of the Farmington Sun Devils. Cole Pontine led the offense, while Ryan Dugan and Tatum Kusar were dominant on defense.
The Demons will face La Plata County rival Bayfield at 3 p.m. Saturday on Doc Jones Field with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Durango’s fifth-grade team was eliminated in a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to the Aztec Warriors last Saturday. The Demons led 12-0 at halftime on a pair of touchdown passes from Tyler Harms to Jacob Roberts, but a second-half surge by Aztec sent the Demons home for the season.
This year’s fifth-grade team will play one more YAFL season as sixth-graders in 2017.
With trips to the championship on the line this week, nothing is guaranteed and wins must be earned.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
