Stuck in a severe offensive drought, dating 17 matches back to last season and spanning roughly 1,400 minutes of play, Alamosa could practically taste refreshment as Cipriano Ramirez’s 60th-minute shot neared Bayfield’s net on Tuesday.

Taken from roughly 30 yards out, beyond the far elbow of the 18-yard box, the attempt looked to have goalkeeper Kaedon Rademacher beat as it descended overhead.

Unfortunately it didn’t drop quickly enough.

Having last scored in a 3-1 home loss against the Wolverines last Sept. 25, Alamosa remained wanting as the ball cruelly clanged off the crossbar – leaving Bayfield’s 4-0 lead intact.

Bayfield won 6-0. Freshman Ayden Casillas scored on a 68th-minute put-back of a shot initially saved by Marvin Rodas. Senior Gavin Larson then added a chip over Rodas, capitalizing on a deflected ball that sophomore Magno Silva crossed into the goal box in the 78th minute.

“He was pretty good,” Larson said, of Rodas, who made multiple 1-v-1 stops and unofficially totaled 12 saves. “So when I chipped it right over, that felt awesome.”

“Teamwork really just puts those goals together,” said junior Asher Madonna, who cashed in a perfect pass from senior Shaw Foster – in possession thanks to a perfect Casillas pass – for the evening’s first goal in the third minute. “What we’ve really been working on, what we need to keep going, is moving off the ball. This game we did that pretty well.”

Using a 7-nil wallop from Pagosa Springs on Friday as a wake up, the Wolverines (6-2-1 overall, 1-1-0 3A Southwestern) doubled their early advantage before halftime. Foster redirected junior Lance Mitchell’s 34th-minute corner kick past Rodas.

“We weren’t willing to lose again and we came out hard,” Foster said. “I think we learned from our mistakes.”

After intermission, Casillas scored in the 45th minute, and Madonna promptly followed in the 47th, assisted by Casillas.

“We had this game plan that we just didn’t stick to with Pagosa,” Larson said, “and (Alamosa) gave us more space to get into it, practice it more. But we’ve just got to keep working in practice; that’s it.”

Recording his fifth shutout, Rademacher unofficially totaled three saves.

The Moose (0-10-0, 0-3-0 SWL), guided by new head coach Jarrett Shrum, improved noticeably during the second half despite the program taking a 19th straight defeat.

Opponents have now scored 89 unanswered goals against AHS.

“We put our egos aside, worked together as a team – just did what we really should have done against Pagosa,” Madonna said. “But we’ll have another chance soon.”

Alamosa will next see action at PSHS (7-3-0, 4-0-0) at 4 p.m. Friday.

Bayfield, on the other hand, has already equaled last season’s win total (6) and will next travel to Montezuma-Cortez for a 5 p.m. start Tuesday. BHS will then pause league play to host 4A Grand Junction Central at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“It feels amazing,” Foster said of Bayfield’s swift year-to-year improvement. “We’ve been working hard, putting in the effort all the time – trying to build it up, go to State … and hopefully go far!”

“Like, this is the first year in four now that I’ve had this opportunity,” Larson said. “My first two years – freshman and sophomore – we’d lost every single game, so this is awesome.”

Hosting archrival Pagosa Springs last Friday, the Wolverines were unable to recover from Pirate senior Kelton Christians’ third-minute goal, assisted by senior Jonathan Nasralla, in falling by seven.

Senior Kaylor Christians converted classmate Clayton Hubbs’ assist in the sixth minute and then struck again, aided by freshman reserve Gavin Carter, in the tenth for a devastating 3-0 lead. Senior Jordan Heaton booked the guests’ fourth goal four minutes later, and Pagosa Springs cruised into halftime well in control.

Pirate junior Agustin Perez-Leal began the second half scoring with a 53rd-minute free kick, taken about 40 yards away from goal, which deflected off BHS junior defender Shae Railsback’s head and past a rooted Rademacher.

Almost getting payback less than a minute later, Railsback rang a long shot off PSHS keeper Christopher Young-Martinez’s crossbar, and Foster inexplicably pushed the rebound wide right.

In the 62nd minute, senior Kameron Winkler tallied Springs’ sixth goal off an assist from senior Joah Dunn de Pulido, and Kelton Christians logged his second goal in the 64th, aided by senior Jordan Pham.