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    <title>High School Sports</title>
    <category>High School Sports</category>
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    <description>Stay informed with the latest breaking news, local stories, sports, business, weather, and community events from Durango, Southwest Colorado, and the Four Corners region.</description>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/ignacio-baseball-loses-heartbreaker-to-peyton-in-2a-regionals/</link>
        <title>Ignacio baseball loses heartbreaker to Peyton in 2A regionals</title>
        <description>PHS rallies late to end Bobcats’ season</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 20:04:15 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[PHS rallies late to end Bobcats’ seasonIgnacio senior Sonny Flores connects for a single against Peyton during the teams’ regional playoff game on May 16 in Las Animas. (Joel Priest/Herald file)BENT COUNTY – Despite sliding feet-first and dangerously close to opposing Peyton’s dugout railing, with any number of Panthers undoubtedly trying to distract him, Ignacio freshman first baseman Stephen Romero kept his concentration and caught PHS senior David Martin’s pop-up in foul territory.It was Romero’s second catch of the fifth inning, which ended with 24th-seeded Ignacio up 4-0 on Saturday in the neutral-site 2A Region 8 matchup at Las Animas High School. While Ignacio would go up 6-0 in the sixth inning, the Bobcats gave up seven runs in the bottom of the sixth and would lose a 7-6 heartbreaker to No. 9 seed Peyton.The 24th-seeded Bobcats were riding senior right hander Ambrose Valdez’ red-hot arm in the 94-degree heat. Valdez had allowed three PHS players to reach base up to that point in the fifth, striking out PHS in order three times.Ignacio's Gabe Archuleta receives congratulations from Ambrose Valdez (6) after scoring one of his three runs against Peyton during postseason action Saturday in Las Animas. (Joel Priest/Special to the Herald)“It was HOT hot – I kept having to pour water in my hair, put a water towel on my neck!” Archuleta (3-4, 3 R, RBI) said. “But knowing that the season was coming to an end, and it’s my senior year, I just did my best to get on base and leave it all out there.”Ignacio freshman Zackariah Loudenburg (1-3, R) led off the sixth doubling to left off Peyton starter Bryce Love. Loudenburg got home two batters later off a triple by Archuleta (3-4, 3 R, RBI). Still Valdez’s equal in most aspects, save for runs against, Love then got Romero (2-4, R, RBI) to ground out to senior shortstop Zayden Ebbert. Archuleta scored on the play and increased IHS’ lead to 6-0.Love struck out Bobcat senior Sonny Flores (1-4, RBI), the senior righty’s 11th strikeout (against zero walks and zero hit batters) on the day, to keep the Panthers from sinking into any deeper of a hole. There was next to no indication, however, how swiftly and shockingly they’d surface.Valdez walked leadoff man Love to start the bottom of the sixth, and Ebbert doubled him over to third. Senior first baseman Trent Gregg (2-3, BB, R) then reached via error when second baseman Loudenburg couldn’t field his high-bouncing chopper, allowing Love and Ebbert to score and get Peyton on the board. Sophomore Brennan Christensen then flew out to right fielder Shaun Sanderson, and PHS junior Brayden Nonaka knew he had to re-stoke the developing rally before Valdez could snuff it out.Nonaka (1-3, R) proceeded to single into left and Valdez walked the next two Panthers before Ignacio head coach Isiah Valdez decided to bring the left-handed Romero onto the mound with bases loaded and one out.Peyton senior Bradlee Nonaka (0-2) immediately drew an RBI-walk and Martin (0-2) did likewise to shrink the IHS lead to 6-4. Love, coming to the plate for the second time in the sixth, (1-3, BB, R, 2 RBI) singled to left to bring two batters home. Peyton was suddenly up 7-6.Romero (L; 0.2 IP, H, R, ER, 3 BB, 0 HB, 0 K) then got Ebbert (1-4, 2B, R) to fly to Evan Maez in left, and after walking Gregg got Christensen (1-4) to line to shortstop Flores. But every bit of momentum had swapped sides, and the Panthers knew it.“Later innings … we grind and we don’t give up – that’s how Peyton rolls,” said Gregg. “Once you get late into a game, you want to try to get the counts super-deep, which allows you to get walks. Also, you start to see patterns with the pitcher.”Brought in to relieve Love (W; 6 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER), Ebbert struck out Valdez for the first out of the seventh. IHS’ Joseph Atencio, however, drew a walk and took second when Max Mendoza (2-4, RBI) fanned and Ornelas had to throw to first. Atencio (1-3, RBI) reached third base when Ebbert pitched wild to Maez (1-4, 2B), but was stranded 90 feet from home when Ebbert (SV; IP, 0 H, BB, 3 K) struck Maez out swinging to end the game and complete the comeback.Peyton improved to 17-5 and moved on to face 8-seed Las Animas, while Ignacio finished their season 13-10.“It was a very big honor to be out there and on the mound starting for us today,” Valdez (ND; 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 HB, 7 K) said. “We had a lot of good heart and showed good effort out there today. That’s all we could do.”]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/demons-baseball-overcomes-slow-start-in-home-opener-to-beat-farmington/</link>
        <title>Demons baseball overcomes slow start in home opener to beat Farmington</title>
        <description>Durango has won five consecutive games after 0-2 start</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:28:14 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango has won five consecutive games after 0-2 startLandin Padilla of Durango High School fields the ball at shortstop and gets the out at first base while playing Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideThe Durango High School baseball team didn’t allow a slow start against Farmington on Tuesday afternoon to stop its offense all night as the Demons’ hot bats in the middle of the game propelled them to a 9-4 win.Farmington struck first with consistent hitting early, and Durango wasn’t seeing the ball well. But Durango’s aggressive style of play changed the momentum. Senior Ollie Peterson stole third and eventually got home to get Durango on the board.After the Demons were down 3-2 after Peterson and Romero got home, Durango dominated with its bats and pitching. The Farmington pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone, and when they did, those pitches were blasted all over the field.Sophomore Coen Anderson finished strongly on the mound for the Demons, and senior Dawson McInnes did enough in replacing Anderson as the Demons cruised to victory after seven runs in the third and fourth innings.“We took great at-bats the whole game, and we got unlucky early,” Durango head coach Masen Hibbeler said. “We were still getting guys on base, but the difference was our at-bats this game. We were awesome top to bottom.”Durango improved to 5-2 overall with the win, despite Farmington outhitting Durango, 13-8. After losing their first two games to Cleveland and Piedra Vista, who have a combined record of 27-0, the Demons have won five consecutive games.McInnes led the Demons at the plate, going 2-3 at bat with two hits, two runs and three RBIs after a three-run homer. Seniors Landin “Bubba” Padilla and Brady Hoerl each went 1-1 at bat.Anderson pitched five innings for the Demons, finishing with four strikeouts, 10 hits and three runs. McInnes pitched the other two innings, finishing with a strikeout, one run allowed and three hits.Coen Anderson of Durango High School pitches against Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideFarmington dropped to 7-7 overall after the loss. The Scorpions are 5-2 in their last seven games, with the two losses coming to Durango.“It was a complete game on both sides, and they outpitched us,” Farmington head coach Kary King said. “They executed their pitches when it counted most.”The Scorpions struck first to start the game. With a 2-2 count, Farmington senior Danny Hagstrom drilled a hit over left field, resulting in a home run and a 1-0 lead. Fellow senior Gabe Matamoros followed that up with a nicely struck hit into center field, but Durango senior Dylan Burns made a fantastic diving catch for the first out. Farmington senior Adam Wiese responded with a hit on the next pitch, resulting in a single.Anderson responded with two strikeouts to end the inning, and Durango escaped the top of the first only down 1-0.“He was great,” Hibbeler said about Anderson. “He got back in there; he gave us a chance … It was really fun to watch, and that’s not enough runs to beat our offense. We know that, so as long as Coen keeps filling it up, or any of our pitchers, our offense is going to take care of business.”McInnes started the bottom of the first with a nice grounder to right field; junior Duncan Walsh was walked, but the Scorpions responded with a triple play off a line-drive hit from senior Austin Romero to end the inning up 1-0.“We didn't give them really any extra outs, so we played clean defensively,” King said. “We turned a triple play. That was kind of cool, too.”Davis Porch of Farmington High School fields the ball and starts a double play at second base while playing Durango High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideFarmington continued its strong defensive play in the second, not allowing the Demons to score despite Durango getting two runners on base. The Scorpions increased their lead to 2-0 at the top of the third after two errors by the Demons.Farmington’s strong start vanished in the bottom of the third. The Scorpions’ pitching couldn’t find the strike zone, allowing Durango to get on base with two walks. Demons senior Ollie Peterson advanced to third via steal, and Peterson got home after tagging up. McInnes then got home on a nice Romero grounder to tie the game at two going into the fourth.After escaping the top of the fourth down 3-2 despite allowing four hits, the Demons’ bats exploded with power at the bottom of the fourth.Junior Grady Feeney had the most beautiful hit of the day to that point, a perfect driven hit over the third baseman that rolled just inside the line to the fence and bringing Padilla home to tie the game. That hit was contagious as Hoerl hit a similar ball down the right side, bringing Feeney home and giving the Demons their first lead of the game, 4-3.Then, McInnes showed his power that everyone saw on the football field in the fall. He smashed a three-run homer over center field to give the Demons a 7-3 lead. Anderson kept the good momentum going with a few strikeouts to end the top of the fifth.“Balls started finding holes,” Hibbeler said. “We were having great at-bats. We had some matchups where we got some guys in. Brady Hoerl comes in, breaks it open. Grady Feeney's a guy that's been awesome in practice, breaks it open for us.”The Demons added a run in the fifth and the sixth, with Padilla smashing one to center field to bring home Anderson in the sixth for Durango’s ninth run. Farmington loaded the bases in the fifth, but the Demons didn’t allow the Scorpions to score.Durango plays at Falcon on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Hibbeler feels really good about his squad. He knows his team needs to continue to mesh, figure some things out and handle business this weekend.Farmington plays a doubleheader at Rio Grande on Saturday.bkelly@durangoherald.comOllie Peterson of Durango High School fields the ball and gets the out at first base while playing Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideDawson McInnes of Durango High School slides safe into second base as Calob Schofield of Farmington High School goes for a high throw on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideOllie Peterson of Durango High School fields the ball while playing Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideDuncan Walsh of Durango High School slides into second base while playing Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBrideDylan Burns of Durango High School makes a diving catch in left field while playing Farmington High School on Tuesday at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/bayfield-boys-basketball-goes-bonkers-on-bobcats/</link>
        <title>Bayfield boys basketball goes bonkers on Bobcats</title>
        <description>Wolverines complete season sweep, 65-37</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:33:05 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wolverines complete season sweep, 65-37Bayfield's Kingston Martinez limits the mobility of Ignacio's Trace Crane (3) during 3A/4A Intermountain League action Thursday night inside BHS Gymnasium. (Joel Priest/Special to the Herald)ccaJunior sharpshooters Hayes Malone and Drew Jepson combined to cash seven 3-pointers and total as many points as 3A Bayfield allowed visiting 3A Ignacio in a resounding 65-37 win Thursday night before a capacity crowd cramming BHS Gymnasium.Coincidentally, Malone and Jepson’s aggregate 37 was also as many as the Wolverines had scored in their previous outing – a 25-point loss this past Saturday in La Jara to struggling 3A Centauri – as they entered the second battle with IHS actually having lost three of their most recent four.But not even 90 seconds into the showdown, it was clear Bayfield had already shifted into a higher gear; sophomore guard Harrison Williams got the scoring started with a 2-point take, and then Jepson and Malone each connected from deep – putting BHS up 8-0 and pressing Bobcat boss Trae Seibel into using a needed timeout with 6:34 still left in what ended up an incendiary opening eight minutes.Senior forward Rance Rathjen managed to get the guests on the scoreboard with a 2-pointer, but the Wolverines (12-7 overall, 5-4 3A/4A Intermountain) closed out the quarter on a 10-0 run punctuated by a late triple by reserve junior guard Henry Ferrell, assisted by sophomore reserve Davis Roderick.Having great difficulty breaking BHS’ full-court pressure, and more in getting even the best of offensive looks to fall, Ignacio (8-10, 1-7 IML) got two free throws and a basket early in the second quarter from senior forward/center Trace Crane, but did not crack double figures until junior guard William Mendoza-Lechuga drove baseline for two points with just 1:29 left.By that time, Bayfield had carved through the ’Cats like a hot knife through room-temperature butter and increased the margin to 37-10. When halftime finally arrived, the Wolverines’ 46-12 advantage – built up, in part, by junior Cameron Queen’s eight points, seven from Jepson and six from Malone – was too great to overcome.Jepson’s fourth trey in the game swelled BHS’ lead to 58-23, and though IHS junior guard Thunder Windy Boy managed to convert a three-point play and also make three of three FTs after being fouled on an attempted three-ball with 2:20 left in the third quarter, Bayfield all but capped the conquest with a fierce transition dunk by junior forward Tanner Vyborny, plus another last-second Ferrell special – made after he claimed an offensive rebound, then dribbled unchecked into the corner nearest BHS’ bench.Down 63-29 through 24 regulation minutes, the Bobcats won the final frame 8-2. Crane ended up 4-of-5 from the foul line and with 14 points; Windy Boy was 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and tallied 10.Malone racked up a game-high 19 points and grabbed no fewer than seven boards. Jepson tallied 18 points.Bayfield will take a break from league work and head to non-league 3A Telluride on Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. start. Results from the Wolverines’ Friday home game versus 3A Monte Vista (10-8, 3-5 IML) were unavailable at press time. Ignacio was to next host CHS (8-10, 3-5) on Friday then await a visit on the Tuesday from menacing 4A Montezuma-Cortez.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/ignacio-girls-lose-boys-win-in-2025-home-openers/</link>
