Not many coaches are willing to say, “we’re playing for second place.” At the moment, though, that’s where head coach Lupe Huerta and the Ignacio High School football team have their sights set.
IHS (1-5, 1-1 Southern Peaks League) can move toward a second-place league finish with a win against Centauri on Friday. The Bobcats will host the Falcons on their new football field at 7 p.m. Friday at IHS.
It’s less about the place and more about the playoff spot that comes with it, though.
“We have to win these last three games,” Huerta said. “They’re all league games. Right now we’re playing for second place. That would get us in.”
Huerta has preached a “playoffs or bust” sermon all season after the Bobcats missed out on the postseason because of a weak strength of schedule last season. This season, the Bobcats faced a murderer’s row of Class 1A playoff teams from last season and Class 2A teams in their non-conference schedule before splitting their first two league games.
IHS lost 45-8 last Friday at Monte Vista after breaking a four-game losing streak with their first win of the season against John Mall on Sept. 26.
“(The team) had a pretty good talk after the (Monte Vista) game and tried to get refocused,” Huerta said. “All week at practice, they’ve been really focused, trying to get ready and work on the little things. They’re able to put things behind them like that.”
Hopefully, because Centauri (3-3, 2-0 SPL) running back Jareb Aziz will be in front of them all game. The Falcons haven’t posted statistics for this season, but the 6-foot Aziz ran for more than 900 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior last year.
As it has been all season, the key for IHS will be balancing out its offense and not relying too much on senior quarterback Adison Jones’ arm.
“It’s been steadily improving after the John Mall game,” Huerta said of the IHS ground game. “Our line has been pretty much dismantled since Week 2. I have one original lineman in my starting five from the first week. That’s our biggest problem: We’re really light up front.”
The game will be Ignacio’s first at home in three weeks, but the Bobcats’ road schedule is over.
They’ll need every home win to get to second place and the promised land.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