        <title>Ignacio girls lose, boys win in 2025 home openers</title>
        <description>Ignacio girls led by Marissa Olguin; boys led by Trace Crane</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:48:01 -0700</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ignacio girls led by Marissa Olguin; boys led by Trace CraneIgnacio's Trace Crane and Durango's Brady Hoerl fight for the ball off a rebound on Friday at DHS. (Matt Hollinshead/Durango Herald)ccaSenior guard Marissa Olguin scored nine points and senior forward/center DaLaney Wesner scored six, but the Ignacio High School girls basketball team’s long-awaited home opener Thursday evening didn’t end as the squad would have liked. Despite a late surge from the Bobcats, the visiting Del Norte Tigers came away with a 34-28 win.After finishing the first quarter down 16-8, Ignacio narrowed the gap to 23-17 at halftime and 27-25 to start the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the home team, Del Norte had a strong fourth quarter and denied the comeback attempt, closing out the six-point win. The Tigers improved their record to 4-2 on the season, while the Bobcats fell to 4-4 overall.Exploding for two threes and 12 first-quarter points, Del Norte sophomore guard Emma Parra paced all players with her four treys and game-high 25 points. From the foul line, DNHS made seven of 16 attempts; IHS ended up 12-of-23. Ignacio visited 2A Dove Creek (5-3) on Saturday. Results against the Bulldogs were unavailable at press time.IHS BOYS CRUISE TO HOME WINPowered by junior guard/forward Trace Crane’s 22 points (including 10 in the third quarter), the Ignacio boys dominated nonleague 2A Del Norte 74-48 on Thursday night. The Bobcats improved to 5-4 overall while handing the 1-5 Tigers their fourth straight loss.Playing for the first time this winter on their own floor, the Bobcats also got three 3-pointers and nine total points from junior Stoney White Thunder-Lucero, plus 4-of-4 free-throw shooting and eight total points from junior D.J. Hendren.DNHS trailed practically from the beginning and was down 18-4 after the first quarter. The visiting Tigers went into halftime down 37-16, but attempted a comeback by outscoring IHS 18-14 in the third, helped by six points from senior guard Tyler Atencio and five from both junior forward Noah Bailey and senior forward LaShawn Trujillo.Atencio did all he could to keep Del Norte in the game, hitting one 3-pointer and totaling 10 of his game-high 24 points during the fourth quarter. But IHS was able to ride White Thunder-Lucero’s three fourth-quarter 3-pointers to a comfortable win.Ignacio visited Dove Creek (4-4) on Saturday. Results against the Bulldogs were unavailable at press time.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/bayfield-harriers-trade-leadville-for-loyds/</link>
        <title>Bayfield harriers trade Leadville for Loyd’s</title>
        <description>Wolverines, Dolores hit Monticello meet</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2022 22:08:29 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wolverines, Dolores hit Monticello meetBayfield's Tristan Sager competes in the Boggy Draw Bear Chase on Friday. Sager would finish 22nd in the race. (Joel Priest/ Special to the Herald)ccaAltering its 2022 schedule, Bayfield cross-country elected to remain in the Four Corners for Labor Day weekend and competed Friday at the Loyd’s Lake Classic in Monticello, Utah, instead of traveling to Leadville for the Saturday’s Lake County Invitational.Junior Tristan Sager again led the Wolverine boys, placing 36th in 21 minutes, 18.2 seconds and helping BHS finish seventh in the team standings with 214 points. Sophomore Hunter Carroll finished 48th in 23:39.3, and freshman Daemon Christner was 50th in 25:22.8. Freshman Tristan Bennett took 52nd in 29:40.1, and sophomore Will Kennedy-Jones ended up 53rd only 1.4 seconds later, to round out Bayfield’s tea score.Grand Junction Central won the team title with 20 points, and meet-hosting Monticello (UHSAA Class 1A) took second with 78. Utah’s 5A Provo came in third with 82, just ahead of 2A Salina, Utah’s North Sevier (86). Central completed a top-three sweep in the individual standings with seniors Alex Fisher (16:31.7), Shalom Trowbridge (16:38.7) and Jackson Edwards (17:08.7).From Utah’s Class 3A ranks, Moab-based Grand County went 1-2-3 in the girls varsity feature as sophomore Ainsleigh Kasprick (20:36.6) and senior Cora Baird (20:50.9) followed junior Cadence Kasprick (20:20.7) across the finish line. Grand County took home the team title, with their 27 points one-half that of runners-up G.J. Central.The lone Lady Wolverine in the three-miler, freshman Wrenalee Moore, finished 34th in 31:01.3.Lowe leads DoloresRepresenting CHSAA’s Class 2A division, Dolores also sent a small contingent to the Loyd’s Lake Classic.In the girls race, sophomore Elia Lowe finished 11th in 23:42.4, sophomore Maya Lowe placed 16th in 24:44.5, and sophomore Keira LaRose took 20th in 25:38.6.Freshmen Aaron Nielson (22:48.5) and Bridger Beyhan (22:56.4) placed 45th and 46th in the boys varsity event, and sophomore Wyatt Kiddoo (25:30.5) came in 51st overall.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-girls-lacrosse-rallies-to-beat-telluride/</link>
        <title>Durango girls lacrosse rallies to beat Telluride</title>
        <description>Boys fall to league-leading Fruita</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2022 01:44:08 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Boys fall to league-leading FruitaVictoria Barletta of Durango High School takes a shot at the Telluride High School goal on Friday night at DHS. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe Durango girls lacrosse team battled snow flurries and the Telluride Miners on Friday in Telluride.With heavy snow falling in the first half, Telluride took a 5-3 lead into the break. The snow lightened up a bit in the second half, and the Demons picked up their play to complete a monster comeback and win the game, 8-7.“The Demons just wanted it more today,” said DHS head coach Eric Elliott.Victoria Barletta scored four goals and had a 50% draw control to lead Durango.“Vicki played huge again in the midfield,” Elliott said. “When you need something to happen, you can count on Vicki to come up huge.”Annabel Carithers scored two goals for DHS, while Sophia Kothe and Emmylou Willis each scored once. Chloe Bowen also had an assist in the game.Goalie Harvest Dobbins made it difficult on the Miners’ offense. “Once again, Harvest Dobbins stepped up in goal with some huge saves,” Elliott said.After Durango rallied to take the lead, Telluride had a chance to tie in the final few seconds, but its final shot sailed wide.DHS improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the 4A Mountain West with the win. Telluride slipped to 4-4, 3-3. Next, DHS will host Montrose (2-8, 0-5) at 4 p.m. Thursday.Durango boys fall to Fruita-Monument, 11-2The Durango boys lacrosse team continued playing good defense at home on Friday against the undefeated Fruita-Monument Wildcats, but its offensive struggles also continued.“We played good defense today,” said head coach Luke Miller. “Holding that team to 11 goals is a pretty good feat with how potent their offense is.” Three of Fruita’s goals were also man-up goals.“We had 11 caused turnovers. That’s a great game and gave us a lot of extra chances,” Miller said. “Our defense, I couldn’t ask any more out of them.”Goalie Bode Ensign continued playing well and made 14 saves. The coach, however, said there were a couple of shots he’d want back.Fruita led 2-0 after the first quarter, 6-0 at halftime and 8-0 heading into the fourth quarter.Henry Howe got DHS on the scoreboard with a goal 42 seconds into the fourth. Later in the quarter, Sam Carozza assisted Howe when he buried a high shot into the net that made the score 9-2. DHS created a few other scoring chances, but missed wide or high.“We just need to take better care of the ball,” Miller said, noting that sometimes the defense would work for a while, then its offense would shoot quickly and Fruita would come back on the attack.Fruita got a goal with eight seconds left for the final margin.DHS is now 1-8 overall and 1-6 in the 4A/5A Mountain league. Fruita improved to 11-0, 7-0.DHS will be on the road next week against Glenwood Springs and Battle Mountain. “Hopefully we can get a couple wins these last few weeks and sneak into the playoffs,” Miller said.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/bayfield-finishes-strong-to-beat-englewood/</link>
        <title>Bayfield finishes strong to beat Englewood</title>
        <description>Ignacio blows out Newcomb; FLC stumbles</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 04 Sep 2021 23:49:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=03ABCAD1-2B79-53F8-9789-C1434DD11395&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.0175&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.96625&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ignacio blows out Newcomb; FLC stumblesBayfield quarterback Isaac Ross tosses a pass Saturday against Englewood. BHS won the game, 26-13. (Cody Olivas/Durango Herald)ccaTrailing by one with 10 minutes left, the Bayfield football team rallied to beat Englewood High School on Saturday, 26-13.Senior Cael Schaefer sparked the rally for BHS. Englewood took the lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass. But on on the ensuing kickoff, Schaefer fielded the ball about the 20 and returned it over 40 yards to Englewood’s 39.“Cael got the juices flowing again and we realized it was ours for the taking,” said BHS head coach Gary Heide.Deegan Barnes ran for 18 yards on the next play, then quarterback Isaac Ross completed a 17-yard pass to Schaefer to get to the 4-yard line. On first-and-goal, Ross completed another pass to Caden Wood, who caught the ball at the 1 and bulled his way into the end zone.After a successful 2-point conversion, BHS went up, 20-13, with 7:14 left.Bayfield’s defense then continued its strong play, making back-to-back tackles for losses and eventually forcing Englewood to punt.“Our defense was stellar all game long,” Heide said.Bayfield picked up a couple first downs and then Ross completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to William Sullivan for some insurance.WIth the win, Bayfield improved to 1-1 overall and Englewood slipped to 0-1-1. Next, Bayfeild will have two weeks to prepare for its Sept. 17 game at Aztec (1-2).Ignacio rollsIgnacio traveled to Newcomb, New Mexico, on Saturday to take on the Skyhawks. Ignacio, however, dominated the game and cruised to a 52-0 win to start its season 2-0.Fort Lewis stumblesBrayden Miller of Fort Lewis College looks for a receiver downfield on Saturday while playing New Mexico Highlands at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe Fort Lewis Skyhawks kicked off its season Saturday at home against New Mexico Highlands. The Skyhawks, however, fell behind early and never recovered, losing the contest 44-7.See Wednesday’s edition of The Durango Herald for the complete stories.Kieran Fry of Fort Lewis College returns a kickoff Saturday while playing New Mexico Highlands at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride/Durango HeraldClayton Rutz of Fort Lewis College drives to make a tackle on Saturday while playing New Mexico Highlands at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccacolivas@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/demon-runners-ready-to-pack-together/</link>
        <title>Demon runners ready to pack together</title>
        <description>DHS girls ranked No. 3 in the Class 4A</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2021 01:52:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=18A6FC39-D4BD-5A32-9D02-5011F7556E96&#038;function=cropresize&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;q=75&#038;width=1200&#038;x=0.12875&#038;y=1.0E-5&#038;crop_w=0.74375&#038;crop_h=0.99999" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[DHS girls ranked No. 3 in the Class 4AThe Durango High School girls cross country team hangs out before practice on Aug. 19 at the school. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe Durango cross country teams are ready to race, and right off the bat they’ll get to see how they stack up against some of the top teams in the state.On Saturday, the team will run at Battle Mountain and the DHS girls, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A, will likely get to compete with No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state, defending champion Niwot and Battle Mountain. The girls finished fourth in the state last season and only lost one runner from its pack. The DHS boys, meanwhile, finished sixth in the state last season after scoring a league title, but graduated half of its state team. Niwot also won the boys title last year while Battle Mountain placed fourth.“I’m anxious to see where we stand,” said DHS head coach Ken Flint.“It’s intimidating, but at the same time it’s cool to compete with the top teams,” junior Willow Lott said.For the DHS girls, the team’s strength comes in how close all of its top runners are to each other.“The difference between our first runner and last runner (on varsity) is minimal,” Ashley Forrest said.During a two-mile time trial earlier this season, Flint said the team’s top-seven girls all finished within 30 seconds of each other, which is similar to last season.“Last year we had the best pack time in the state,” senior Angela McManus said.“Our pack time was one minute,” Lott said.Running together also helps the girls pace each other and push each other. McManus said Lott, for instance, goes out fast so she’ll stay behind McManus for the first mile and then Lott will pass her and McManus will try and keep up.“It pushes you past what you think you can do,” McManus said about running in a pack.Lott led the team at state last year with a 17th-place finish in 19:32. McManus placed 24th; Abby Frehr crossed 30th; Tea Forrest finished 39th; Maddy Persing, the team’s lone senior to make the trip, placed 47th; and Kristina Bodewes finished 72nd.“A lot of girls from state last year are back, we only lost one senior,” Tea Forrest said. “We’ve been getting in some quality workouts and have been able to push each other.”The coach also said the team has some strong freshmen this season, including Bryn Aggleles, Sophia Voss and Dewa Ilg. Ilg actually started her high school career by winning the Boggy Draw Bear Chase last Friday in Dolores. “It was great,” Ilg said. “My goal was to win it, but I wasn’t fully expecting to.”Voss, meanwhile, said this her first time competing on a running team, while Aggleles said she’s “super excited” be running with the older athletes. “Everyone is so fast and so nice,” Aggleles said.The Durango High School boys cross country prepares for its season on Aug. 19 at the school. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaOn the Durango boys’ side, most of its state squad from last year graduated, but it returns a couple of its top runners.“The guys lost five of their top-seven so there’s some good opportunities for younger kids to step up and get some experience,” Flint said.Seniors Land Lambert and Damian Frausto will lead the charge this season. Lambert finished 24th in the state last year in 16:35, while Frausto placed 54th in 17:17. Paul Knight led the team with a 10th-place finish in 15:59, becoming only the second Demon to run a sub-16 on the state course at Colorado Springs’ Norris Penrose Events Center. Aiden Quayle, meanwhile, finished 48th, Sam Persing placed 89th and Jack Benner finished 93rd at state.Frausto and Lambert said they want to become the third and fourth Demons to crack the 16-minute mark at state and also finish in the top-10 this season, and started the season already in good shape.“I’m in way better shape than before,” Frausto said. “It takes a lot of outside preparation. You really have to be self motivated to have any results.”“We’ve taken about a week off in the last year,” Lambert said.Other Demons have also shown they’re up for the challenge.“We have a few freshmen looking pretty good, just the sixth and seventh positions we’re trying to figure that out,” Frausto said.“The key with the guys is staying healthy,” Flint said.Besides this weekend’s race and the state meet, the Desert Twilight in Arizona is one the athletes have marked in their calendars.“Desert Twilight is one I’m looking forward to,” Lambert said. “It’s on fast grass with good competition.”“All of the southwest goes there and you run at night,” Tea Forrest said.“It’s such a fun trip,” Lott said. “It’s at sea level and it’s super fast, everyone is wearing glow sticks and they have fireworks at the start.”The team will also host a race Oct. 1 at the Hillcrest Golf Club, including a community race. “It will be a fun thing,” Flint said.The coach also said he was thankful to have some strong assistant coaches this season, including Maddie Obernersser and Bathany Gleason. “They add value to the team and are working to make these kids better.”The coaches and athletes, however, just seemed glad at the prospect of a normal season again.“I’m just thankful to have a season this year,” Flint said. “I’m appreciative of the time they get to run. It’s special to be part of a team and we’re trying to build memories for these kids that will last.”The Durango High School cross country team sits together without have to wear masks on Aug. 19. Last year, the athletes had to mask up right until their races started. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)cca]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/tennis-community-rallying-around-demons/</link>
        <title>Tennis community rallying around Demons</title>
        <description>Durango High School beefs up schedule to raise its level</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2021 21:50:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango High School beefs up schedule to raise its levelGriffin Hall practices on Wednesday at Durango High School. He is the team’s No. 1 singles player this season. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe Durango High School boys tennis team has roughly 34 athletes this year. “It’s one the largest teams in a while,” said head coach Todd Jolley, noting that DHS is able to have a junior varsity team now, which it didn’t have in the past.Fortunately for Jolley, many members from the local tennis community are chipping in their time to help the athletes improve their games.“Members from the Durango Tennis Association come once or twice a week and work with the boys,” Jolley said.Jolley’s assistant coaches include former Division I player Dani Phillis, longtime head coach Dave Weisfeldt, junior varsity coach Brian Boughton, last year’s head coach Mike Moriarty, Tom Stritikus and several other specialists.“I appreciate the help from the tennis community; It really is the tennis village raising this team,” Jolley said. “My first year there was four of us, so to have five adults committed has shown (its development).”Todd Jolley, head coach of the Durango High School boys tennis team, talks with players during practice on Wednesday at the school. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaJolley is also an assistant coach for the DHS girls tennis team and said “it’s nice to have cohesion between the teams.”The Demons got off to a strong start last weekend in Grand Junction, beating Grand Junction Central and Smoky Hill while leading Steamboat Springs before getting rained out. Its lone loss was to Regis Jesuit, but the coach said that was the best experience they got at the competition.“I think we did really well for the first tournament,” senior Griffin Hall said. “Our doubles did great and our singles did decent.”Last season, Griffin and his twin brother Rowan Hall played at No. 4 doubles for the Demons. The seniors, however, spent a lot of time on the court since then and climbed to the top of the ladder this season. Griffin is the team’s No. 1 singles player and Rowan is playing at No. 3 singles.“Tennis is about the resources you put in ahead of time,” Jolley said. “Players who go to camps and tournaments (in the off season) have an advantage.”“We played almost everyday all summer,” Rowan said. “We played a lot and worked hard at it.”The brothers are lucky too because, as Rowan said, “we always have someone to play with.”Rowan Hall, Durango’s No. 3 singles player, returns a shot on Wednesday. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaPlaying singles, however, is different than doubles since you don’t have a teammate to rely on.“Singles is a different game pretty much,” Griffin said. “Doubles is quicker while singles has longer rallies and more baseline shots.”As the team’s No. 1 singles player, Griffin also gets to play every team’s top player.“It’s hard, but it’s fun,” Griffin said. “I’m glad I get to play all of the great players.”Other players returning for the Demons include Calan Barnhardt and Carter Ward.Jolley said Barnhardt, the team’s No. 2 singles player, is, “incredibly level-headed and such a hard worker,” while Ward is, “incredibly dedicated.”Calan Barnhard, the team’s No. 2 singles player, practices on Wednesday. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaThe coach also said Durango’s doubles teams, “play incredible at the net and are also very aggressive.”Patrick McBrayer, Leo Stritikus, Hays Stritikus, Will Benac, Nate Claassen, Hunter Gray and Michael Shires also competed on varsity during the team’s first tournament.The team’s lineup and ladder are also pretty even. “This year it was incredibly close,” Jolley said. “There was a lot of split sets and tie breakers and four or five positions went to a third set. Twelfth through 16th were incredibly close too.”Patrick McBrayer, left, and Carter Ward take a quick break on Wednesday. The duo is Durango’s No. 1 doubles team this season. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)ccaOverall, however, the coach just likes how the team acts and carries itself.“Our attitude and integrity are phenomenal,” Jolley said, adding, “Our sportsmanship and integrity come before results every time.”The team, however, still has some big goals for the season.“I would love for us to send everyone to state on our varsity lineup,” Jolley said. “Our regional competition is something I think we can overcome, and I’d rather shoot high than low.”To prepare for the regional and state competitions, the team beefed up its schedule this season and will play more teams from the Front Range.“We do well on the Western Slope, but then we go to state and have a hard time against 5A championship teams,” Jolley said. “We wanted to make sure we play some of them before.”“I think it’s great,” Rowan said. “Playing better teams makes us better and it makes us play up a little.”“We’ll play teams we’ve never played before,” Griffin said. “It’s good for us and it’s fun.”Durango was originally scheduled to host Basalt on Sept. 1, but the school has a shortage of bus drivers, so it can’t make the overnight trip. Instead, the two teams will play at a neutral court in Montrose. Durango’s lone home match will be against Fruita Monument on Sept. 17-18.This weekend, the team will compete Air Academy’s tournament. Aspen and Vail Christian, meanwhile, will be among the toughest team’s toughest competition on the Western Slope.DHS head tennis coach Todd Jolley talks with players during practice on Wednesday at the school. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)cca“I think it’s going to be a great season,” Griffin said.“They’re very nerdy in the most endearing way; they’re certainly unique for how studious they are,” Jolley said. “They’re just cool, nice kids. I want my kids to be like them.”colivas@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-girls-lacrosse-gets-sweep-of-rival-montrose/</link>
        <title>Durango girls lacrosse gets sweep of rival Montrose</title>
        <description>Demons eager to perform in home opener</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 19 May 2021 03:10:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango's Victoria Barletta, right, goes up to try to win the draw against Montrose on Tuesday in the Demons' home opener. Courtesy of Eric ElliottDemons eager to perform in home openerPlayign at home for the first time in two years, the Durango High School girls lacrosse team may have been a little too energized to start Tuesday’s rivalry game with Montrose.But the Demons (2-1, 2-1 4A Mountain League) settled in nicely to earn a 12-1 home victory only three days after they earned a 13-5 win against the same Montrose team on the road.“Our players came out a little too amped up,” said DHS head coach Eric Elliott. “They really wanted to put on a show for the home fans. We called an early timeout to get everyone’s emotions in check and then came out of that timeout a whole different team.”Elliott said the team also felt a little pressure Tuesday to deliver a win for junior captain Alexia Wold on her birthday. The Demons had no problem doing that, and Wold would score a goal to help make it happen.DHS freshman Annabel Carithers scored the game’s opening goal followed by a goal from sophomore Pearl Burbey. Then, sophomore Victoria Barletta would score three times for the Demons.Elliott said the story in the 12-1 win Tuesday was the Demons’ defense.“All our defenders played a solid game really making it difficult for Montrose to move the ball past the restraining line,” he said. “The effort was led by the exceptional play of Nellie Miller and Jaden Rambo, two of the cornerstones at defense.”Elliot said senior goalie Madeline "Goose" Kothe didn’t see the ball come her way often, but she stepped up her game whenever called upon.In Saturday’s 13-5 win at Montrose (0-3, 0-3 ML), Burbey and Barletta scored four times each, and Allie Elliott had two goals to lead the Demons. Also with one goal each was Wold, Emmylou Willis and Sophia Kothe.Wold led DHS with eight groundballs, while Chloe Bowen had five. Kothe made two saves.DHS will stay at home for its next game at noon Saturday against Grand Junction. A game scheduled for Friday at home against Telluride has had to be rescheduled for later this season.jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durangos-fiddler-plays-winning-tune-to-beat-piedra-vista/</link>
        <title>Durango’s Fiddler plays winning tune to beat Piedra Vista</title>
        <description>Solid start on mound, homer leads Demons to big road win</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2021 04:49:00 -0600</pubDate>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">B509E942-541C-410F-ADF1-00BFE321A753</guid>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango High School's Elias Fiddler watches his first home run of the 2021 spring season leave the park in a game Wednesday against Piedra Vista in Farmington. Courtesy photoSolid start on mound, homer leads Demons to big road winElias Fiddler was in tune all afternoon Wednesday against a mighty Piedra Vista baseball team.The Durango High School senior was the winning pitcher in six innings of work and also belted a key home run in the Demons’ 6-2 win Wednesday in a game played in Farmington.“It was great. We love playing PV because we grew up with all those guys,” Fiddler said. “We always have a big rivalry with them, and I am happy we got the chance to beat them after a few years of losing to them.”Fiddler went six innings on the mound in his start Wednesday at the Farmington Sports Complex. After giving up one run in the first inning, he settled in and didn’t allow another. He struck out five, issued three walks and surrendered five hits.At the plate, Fiddler was 2-for-4 with the two-run home run.“It was a real big day for Elias,” DHS head coach Rob Coddington said. “He did a great job competing for us.”Fiddler, who is the regular catcher this season for DHS (3-0), said he doesn’t pitch often, but his experience behind the plate has helped him work effectively on the mound.Durango High School senior Elias Fiddler delivers a pitch Wednesday against Piedra Vista High School in Farmington. He was the winning pitcher in six innings of work. Courtesy photo“I’m not a pitcher, and it’s not what I am going to do in college, but we had a lot of younger guys step up today behind me and especially behind the plate calling the game for me,” Fiddler said. “Shout out Tanner Coddington for playing a great game at catcher”It was Tanner Coddington’s first varsity game at catcher. The sophomore teamed with Fiddler for a big second inning defensively for the Demons. DHS made two strong defensive plays behind Fiddler for two outs, and Coddington threw out a runner trying to steal second to get Fiddler out of the inning in only six pitches.To lead off the third, Gage Mestas hit his second triple in as many days, and he would score on the Fiddler homer two batters later to give DHS a 3-1 lead."My first at-bat, their pitcher started me with a fastball and then a curve and then came back with another curve,“ FIddler said. ”I figured my second at-bat that I would sit fastball first pitch. I got it, and I didn’t miss.“Mestas was 3-for-4 in the game with a run batted in, two runs scored and a stolen base.DHS added a run in the sixth on a monster solo homer from junior Jordan Stanley who went 2-for-4 at the plate.Teammates congratulate Durango High School junior Jordan Stanley after his home run Wednesday against Piedra Vista in Farmington. Courtesy photo“Jordan Stanley broke out real nice today,” coach Coddington said. “That homer was a monster shot into the wind, and he did a real nice job playing center field for us, too.”The Demons added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, as Ben Finneseth doubled off the top of the wall before a Mestas RBI single and then a sacrifice fly by Cal Walsh scored another run.That allowed Niko Mestas to pitch a comfortable seventh inning to close out the victory against the Panthers (3-5).“It always feels good to compete in Farmington,” coach Coddington said. “Somebody told me a few months ago that Durango baseball couldn’t compete with some of the local teams down here. That’s something I think, not just me but when I told the kids that, there’s really good baseball from Grand Junction all the way down to Farmington, and we have a lot of respect for everybody and all the talent and how hard everyone competes. For us, it’s not as enjoyable when you’re not out there competing and able to put pressure on those teams.”Durango High School shortstop Gage Mestas fires a throw over to first base for an out Wednesday in a game against Piedra Vista High School in Farmington. Courtesy photoNow, DHS will prepare for the 5A/4A Southwestern League opener Saturday at Grand Junction. Many expect the matchup between the Tigers and Demons to determine the league title chase.DHS will have all pitchers available, including both Mestas boys.“We’re really confident having Gage and Niko ready to go on the mound,” Fiddler said. “It’s a confidence booster for our team. Today was a good win that has us feeling good going into it.”jlivingston@durangoherald.comDurango High School shortstop Gage Mestas attempts to put the tag on Piedra Vista's Parker Smartt in action Wednesday in Farmington. Courtesy photoDurango High School's Chase Robertson attempts to get Piedra Vista's Matt Swarts out at second in the Demons win Wednesday in Farmington. Courtesy photo]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/tichi-leads-durango-girls-golf-to-historic-week/</link>
        <title>Tichi leads Durango girls golf to historic week</title>
        <description>Demons post lowest team score ever, Tichi breaks 80 twice</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2021 03:45:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Durango High School senior Lilly Tichi is getting it done on the greens with back-to-back rounds of 78, the first two times she has ever shot lower than 80. Courtesy photoDemons post lowest team score ever, Tichi breaks 80 twiceDurango High School head coach Kirk Rawles had never had a varsity girls golfer shoot lower than 80. He also never saw a team score as low as the Demons did Monday at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction.Led by Tichi’s 7-over-par 78 to win the Tiger Invitational on Monday, the Demons shot 246 as a team to beat Vail Mountain by eight strokes. Montrose finished third with a 279, Fruita Monument was fourth at 282, and Gunnison was fifth at 302 in the loaded 14-team field.“We hit a major milestone,” Rawles said. “It’s a landmark win with us shooting 246, the lowest our program has ever shot. Lilly was huge for us, and the supporting cast doing that, everybody shooting in the 80s and 90s, is really what you need to do, and we were able to do it.“I think we are certainly going to be competitive with this team this year and am very optimistic about what we can do the next month.”The Durango High School girls golf team recorded a program record-low 246 on Monday at Bookcliff Golf Club in Grand Junction to win the tournament. Courtesy photoTichi’s 78 was one shot better than Vail Mountain freshman Logan Hale to give her medalist honors. She made a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole to make the turn at 2 over, and she didn’t record worse than bogey on any hole on the back-nine to finish 7 over.“It’s pretty awesome, the first time I’ve been under 80 in any round, so that’s pretty cool,” Tichi said.Backing up Tichi was sophomore Zayda Mestas, who shot 12-over 83 to tie for third. Durango junior Summer Bonnar, who had a birdie on the par-5 12th, shot 85 to finish sixth. Natasha Walcott shot 94 to tie for 11th and send the Demons to the team victory. DHS senior Kathryn Paul also shot 100 to finish 17th.“We didn’t get to play last year, which was unfortunate, but to see this team come out of the gates without a lot of experience and learning as they go, they have been so smart about what they’re doing and all having a ton of fun acquiring knowledge and wanting to get better,” Rawles said.The Demons turned around Tuesday and won again at the Wildcat Invite at Adobe Creek National Golf Course in Fruita. Tuesday, the Demons shot 262 to beat Gunnison by 17 shots. Fruita Monument was third with a 288, Montrose was fourth at 295, and Palisade was fifth with a 321 in the nine-team tournament.Tichi again fired a 78. This time, that was 6-over-par. But Eagle Valley junior Kylee Hughes shot 2-over 74 to win it.Under the watchful eye of Durango High School girls golf coach Kirk Rawles, Lilly Tichi has turned in consecutive rounds of 78 this week at Bookcliff Golf Club and Adobe Creek National Golf Club. Courtesy photoTichi started Tuesday on the back-nine and made the turn at 7 over with two double bogeys on her card, but she shot 1 under on her final nine holes with birdies at Nos. 3 and 8 with one bogey on No. 7, a par-5.“That 1 under today is a first for me, as well,” Tichi said. “I’m just focused and having lots of fun right now.”Tichi said she has put in more practice than ever before coming into her senior season and feels confident tee to green, where her putting has always been a strength.“I put a lot more hours in than I have during a normal season. I’m just not doing a ton right now other than golf,” she said. “My consistency with ball striking has really improved.”Rawles was even more impressed with Tichi’s 1 under on her last nine holes, as she played alone without her coach there to give any advice.“Her focus, being in the moment for every shot has been impressive,” Rawles said. “The goal was to see how many greens she could make in regulation. She’s charting her own game, taking control and ownership of her game. When you see a player shooting that well, you want to steer clear and let them go.”The Durango High School girls golf team poses with the trophy after winning the Wildcat Invitational at Adobe Creek National Golf Club on Tuesday in Fruita. Courtesy photoAlso for DHS on Tuesday, Walcott and Mestas both shot 92 to tie for fifth. Walcott birdied the short par-4 No. 8, while Mestas had birdies on Nos. 5 and 9. Bonnar placed ninth with a 96. Paul tied for 23rd with a 115.“It’s super fun seeing everyone having a good time,” Tichi said. “This team is new to this, so seeing them post all these low numbers is exciting for the whole team.”Next, DHS will host a small meet May 19 at Hillcrest Golf Club. Though the Demons are hitting new highs by going low, Rawles believes there is plenty of room for improvement before regionals and state.“For me, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Rawles said. “We really need to work on our putting on different kinds of greens before we go to the Front Range for regionals and see all those teams. That’s been a thing that has gotten us in the past is getting used to different greens.”jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/pair-of-5-1-losses-for-prep-soccer-teams/</link>
        <title>Pair of 5-1 losses for prep soccer teams</title>
        <description>Bayfield, Ignacio each fall</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 08 May 2021 02:57:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Bayfield junior Jamaica Garza (21) clashes with Salida's Hayden Bevington (15) during Friday afternoon's non-league match inside Wolverine Country Stadium. Joel Priest/Special to the HeraldBayfield, Ignacio each fallThe Bayfield High School girls soccer team got onto its home field for the first time since the 2019 season Friday.The Wolverines welcomed the Salida Spartans. Despite an opening-minute goal from Mattie Moore, BHS (0-2) would fall 5-1 to the visiting Spartans in a non-league contest.Moore got her goal off a corner kick, as her strike from the corner would deflect off Salida goalkeeper Makiah Parris into the goal.Salida would tie the match at 1-1 in the 15th minute on a goal from Eva Capozza. In the 39th minute, the game-winning goal would come from Rachel Pelino, who was assisted by Quinn Barkley.BHS nearly tied the match before halftime, but Parris denied freshman Preslie Wagner on a close-range shot before the break.In the second half, the Spartans (1-0) would score in the 48th minute, as Toby Lawson directed a free kick from just outside the goal box. Pelino was able to get her foot on the ball to beat BHS goalkeeper Jaden Cooper for her second goal of the match.Jayda Winkler would score on a breakaway for Salida in the 54th minute with a shot placed into the bottom right corner of goal. The final Spartans strike was in the 61st minute, as Elise Bosanko blasted a shot in from 25 yards out.BHS will open league play at 11 a.m. Saturday at Alamosa.Del Norte 5, Ignacio 1The Ignacio High School girls soccer team fell 5-1 on the road in its season opener Friday.The Bobcats would receive a goal from senior Caitlyn Chapman. Full game statistics were not available.Ignacio is scheduled to play Ridgway at noon Saturday.Joel Priest contributed to this report.jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-gets-ball-rolling-in-win-against-bayfield/</link>
        <title>Durango gets ball rolling in win against Bayfield</title>
        <description>Five players combine for nine DHS goals</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 03:51:53 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=FD749AD3-6A9D-4D96-A154-FFF1B70A7AD4&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Five players combine for nine DHS goalsDurango High School’s Mia Whistler pushes the ball past Bayfield High School’s Kyra Rogers on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald Melissa Halonen had waited a year and a half for her first game as head coach of the Durango High School girls soccer team. It finally came Tuesday. “I had been with these girls for so long, but this was my first game. It’s exciting,” she said after Tuesday’s home opener against Bayfield High School. “I was nervous and excited (Monday) night, and it’s just so great to be able to finally play.” A new head coach a year ago, Halonen and the rest of Colorado saw the girls soccer season canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the first-year coach and the Demons were eager to finally get after it Tuesday on their home field. After testing the waters a bit in the opening few minutes, the Demons (1-0) exploded against the Wolverines (0-1) to secure a 9-0 victory. “It’s great. Everybody worked hard today, got some goals and some good touches. That’s what matters,” said DHS sophomore Mason Rowland, who scored three consecutive goals to give DHS a 4-0 lead. Rowland and her older sister Kyle, who scored one goal, both just returned from the DHS volleyball team after that season ended Saturday. On limited practice time together, DHS showed no problem adapting quickly to a new sport, a new coach and a new system.Tatiana Peccedi of Durango High School battles for the ball with Aubree Farmer of Bayfield High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald “It was good to get the ice broken and score those goals and connect passes together,” Halonen said. “We are playing a new system for a lot of the girls, so a game like this to get comfortable was great.” It was Georgia Landeryou who got the first goal for the Demons. After Mason Rowland’s onslaught, Clara Krull then scored twice. Sarah Somrak would get two of her own, and Kyle Rowland would score the last. Jocelyn Feir started in goal and got the win for the Demons. Bayfield (0-1) is also learning a new system under head coach Chris Zoltowski. He was pleased with the first 10 minutes but said the Wolverines lost the shape of their formation after allowing the first few goals.Emma Duke of Durango High School moves the ball against Bayfield High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald “I’m really excited about this new formation, and we were able to catch some film on it today so we can talk pros and cons,” he said. “Getting out here and playing again after the year we had, it’s like a family reunion. I am so happy for our seniors to get back out here and have this opportunity.” Zoltowski is eager to see his attackers get a chance to shine in 2021. He will look to freshman Preslie Wagner to have an impact inside of junior wingers Emaliah Sawyer and Mattie Moore. He is also confident in his senior captains Jaden Cooper and Cayanne Carlson and his experienced defensive back line. “We are very solid on the back line and can deliver,” Zoltowski said. “Our offensive players do well communicating, and I look forward to seeing what they can do together. BHS is back in action at 4 p.m. Friday at home against Salida. Durango will start league action at 5 p.m. Thursday at Grand Junction. “It’s going to be a tough league with Junction, Montrose and Fruita,” Halonen said. “I think we can compete right up there with them and give them a run. It’s going to be a competitive, tough and quick season.” jlivingston@durangoherald.comDurango and Bayfield players wait for a corner kick to be played in Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-demons-pounce-on-aztec-tigers-for-15-runs/</link>
        <title>Durango Demons pounce on Aztec Tigers for 15 runs</title>
        <description>Clean fielding, strong pitching back up bats</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 03:20:20 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Clean fielding, strong pitching back up bats No errors in the field, strong pitching and hot bats got the Durango High School baseball team off to a fast start Tuesday in Aztec. The Demons were anxious to hit the field for the 2021 season. The 2020 team had high hopes of making a deep run in the Class 4A state tournament, but the season was canceled shortly after the Demons completed their first and only game of the year, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports. Fourteen months later, the Demons dug their cleats back in the dirt for a season-opener on the road against the Aztec Tigers (1-1). DHS (1-0) wasted no time in scoring the first runs of the year with three in the top of the first before going on to slam the Tigers 15-0.Durango High School&#x2019;s Niko Mestas was the starting pitcher in the Demons&#x2019; win over Aztec High School on Tuesday.Courtesy “We hit a lot of balls on the infield, a slow infield, and had guys hustling to first base. That was great to see,” said DHS head coach Rob Coddington. “The guys were ready to play ball, which was great. It was good to be down here on a nice day where we got good pitching, good defense and productive at-bats to get a win.” Niko Mestas was the winning pitcher for the Demons. In three innings, he allowed two hits and two walks and struck out three. Gage Mestas came on in relief and threw two innings of no-hit ball. He also didn’t issue a walk and struck out five. “We were supposed to host Farmington for a doubleheader Saturday, but that is canceled because they are in quarantine,” Coddington said. “So with only one game this week, it was good to get both Niko and Gage in there to get their work.”Durango High School third baseman Cal Walsh catches a bouncer to third and throws to first for the out in the Demons&#x2019; win over Aztec High School on Tuesday.Courtesy Coddington said the two games against Farmington will be rescheduled for a May 19 home date and a June 1 road trip. DHS added four runs in the second inning Tuesday to go with one in the third and seven in the fourth to set up the run-rule victory. Cal Walsh went 3-for-4 with three runs, a run batted in and a double. Elias Fiddler was 3-for-4 with two doubles to go with three RBIs and three runs scored. Niko Mestas went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and an RBI. Chase Robertson was 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Noah Pritchard was 1-for-2 with four RBIs. Gage Mestas also added a double on a 1-for-3 day at the dish, Tommy Barnes also had a triple and Jordan Stanley also had three base hits. “We have tremendous talent and a bunch of kids who want to win,” Coddington said. “They are confident and competent baseball players. We are looking forward to getting back on the field and continuing to work.” DHS will now host Delta at 3 p.m. Tuesday in its home opener. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-girls-golf-second-at-conquistador/</link>
        <title>Durango girls golf second at Conquistador</title>
        <description>Tichi, Mestas lead team under 90</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2021 02:06:23 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=F52A7FE2-EAC5-4684-90C4-690B17F567C5&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Tichi, Mestas lead team under 90du1-i-syn At long last, seven Durango High School girls golfers got to make their tournament debuts. After the 2020 season was canceled by COVID-19 and DHS was unable to make a trip north last week because of weather conditions, the chance to play the Cortez Invitational at Conquistador Golf Course on Tuesday was a welcome opportunity for the Demons, which finished second as a team with a three-player score of 374, which was 19 shots behind tournament winner Piedra Vista. “The biggest thing is we actually got to play,” DHS head coach Kirk Rawles said. “Getting through quarantines and figuring out who is going to be eligible to play and then actually getting on the course together is the biggest thing.” DHS was led by returning star senior Lilly Tichi, who shot 15-over-par 87 to tie for fourth place. Piedra Vista’s Annie Yost, an eighth grader, shot 5-over 77 to win, while her teammate Shandiin Harper shot 79 to take second. Farmington’s Mari Caldwell was third after shooting 12-over 84. While Tichi has played in big high school tournaments several times in her career, the other Demons played for the first time representing DHS. Zayda Mestas, a sophomore, shined as she shot 88 to finish sixth. Sophomore Natasha Walcott shot 95 to place ninth, and senior Kathryn Paul shot a 104 to finish 10th. Playing in an event in the Four Corners, Rawles took the opportunity to send eight players. Junior Summer Bonnar shot 107 to tie for 12th, junior Ava Orndorff tallied 109 to place 14th, sophomore Claire Paul carded a 112 for a 16th-place finish, and sophomore Eliza Bosmans shot 120 to finish 19th in the 27-player field. “Lilly is the only one from our team who has ever played in a high school golf tournament because the girls didn’t get to play last year,” Rawles said. “We are trying to get mileage as quick as we can and get them up to speed. Getting to play with the girls from Piedra Vista, they realized they can be pretty good and see where they can step up or what they can do a little better to compete with those players. “For our first trip, this was great. We got a snapshot today, and I am excited about where we can go.” DHS will compete again Thursday at Montrose. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/dove-creek-blanks-ignacio-in-season-opener/</link>
        <title>Dove Creek blanks Ignacio in season opener</title>
        <description>Errors, wild pitches cost Ignacio</description>
        <pubDate>Tue, 04 May 2021 20:30:56 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Errors, wild pitches cost IgnacioDove Creek shortstop Kevin Purkat prepares to throw out an Ignacio Bobcat at first base during Tuesday afternoon’s season-opener at IHS Field. His relief work on the mound would prove even more essential to the visiting Bulldogs’ success.Joel Priest/Special to the Herald IGNACIO – Given about the most difficult task a relief pitcher can face, Kevin Purkat all but admitted he may not have been the most ideal choice to be put atop the mound with season-opener hosting Ignacio having loaded the bases and turned their lineup over. But with Dove Creek starter Branson Smith having recorded two outs during the bottom of the fourth inning before exiting after a bases-loaded walk to nine-hole hitter Jace Carmenoros, who’d doubled to deep center his previous time up, the visiting Bulldogs needed just an out from their shortstop-turned-hurler on Tuesday afternoon. Facing leadoff Bobcat Jacob Gallegos, whose two earlier grounders Purkat had successfully fielded, the senior managed to induce yet another bouncer to short. Gallegos was thrown out at first, and the threat had been avoided. “I hadn’t pitched in a while, but it felt good getting up there,” said Purkat. “Everything was just feeling good; I was throwing strikes and my defense was there to back me up.” Committing zero errors on Ignacio High School’s synthetic surface, Dove Creek would sew up a 5-0 win retiring 10 Bobcats consecutively with Purkat, one of several former Dolores Bears now combining forces with DCHS, earning a save in long relief of Smith. Smith was the winning pitcher after going 3 2/3 innings with three hits and two walks allowed along with two hit batters. He struck out four. “Error-less baseball, really good defense and a shutout? You can’t ask for better than that,” Purkat said after striking out four and not allowing a hit. “Overall, it went really good, just like we wanted it to.”Ignacio pitcher Holland Roukema fires to the plate during Tuesday&#x2019;s season-opener at IHS Field versus Dove Creek. Roukema struck out seven Bulldogs in his five innings of work, but fanned twice himself as the Bobcats fell 5-0.Joel Priest/Special to the Herald Ignacio was limited to just the three hits in the game, leaving the Bobcats wanting more out of the lineup in upcoming games. “We definitely need to clean it up in the infield, but our outfield did solid And once we find our sticks, we’ll be alright,” said Ignacio sophomore second baseman Eppie Quintana, who went 1-for-2 with a double and a walke. “Hopefully, we can change that these coming practices.” Purkat would get the guests on the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning, reaching on a Quintana fielding error and then reaching second when Ignacio starting pitcher Holland Roukema, who pitched five innings allowing two runs on one hit and five walks while striking out seven, couldn’t collect a Kendall Gardner comebacker. Purkat then took third on a wild pitch to J.J. Brunner and then scored when Brunner bounced out to first baseman Adam House. Gardner, who walked three times and scored twice, would later score on a two-out wild pitch to Isaiah Knox, but Knox, who walked four times, would be thrown out at home plate attempting to score on a short Smith single to right. Despite trailing 2-0, Roukema had no problem recomposing himself and worked through the visitors’ fourth and fifth sustaining no further damage. “I just relaxed and did my own thing,” said Roukema, whose final pitch resulted in Gallegos, just a freshman, calmly turning an inning-ending 6-3 double play off Bulldog cleanup hitter Hayden Gray’s bat. “We should have won this game. Had a couple errors, but we’ll clean that up.” Given the ball to face Dove Creek (1-0) in the top of the sixth, Ignacio senior lefty Dylan Labarthe, who’d started in center field, stranded runners at second and third as he survived his first inning of work. But after the Bobcats (0-1) went 1-2-3 in the home half, Labarthe ran into trouble in the tell-all seventh. In his 1 1/3 innings of work, he walked five, gave up one hit and struck out two. He was charged with one of the three runs surrendered while he was on the hill.Ignacio&#x2019;s Jace Carmenoros, left, leads off from third base during Tuesday&#x2019;s season-opener at IHS Field, though held near the bag by Dove Creek&#x2019;s Hayden Gray. Carmenoros rapped one of the Bobcats&#x2019; two doubles to deep center, but neither he nor Eppie Quintana managed to score in a 5-0 loss.Joel Priest/Special to the Herald Facing new pitcher Gabe Tucson, sophomore Cole Taber then hit a chopper to second. But as baseball fate would have it, a relocated Roukema couldn’t make the scoop, allowing Brunner to score on the error. Hustling around third base, Gray’s gamble also paid off as Roukema’s rushed throw home missed the catcher’s mitt. Tucson, who struck out two, managed to then freeze freshman No. 7 hitter Gage Buffington and fan freshman No. 8 Jon Purkat to extinguish the fire, but the damage proved irreparable. “We were really looking forward to this game, the start of the season, to get us rolling. Bayfield will be really tough, so this was a good warm-up,” said Kevin Purkat, looking to Thursday’s non-league home doubleheader versus the 3A Wolverines. Carmenoros finished 1-for-2 in defeat with a double and a walk, and senior catcher Lawrence Toledo went 1-for-3 with a single as the Bobcats will next face opposition Saturday when they host 2A Meeker for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. “It’ll be good competition,” said Quintana. “I hear they’re pretty good, so it’ll be a gauge for us to see how we’ll do.”]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-girls-basketball-starts-red-hot-against-bayfield/</link>
        <title>Durango girls basketball starts red hot against Bayfield</title>
        <description>Wolverines regrouping after key departures</description>
        <pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2021 19:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=B879DBAD-4AA6-4578-A2A2-1F1EC138D2E8&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Wolverines regrouping after key departuresPlayers took to the court with no applause and masks on their faces. But when the ball went into the air for the first tipoff of the 2021 season, it all felt just fine to the Bayfield Wolverines and Durango Demons.The cross-county rivals clashed Tuesday afternoon in the first girls basketball game of the season that had been postponed and shortened to seven weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While parents and student sections were absent from the game, the intensity of varsity basketball was visible during Durango’s 40-17 win against the visiting Wolverines.“It was really exciting. I feel safe saying everybody was ready to play and happy to get out on the court again,” said Durango sophomore Mason Rowland. “It’s definitely different, but the opportunity to play is amazing right now under the circumstances.”Mason Rowland of Durango High School looks for a shot while playing Bayfield High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango HeraldRowland started the game with a first-quarter flurry. She went 2-of-2 from the field and 4-of-4 at the foul line in the game’s opening quarter to help the Demons take a 12-4 lead. She finished with a game-high 13 points, and she pulled down several rebounds and steals.“We all wanted to start strong in our first game being back,” she said. “I think we did that. It was a good win, a good way to start the season out, and I hope we can keep going with this.”Bayfield hung tough in the second quarter to stay within 24-13 at halftime, but Durango’s defense limited the Wolverines to one point in the third quarter. It was a Cayanne Carlson layup through a foul in the final minute of the fourth quarter that would go down as Bayfield’s lone made field goal of the second half. Carlson made her free throw to finish with a team-best 12 points.Bayfield High School girls basketball head coach Josh Kitchen talks with his team during a timeout while playing Durango High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald“Cayanne is going to be massive for our team with her leadership and ability to score,” said BHS head coach Josh Kitchen. “We’d like the score to be different and have more options to score at the hole, but I was happy with our effort in our first game. We had no summer ball with COVID and only four practices, so I was happy with the effort.”While Durango looked like a team ready to make another run in the Class 4A playoffs with six seniors and the continued improvement of Rowland, the Wolverines resembled a much different team than what fans last saw in 2020 when BHS went 9-13 overall. This year’s team is without last year’s top four scorers, none of which were seniors last season.“It’s always tough to lose girls who have been part of what we’ve done and built,” Kitchen said. “You hate to see any of the girls go. You’re never going to replace people who have been a huge part of who you are. But we have girls with talent, and we have to find ways to use that talent. I’m not sure who we are yet, but I know we’re going to play hard.”Bayfield High School and Durango High School played a tough physical game on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango HeraldThat was evident throughout the game, as both teams fought to the final whistle with bodies hitting the floor regularly. Abby Tate added five points for the Wolverines, while senior guard Madison Wells orchestrated the BHS offense.For Durango, senior Maddy McManus scored nine points and proved to be a threat from all over the floor, while center Sydney Flores made life difficult inside for the Wolverines, as she added seven points.Brenna Wolf hit a big 3 for the Demons near the end of the third quarter to end a dry spell, and she also was key in helping DHS force numerous turnovers.Brenna Wolf of Durango High School looks to pass the ball while playing Bayfield High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald“We really haven’t worked on our defense much with only four practices,” DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said. “I was pleased with our offensive execution. We had some turnovers, but the kids executed the right passes. We didn’t knock down some shots, but we will knock those down. The girls were just anxious to play, and we wanted to get out there and do something. It felt great to see them play.”Last season, DHS went 15-10 overall and won a first-round playoff game before a second-round loss at Green Mountain. With so many experienced players, DHS can expect more great things in 2021, but Fitzpatrick said he isn’t talking about that yet.“They want to get back to where we were last year and see what happens,” he said. “But we need to stay in the moment and keep it day to day right now.”Durango High School finishes up a socially distanced timeout while playing Bayfield High School on Tuesday at DHS.Jerry McBride/Durango HeraldDHS will play on the road Friday and Saturday at Delta and Telluride, respectively. The Demons will return home Feb. 2 to play Centauri. Delta and Centauri were both 20-game winners a season ago.BHS will begin its league season Friday at Pagosa Springs before a Saturday trip to non-league Mancos. BHS won’t play at home until it will host Montezuma-Cortez for a league game on Feb. 13.“It’s going to be about composure for us,” Kitchen said. “Some of that will come with playing together and getting used to each other’s tendencies.”jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/resurrection-christian-fights-back-to-beat-bayfield-for-regional-title/</link>
        <title>Resurrection Christian fights back to beat Bayfield for regional title</title>
        <description>Serving errors in fifth set cost Wolverines</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 02 May 2021 02:32:30 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=63B2898D-9732-4A51-8CDD-545795A46A6D&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Serving errors in fifth set cost WolverinesBayfield High School senior Brooke Merchant looks to hit around Resurrection Christian on Saturday in the 3A Region 6 title game.Courtesy of Travis Prior As they had done all season, the Bayfield High School volleyball team showed its resiliency after going down one set and trailing early in the season of the regional championship match Saturday. Resurrection Christian later would show its will, too. The No. 6 Wolverines stormed to a 2-1 match lead behind gritty defense and powerful hitting before No. 11 Resurrection Christian rallied back to claim the fourth set and force a decisive fifth in the 3A Region 6 championship matched played inside the Bayfield High School gymnasium. Bayfield got out to a 3-0 lead in the fifth set and led 6-3 after an Annie Fusco kill. But the Cougars clawed back into the set behind four Wolverines serving errors. A tip kill from sophomore Reagan McWhinney would help Resurrection Christian tie the set at 7-7, and another point from her gave the Cougars a 9-7 advantage. Though senior Brooke Merchant came through with a booming kill and a strong block to help Bayfield, the Wolverines were unable to come back after another McWhinney kill broke through the BHS block to make it 12-9 Cougars, who went on to claim a 15-9 victory. Resurrection Christian (10-4) would win the match 3-2 (25-18, 26-28, 19-25, 25-17, 15-9) to punch a ticket to the Class 3A state tournament.Bayfield High School sophomore Kenasea Byrd tips a shot past Resurrection Christian on Saturday.Courtesy of Travis Prior “We just believed in ourselves,” McWhinney said. “We talked in the huddle between sets, and we realized that volleyball goes to four or five sets for a reason. It’s not over for us. We had a lot of hope and kept believing in each other the whole match.” The Cougars will now advance to the eight-team Class 3A state tournament to be played next week at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. “This is insane; this was our dream this year,” McWhinney said. “With how crazy it’s been with COVID pushing back our season and everything, we are going to celebrate this.” The loss ended another strong season for the Wolverines (9-5), which were one of three teams from the 3A Intermountain League to earn the right to host a regional. “I thought it was a fantastic match,” BHS head coach Terene Foutz said. “I thought we hung tough defensively against their hard driving offense. Our serve receive game held, and we had opportunities to compete in the match. “The unforced errors were merely part of the story. The difference in the fifth set was that we did not respond offensively as we should have. Too many off speed shots versus a hard drive response. They kept swinging, we did not.” Earlier in the day, both the Cougars and Wolverines blasted their way past Denver Science & Tech: Byers (11-2). The Wolverines beat them 25-4, 25-14 and 25-15. The Cougars would beat them 25-14, 25-12, 25-6, setting the stage for the title match. Resurrection Christian controlled the first set, finishing the 25-19 win with a McWhinney kill. The Cougars looked to do the same in the second behind a 15-8 lead before the Wolverines started to get hot when seniors Macee Schulz and Melissa Roberts began to add to the attack of Fusco. A huge hustle play to chase down a ball that bounced off a ceiling light fixture brought the Wolverines, as well as the crowd, to life, and suddenly BHS got back within 19-18 to force a Resurrection Christian timeout. But the Cougars regrouped and went back up 23-18 to force another Bayfield timeout. The Wolverines got right back into it behind two Schulz kills sandwiched around one from Merchant before a Fusco swing painted the line and tied the set at 24-24.Bayfield High School senior Macee Schulz blocks a hit from Resurrection Christian&#x2019;s Kylee Nordhagen on Saturday in the 3A Region 6 championship match at BHS.Courtesy of Travis Prior Schulz and Kylee Nordhagen would exchange kills to extend the set before Bayfield finally claimed it 28-26. “Bayfield has some girls who can pound the ball,” Resurrection Christian head coach Ben Reeser said. “We knew we had to be a very good defensive team today to deal with them.” It was all Bayfield in the third set against a visibly frustrated Cougars team. Fusco, Roberts and Schulz teed off when set, and Schulz began scoring in bunches with blocks. “She’s an amazing player,” McWhinney said of Schulz. “We just had to take some angles and avoid going right at her.” Resurrection Christian felt its game come back to life late in the third set despite a 25-19 loss that gave them a good feeling going into the fourth. “We did not play well in the third set. To come back in the fourth, we had to spend a lot of energy and focus,” said Reeser. “The fourth set I knew we could get through, but the amount of energy it costs you often times costs you the fifth set. I’m super proud of them for fighting through it.” When the match was over, BHS retreated to its locker room for an emotional end to the season while Resurrection Christian gathered for team photos and a celebration with the regional championship plaque. The Wolverines later emerged from their locker room with the small but loud and proud student section and the rest of the small crowd still there waiting to applaud each and every player as they came back onto the court. It was a salute deserving to a team that fought through the COVID-19 altered 2020-21 school sports season to get to one of the biggest stages in their sport. “No words to fully encompass how I feel about this group,” Foutz said. “They are an incredibly hard working team who have proven to be resilient. Although today wasn’t our day, that changes nothing. We view our season as a success because of all they gave to it and who they are becoming because of it. It was an awesome experience” jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-high-school-volleyball-swept-out-of-4a-regionals/</link>
        <title>Durango High School volleyball swept out of 4A regionals</title>
        <description>Pair of 3-1 losses end season for Demons</description>
        <pubDate>Sun, 02 May 2021 01:50:29 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pair of 3-1 losses end season for Demonsdu1-i-syn A league championship season wonâ€™t end with a trip to the state tournament for the Durango High School volleyball team. Seeded ninth, one place out of being able to host a Class 4A regional, the Demons went on the road to face Thomas Jefferson and Discovery Canyon in the 4A Region 8 tournament Saturday in Colorado Springs. No. 9 DHS would lose both matches to see its season end with a 10-5 overall record after going 7-1 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League to win the league title for the first time since 2011. The Demons finished the year on a three-game losing streak and lost five of their final seven matches. No. 8 Discovery Canyon, the regional host, would beat No. 17 Thomas Jefferson 3-0 to advance out of the group and into the eight-team state tournament. DHS took one set from each opponent Saturday, losing 3-1 in both matches. Set scores for the loss to Thomas Jefferson were not available. Discovery Canyon beat the Demons 25-14, 25-16, 20-25, 25-14. Paityn Kramer led the winning team with 17 kills, while Rachel Clawson had 11 and Addyson McCarthur had 10. The home team had nine aces in the match, led by Kiley West with four and McCarthur with another three. West dished out 44 assists. DHS will lose six players to graduation going into next season. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/bayfield-earns-home-court-for-3a-volleyball-regionals/</link>
        <title>Bayfield earns home court for 3A volleyball regionals</title>
        <description>Adaptability makes Wolverines dangerous to opponents</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 03:03:11 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=9652B8AD-D616-43A6-B825-EFDC986F4F95&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Adaptability makes Wolverines dangerous to opponentsBayfield High School senior Melissa Roberts leads the Wolverines in kills going into this weekend’s 3A Region 6 tournament, which the Wolverines will host.File courtesy of Travis Prior Playing a tough schedule in one of if not the top Class 3A leagues along with facing three strong Class 4A opponents paid off in a big way for the Bayfield High School volleyball team. The Wolverines were one of three teams from the Class 3A Intermountain League to earn the right to host one of eight regional tournaments Saturday, and all five IML schools made it to the 24-team regional. The winner of each regional will advance to the state tournament. “We’re going into the regional as though we are an underdog,” BHS head coach Terene Foutz said. “That’s how we’re viewing this situation. We’re just going to play hard, simply put.” That’s all Bayfield (9-4) has done for the better part of April. It started with three consecutive five-set wins before a 3-1 road triumph at previously undefeated Durango High School. In winning five of their final six games of the regular season, BHS also posted a 2-1 record against Class 4A squads. Along with the win against the Demons, that included a five-set victory Saturday at Montrose after going behind 2-0. The one 4A loss came Friday to Palisade in another five-set match. The Palisade Bulldogs earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A regionals. All three 4A foes the Wolverines faced made regional brackets, as Montrose is No. 20 and Durango was seeded ninth. Last weekend’s road split at Palisade and Montrose filled the Wolverines with belief going into regionals, something Foutz has had since a pair of five-set league wins against Centauri and Alamosa to start the three-week run for the Wolverines. “Usually, we go to the Palmer Ridge tournament and play three matches against 4A teams the last week of the regular season,” Foutz said. “Given the intensity of those two matches last weekend, we definitely got our money’s worth traveling up there. We felt we learned a lot in the course of two days.”Sage Killough of Bayfield High has been a setting machine all season with 450 assists in 52 sets played.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file Bayfield’s only losses all season have come to playoff teams. The Wolverines were swept by Montezuma-Cortez, the champion of the IML which was awarded the No. 2 seed in the 3A regionals. Alamosa, which BHS split its two-game series with, was awarded the No. 8 seed and also will host a regional. Also from the IML, Centauri got into regionals as the No. 14 seed going to No. 3 Sterling, while Pagosa Springs is the No. 21 seed and will travel to No. 4 Lamar’s region. Scheduled to travel Saturday to Bayfield will be No. 11 Resurrection Christian (8-4) and No. 19 DSST Byers (11-0). The Wolverines will open action at noon against DSST Byers, champion of the 3A/2A Confluence League. DSST Byers and Resurrection Christian will then play the second game before the Wolverines’ showdown with the Loveland-based Cougars around 3 p.m. “We’ve spend time researching both, more on Resurrection Christian,” Foutz said. “They play in the Patriot League against a traditionally strong conference. We don’t put any weight into rankings, and we know we are gonna have to play and execute well.” BHS has three players with more than 100 kills this year, led by senior Melissa Roberts, who has 166 with an impressive .374 hitting percentage. Annie Fusco has emerged as a killing machine with 138 after a strong weekend on the Western Slope. Macee Schulz also has 116 kills and a .274 hitting percentage.Macee Schulz of Bayfield High School has been a force at the net all year.File courtesy of Travis Prior The Wolverines have been a strong serving team all season with 112 team aces for an average of 2.2 per set. Emily Nelson leads the squad with 25 aces. She also has a team-high 208 digs. Sage Killough has amassed 450 assists this season in 52 sets played. Last week at Montrose, Foutz switched to a two-setter formation in the third set with sophomore Bailey Martinez working into the 6-2 offense. That adaptability, no matter what Foutz does, will give the Wolverines a strong chance to survive regionals and make it to the eight-team state tournament. “That’s unique for us this year. I have depth I haven’t seen in years past,” Foutz said. “The key is learning to manage it well, to not make it too situational. There’s always a coach on the other side of the net who can also counter when I make a change. We’ve had as many as six lineup changes this season in any given match. But our girls being able to change made a big difference this past weekend, and this team embraces lineup changes.” jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-volleyball-misses-hosting-regional-by-one-spot/</link>
        <title>Durango volleyball misses hosting regional by one spot</title>
        <description>Demons hope to regroup in Colorado Springs</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 03:02:40 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Demons hope to regroup in Colorado SpringsLainey Voss of Durango High School has been all over the floor for the Demons during her senior season. DHS will need every bit it can get on the road at regionals Saturday in Colorado Springs.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file The Durango Demons knew they were on the bubble of being able to host a Class 4A regional volleyball tournament going into Fridayâ€™s regular-season finale at home against Fruita Monument. A win could have seen the Demons seeded as high as sixth, but a loss could mean having to go on the road. A tough 3-1 loss to the Wildcats ultimately would see the Demons slip to the No. 9 seed when the Colorado High School Activities Association announced the eight regionals Monday. Now, Durango High School will hit the road to Colorado Springs to play against No. 17 Thomas Jefferson and No. 8 Discovery Canyon. DHS (10-3), the champion of the 5A/4A Southwestern League, will first face Thomas Jefferson (10-3) at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The Spartans went 9-2 in the 5A/4A Denver Prep league to finish second behind Denver East, which earned the 13th seed in the 5AA regionals. The Demons will look to slow sophomore Laila Hitton of the Spartans, who leads her team with 142 kills to go with 24 blocks. DHS will have to hit around junior Eliana Chanell, who leads the team with 41 blocks to go with 73 kills. Discovery Canyon (8-3) finished third in the tough 5A/4A Pikes Peak League that features Rampart, the No. 2 team in the 5A regionals, and Cheyenne Mountain, the No. 2 seed in Class 4A. The team is led by senior Paityn Kramer, who has 104 kills in 43 sets played. Discovery Canyon senior Aaliyanna Codrington forms a formidable block with 39 this year to go with 58 kills. Durango has been a strong serving team all year with 126 aces, but Discovery Canyon is every bit as good with 115 aces this season in six fewer sets. Kramer has 26 of those, while junior Kiley West leads the squad with 28 to go with a team-high 289 assists. Durango will hope its well-rounded attack of Mason Rowland, Leah Wolf, Kyle Rowland, Paige Ammerman and Lainey Voss can keep the Thunder quiet. The Demons will also need to get back on track with three losses in their last five games after starting the season 8-0. jlivingston @durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/offensive-adjustment-sends-bayfield-to-wild-rally-past-montrose/</link>
        <title>Offensive adjustment sends Bayfield to wild rally past Montrose</title>
        <description>Five-set victory on road could help Wolverines earn home regional</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 24 Apr 2021 21:52:52 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Five-set victory on road could help Wolverines earn home regionaldu1-i-syn Friday night, the Bayfield High School volleyball team dropped the first two sets to a top-10 Class 4A opponent before rallying back to force a fifth set. But the Palisade Bulldogs got the better of the Wolverines in a tough fifth to win the match. Saturday afternoon, the Wolverines once again found themselves down 2-0 on the road against a mighty Class 4A foe, this time at Montrose. Yet again, BHS rallied back to force a fifth set, and this time the Wolverines prevailed to secure a massive split of the tough season-ending road trip across the Western Slope. After going down 25-19 and 25-14 in the first two sets, BHS won the next three 26-24, 25-20 and 15-9. The sudden change could be attributed to trust in a change in offensive tactics. “Grit and trust in the process got Bayfield through this match,” BHS head coach Terene Foutz said. “Unforced errors slowed us down, but we regrouped in the third set. I am proud of this team’s heart. It was a great learning weekend for Bayfield volleyball.” Now, the Wolverines (9-4, 5-3 3A/2A Intermountain League) are in position to potentially host a Class 3A regional tournament next weekend even after finishing in third place in their league. BHS climbed from sixth to fourth in the Colorado High School Activities Association RPI standings, while Alamosa, the second-place IML finisher, is in sixth. League champion Montezuma-Cortez has the top RPI in the classification. The Wolverines entered the week seventh in the coach’s poll, while Cortez was fifth and Alamosa was 10th. Both the coach’s poll, RPI as well as the MaxPreps.com rankings factor into playoff seeding. The top-eight teams will host a regional May 1. Brackets will be released Monday. Annie Fusco led BHS with 12 kills Saturday. Macee Schulz added 11, and Brooke Merchant finished with eight. Sage Killough dished out 22 assists, while Bailey Martinez was thrust into the game in the third set and finished with 15 assists. Emily Nelson led the way with 18 digs, while Fusco had nine more. Myrah Abdallah-Boehm recorded four aces. The key for BHS in the match was a switch in the third set away from a 5-1 offense into the 6-2 that saw Martinez come off the bench to set alongside Killough. Now, BHS awaits it regional fate. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/palisade-bulldogs-hold-off-fierce-bayfield-wolverines-volleyball/</link>
        <title>Palisade Bulldogs hold off fierce Bayfield Wolverines volleyball</title>
        <description>Regular-season finale Saturday for BHS</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 24 Apr 2021 04:16:22 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Regular-season finale Saturday for BHSJoel Priest/Special to the HeraldBayfield’s Annie Fusco (8) bashes a line kill off the block of Palisade’s Elizabeth Hawkins during non-league road action Friday night up in Mesa County.du1-i-syn In hostile territory in a big non-league game, the Bayfield Wolverines showed valiant fight. But the Palisade Bulldogs would win the prize Friday night in their home game against the Bayfield High School volleyball team. Palisade (11-2, 8-1 4A Western Slope League) claimed a 3-2 victory, 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 15-13. It was a fierce fight from Class 3A Bayfield against a Class 4A league champion. “Amazing match tonight,” Bayfield coach Terene Foutz said. “We were down 12-5 in the fifth, pushed it to 15-13. Fantastic offensive battle. I am proud of our serve team, and we kept Palisade off the net most of the match.” BHS (8-4, 5-3 3A/2A Intermountain League) racked up 16 aces, led by Karyssa Gosney’s six. BHS also had nine team blocks. Melissa Roberts had a huge night for the Wolverines with 17 kills with an astounding .592 hitting percentage. Annie Fusco also tallied 17 kills. “Her line shots were seriously good,” Foutz said of Fusco. “She’s been working on that really, really hard, and I’m proud of her for locating them. She’s smiling right now because she knows that she’s found her next level. As a hitter, her attack range has broadened, and that’s all you can ask of a hitter, not to be a one-note song.” Emily Nelson led the Wolverines with 22 digs, while Sage Killough distributed 48 assists. BHS will get one last chance at a regular-season statement win at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Class 4A Montrose. “We’re getting better inside of these matches,” Foutz said. “We want to play tough teams, improve trial-by-fire. I’m not going to coast and play small 2A, 1A schools to get a win. I don’t think that prepares you for regionals, so we are OK with risking a very good loss. That’s what we had today, and they escaped us.” Joel Priest contributed to this report. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/athleticism-scheme-lead-durango-volleyball-to-first-league-title-since-2011/</link>
        <title>Athleticism, scheme lead Durango volleyball to first league title since 2011</title>
        <description>Athleticism, scheme key to Durango’s first league title since 2011</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 24 Apr 2021 03:47:10 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=7468AC5F-3FAD-4BDE-B222-8114D9D91EEF&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Athleticism, scheme key to Durango’s first league title since 2011 When the Durango High School volleyball team couldn’t get together inside its gymnasium last summer to prepare for a fall season, the Demons went outdoors. And when the fall season was postponed until the spring, the Demons stayed outside. Playing grass volleyball, first-year Durango High School head coach Kelley Rifilato saw her new players transform their game. And without a player taller than 5-foot-10 in the starting rotation, Rifilato opted to implement a system that allowed her highly athletic but smaller team to shine. By the time the spring season began, the Demons were able to use that to surprise opponents en route to their first 5A/4A Southwestern League championship in a decade. “To win the league championship title in a year as crazy and as unknown as this one is so fulfilling,” said DHS senior captain Paige Ammerman. “We have been working hard since the beginning of this summer and prepared ourselves mentally to start in the most unexpected time. To end our regular season as seniors on such a high note is so exciting and very much deserved.” The Demons (10-3, 7-1 SWL) ended the regular season at home Friday night against Fruita Monument. DHS already had a two-game cushion in the league standings entering the match, which ended in a 3-1 win for the visiting Wildcats. DHS lost a grueling first set 31-29 before winning the second 25-17. A key third set went Fruita’s way, 27-25, before the Wildcats claimed a 25-22 win in the fourth. Fruita (9-3, 6-2 SWL) finished one game behind DHS in the league standings to finish second.Paige Ammerman of Durango High goes for a kill against Bayfield earlier this season at DHS. A soon-to-be college setter, Ammerman has shined doing a bit of everything on the floor for DHS as a senior captain.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file Now, Durango will look to the postseason with eight regional tournaments set for May 1 to determine the eight teams that will make the Class 4A state tournament, which will be played at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. The Demons are on the bubble of getting the chance to host one of those regionals and won’t know until brackets are released early in the week. “We can only keep our fingers crossed. Every day it seems to be something different with the rankings,” Rifilato said. “The girls have worked hard for that opportunity. Only 24 teams are making regionals this year, and only eight go to state out of more than 70 teams. It’s going to be a pretty elite thing if you make it to state this year, but this group can make that happen.” If Durango gets to state, it will be with the same balance it has seen all year. Sophomore Mason Rowland has led DHS with 138 kills, while fellow sophomore Leah Wolf has 106 and senior Kyle Rowland and Paige Ammerman have 89 and 79, respectively. And while Mason Rowland and Ammerman are getting it done in the hitting department, they are also leading DHS in assists, as Ammerman has 247 in 49 sets played and Rowland has another 193.Kyle Rowland of Durango High School digs the ball while playing Montrose High School earlier this season. Rowland is always analyzing each point, head coach Kelley Rifilato said of her senior captain.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file Ammerman, who will be a college setter at Minot State in North Dakota, has enjoyed the opportunity to play an all-around game in the system Rifilato has set up this season. “I attribute it to last summer and playing grass doubles outside,” Rifilato said. “Girls had to play the whole game, not just one aspect. A lot of kids are very position specific these days, but getting to play four or five months outside taught them the diversity of every position and having to do it all. “The girls on this team, their speed and athleticism speaks for itself. That has helped us be so balanced offensively but also created balance defensively because we never have holes on the court.” DHS uses its defense to set up its attack. While senior libero Leah Wesley has led the team in digs with 276, four other Demons have more than 100 digs. Kyle Rowland has 200, Lainey Voss has 131 and Mason Rowland and Ammerman each have 124.Lainey Voss of Durango High has been a steady presence for the Demons in every facet of the game during her senior season.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file And while DHS hasn’t been an elite blocking team this year, it has made up for it serving with 126 team aces, led by 33 from Ammerman. Because of the Demons’ diverse strengths, opponents haven’t had a player they know they can attack, and they also don’t know which hitter might get set at any time. “One thing we have definitely worked hard on in practice is spreading the net,” Ammerman said. “We have started in a lot of different rotations this year with hitters in many different spots, so I think as an opposing team it would be super difficult to try to anticipate what might happen.” Along with Ammerman, Rifilato praised the all-around play of fellow senior captains Kyle Rowland and Voss. “I think Kyle should become a coach. She’s analyzing at all times, and it’s nice to have a coach on the court like that,” Rifilato said. “With the masks on this season, there’s a lack of communication and they can’t always hear what I’m saying. Kyle steps up and can do that. “Lainey is so level-headed, but she’s the confident one who speaks up. She gives us that balance and can do literally everything on the court. Having all those different leadership styles has been big for us.” For Ammerman, the biggest key to the Demons’ success has been building trust. It hasn’t been easy in a fast and furious season, but it came quickly to a DHS team that had to adjust to all the changing elements created by COVID-19 along with a new coach and system.Mason Rowland of Durango High School has led the Demons in kills this season, as the highly athletic sophomore has played above the net all year.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file “We have adjusted incredibly well to the circumstances,” Ammerman said. “A lot of that is thanks to coach Rifilato. Kelley is always on top of it and has really advocated for us this year. Although this season has been super odd, there has really been no burn out. When we have three games and three practices a week, it’s tiring but super fun. All anyone wants to do is play. We are so thankful to Kelley’s commitment to our team this year. We couldn’t have accomplished this without her.” DHS finally had a full week to practice before Friday’s regular-season finale with Fruita Monument. Now, the Demons will get another week to prepare for the regional and the chance to push into that state tournament. “These girls have been so awesome. They have all been so accepting of their roles, including our three amazing freshmen who have been ready to go all year,” Rifilato said. “They are such a fun group to work with, and I hope it continues a few more weeks.” jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/ignacio-seniors-tabbed-for-2a-honorable-mention-list/</link>
        <title>Ignacio seniors tabbed for 2A honorable mention list</title>
        <description>Ignacio seniors honored by state coaches</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2021 20:30:49 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=FE6EE49E-6714-42E7-A8E4-AE7AF8F6FAF7&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Ignacio seniors honored by state coachesIgnacio’s Bryce Finn rises up for a deep shot at home against Telluride earlier this season. He would be named a Class 2A All-State honorable mention selection.Travis Prior/Special to the Herald One never really heard anybody on a basketball court using a nickname to get Bryce Finn’s attention. But with a signature upright, methodical, hard-to-guard 3-point jumper a primary weapon in his arsenal, a la former Ignacio and Fort Lewis College forward Ryan Brooks, to hear the current Bobcat tell it, it almost seemed biological he’d emulate the former Bobcat popularly dubbed “Chunk.” “I’ve been working on my shot since I was probably in sixth grade,” Finn said. “All of us seniors played on traveling basketball teams together, really played a ‘rez ball’ style where it was just run and shoot, and I was just this little chubby kid shooting 3s all the time.” That considered, a young Finn probably wasn’t expecting to one day become a frontcourt force, let alone at a maximum 6-foot-2, visibly shorter than a 6-6 Brooks type. “That affects a lot of players when you grow six inches,” he said with a laugh. “On your arms, it makes your shot a whole lot different. After I hit my growth spurt and stuff, I was worried my shot wouldn’t come back or stay with me.” Fortunately, as most every hoop head in the extended Four Corners knows, it definitely did, helping Finn cap a three-year varsity emergence with both First Team All-San Juan Basin League and Honorable Mention All-State honors in Class 2A. “Knowing that you were one of the best in your (league) three years straight,” said Finn, who saw action in all 17 of IHS’ contests and averaged 14.5 points per game. “I kind of get emotional about it because it’s coming to the end of an era where I won’t have that opportunity anymore. It means a lot.” Joining Finn in receiving both First Team All-SJBL and Honorable Mention All-2A was junior point guard Gabe Tucson, who booked 11.9 points per game in helping Ignacio, helmed by SJBL Boys’ Coach of the Year Chris Valdez, go 14-3 overall, 10-0 against all league opposition and 8-0 versus the SJBL’s 2A teams.Gabe Tucson of Ignacio High School puts up a 3-point shot over Crested Butte High School during the CHSAA Class 2A state tournament. He would be named a Class 2A All-State honorable mention selection.Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file Slowed in the season’s early goings by an injured right ankle and later lost early during a win at Sanford in the Class 2A State Tournament’s Sweet 16, senior guard Brady McCaw, who returned to pace the ’Cats offensively during their season-ending Great 8 loss at Limon, still logged 11.9 points per game and also received Second Team All-SJBL. “I missed games this season, so I wasn’t really able to prove’ myself,” McCaw said. “But it feels nice; I know I put in the work, felt like I deserved it.” For Finn, the 2021 season’s success started two years earlier when the team only went 10-10. He said the group didn’t feel like they truly had lived up to the reputation of being Ignacio basketball players. So, he said the Bobcats collectively went to work to change that. “That really poisoned us; I remember after that season how mad people were in the locker room after we lost at districts in two straight games,” Finn said. “Didn’t even qualify for regionals. People were so mad that it pushed us hard to start working. We didn’t want to be remembered as ‘that’ team. “It’s just a lot of hard work. The hours people don’t see, going to the rec center at 5 a.m., lifting weights, then shooting, then going back and playing games; that’s the work that can really change a player, make him one of the best.” Mancos junior forward/wing Connor Showalter was named SJBL Boys’ Player of the Year and was also a Second Team All-2A pick after totaling 19.2 points per game and helping new skipper Bob Archibeque’s Blue Jays (13-3, 9-2 SJBL) reach the Sweet 16, where MHS ultimately fell 57-52 to Julesburg-based Sedgwick County. Sedgwick, however, then lost by 30 to eventual state champion Wray, ultimately led to a 16-0 finish by boss Karson Kuntz and senior point guard Junior Arambula, named this month the classification’s Coach and Player of the Year, respectively.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/valdez-earns-all-state-honorable-mention-for-ignacio/</link>
        <title>Valdez earns All-State honorable mention for Ignacio</title>
        <description>IHS senior earns basketball honor</description>
        <pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2021 20:18:27 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=F3B42A88-3627-4BE2-AFE7-C611DBD6131D&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[IHS senior earns basketball honorIgnacio’s Charlize Valdez is pictured next to her mother, Cindy, and father, Chris, during a senior day ceremony earlier this season at Ignacio High.Joel Priest/Special to the Herald Disappointed to have fouled out while trying to disrupt Rocky Ford’s Mighty Meloneers during Ignacio’s Class 2A State Tournament Sweet 16 comeback bid, Charlize Valdez was at least somewhat contented by the fact she’d left the court with nothing left to give. “You’ve just got to be in the moment and play it out, take every moment and remember it,” the senior guard said. With the Bobcats completing the COVID-19 condensed 2021 season having at least logged a first-round victory inside IHS Gymnasium over Hoehne en route to a 10-5 finish finalized by a 49-40 loss at Rocky Ford, Valdez recently received Class 2A All-State honorable mention distinction on top of a First Team All-San Juan Basin League selection. IHS went 6-2 against all 2A/1A SJBL resistance, and 5-1 versus the circuit’s 2A crews. “I’ve had a big heart for basketball and sports in general from when I was little, ” she said. “And all four years of (high-school) basketball, going to every single practice, working my butt off then coming to the games and falling in love with the sport even more every day. So, it means a lot; it really does. I put in the work just doing what I love. It’s a big accomplishment.” Valdez totaled 149 points at 9.9 per game, while senior guard and First Team All-SJBL pick Jayden Brunson registered a team-most 197 at 13.1 per outing. Named Second Team All-League were senior center/forward Shelcie Gosney, who returned from knee surgery last season to total 119 points (7.9 ppg), plus junior guard/forward Avaleena Nanaeto (86 points, 5.7 ppg). Dove Creek senior guard Grace Hatfield, a Hastings (Neb.) College commit who averaged 20.5 points, was named SJBL Girls’ Player of the Year and also Second Team All-State in Class 1A. Julie Kibel received Coach of the Year for leading Dove Creek to the 1A state tournament’s Great 8, where the Bulldogs (14-1 overall, 10-0 SJBL) suffered a season-ending 40-38 loss at Kit Carson. Statewide, the Class 2A Player of the Year was Limon junior forward/guard Trista Marx; Bart O’Dwyer was chosen 2A Coach of the Year after guiding LHS (16-3 overall) to the state championship, 63-50 over Wray (13-4) inside Colorado Springs’ Broadmoor World Arena.]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-high-volleyball-clinches-first-league-title-since-2011/</link>
        <title>Durango High volleyball clinches first league title since 2011</title>
        <description>Demons end regular season at home Friday</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2021 01:41:22 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Demons end regular season at home Fridaydu1-i-syn For the first time in a decade, the Durango Demons are volleyball champions of the 5A/4A Southwestern League. Durango High School clinched that status with a dominant 3-0 win against Grand Junction on Saturday followed by an equally impressive thumping of Grand Junction Central on Monday. DHS (10-2, 7-0 SWL) will host Fruita Monument at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the regular-season finale. Fruita Monument and Montrose each have two league losses, so neither can catch the Demons in the final week of the season. The Demons last won the league title in 2011 when they went 10-0 . DHS went 9-1 in 2012 to match Fruita Monument, which won the league via tiebreaker. Since then, DHS had come in second in the league twice but never got closer than two games back from being league champion. DHS accomplished the feat this season under first-year head coach Kelley Rifilato, who previously coached Fort Lewis College and Bayfield High School. Here’s a closer look at Durango’s latest wins: Durango 3, Grand Junction 0 The Demons turned in a dominant performance with a 3-0 victory Saturday at Grand Junction. DHS won the three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-9 and 25-14 in an absolute dismantling of the Tigers (0-11, 0-5 SWL). “The girls were excited to get to play after the two midweek losses,” Rifilato said, referencing the team’s setbacks to Class 3A foes Bayfield and Montezuma-Cortez. “We really controlled the tempo of the match offensive from beginning to end.” Kyle Rowland led DHS on Saturday with seven kills, while Paige Ammerman and Leah Wolf had six kills each and Mason Rowland had another five. Leah Wesley had a strong serving game with four of the team’s nine aces. She also had 13 digs, while Mason Rowland and Ammerman each had eight. Mason Rowland led the passing game with 19 assists, while Ammerman had 12. Freshmen Sarah Somrak and Aava Dreger also got a chance to play in all three sets, and they recorded four kills each. Durango 3, GJ Central 0 The Demons walked through the Central Warriors 3-0 with set wins of 25-14, 25-10 and 25-14. Mason Rowland led DHS with 12 kills with a .400 hitting percentage. Wolf had six kills, and Kyle Rowland added five. DHS turned in seven team aces, as Ammerman finished with three and Mason Rowland had two. Wesley led the Demons with 11 digs, while Kyle Rowland had seven. Ammerman had 18 assists, while Mason Rowland finished with 11. ••• Durango was slated to rematch with Bayfield on Tuesday night after a 3-1 loss to the Wolverines six days earlier. But the match was canceled because of COVID-19 issues at Bayfield High. Now, DHS will close the regular season at home Friday with Fruita before looking toward the Class 4A state playoffs. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-boys-soccer-ends-season-with-blowout-win/</link>
        <title>Durango boys soccer ends season with blowout win</title>
        <description>DHS falls short of state playoffs</description>
        <pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2021 01:19:24 -0600</pubDate>
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        <media:thumbnail url="https://imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com/?uuid=039ED8DB-774A-4F3F-A246-9D23A1456836&#038;function=thumbnail&#038;type=preview&#038;source=false&#038;width=600&#038;height=400" />
        <content:encoded><![CDATA[DHS falls short of state playoffsdu1-i-syn The Durango High School boys soccer team ended the season with a bang Saturday against the Pirates. It was a 10-0 road win for the Demons at Pagosa Springs behind a three-goal, one-assist game from junior Sam Carozza, while senior Sayer Frontella poured in two goals and one assist. DHS finished the season with a 7-1-2 overall record and a 5-1-2 mark in the 5A/4A Southwestern League to finish one point behind Montrose in the league standings. Montrose was seeded 16th in the 16-team Class 4A state tournament and will play No. 1 Battle Mountain in the first round. The Demons missed the postseason by not winning league. But head coach Aaron Champenoy was pleased to see his team finish the year on a five-game winning streak in which it outscored its opponents 42-0. “It was a great season of development for the team,” Champenoy said. “We ended with seven shutouts. This team was a joy to watch play and see them come together playing a truly beautiful style of the game. We knew we wouldn’t be as big or athletic as we’ve been in the past, so we needed to win in a different way.” In the season finale, goals also came from seniors Evan Donovan and Tristin Lawson. Junior Ryan Bell also scored, as did freshmen Davis Cameron and Owen Carozza. Senior Arlison Reyez had two assists, while Harrison Beattie, David Smagacz, Jackson Dahly, Aiden Araujo and Logan Stetler also had one assist each. Fred Reiter was the winning goalie without having to make a save. Eli Connell also saw time in goal and wasn’t challenged by a shot. Wyatt Zeigler was credited with 30 saves for Pagosa Springs (3-4). The spring season concluded with the win for DHS. Now, the Demons will prepare for a normal fall season in a few short months after the COVID-19 pandemic altered the current season and pushed it from the fall to the spring. The state tournament was reduced in size from 32 to 16. “Our seniors were tremendous this year and helped a young program really improve,” Champenoy said. “They embodied what we want to be known as. We have a great future with so many guys returning to the program. Behind our five juniors, we have a strong sophomore class and 24 freshmen. I can’t wait to start working with the group already for next season.” jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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        <link>https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/sports/durango-volleyball-thumps-grand-junction-tigers/</link>
        <title>Durango volleyball thumps Grand Junction Tigers</title>
        <description>Big final week of regular season upcoming for Demons</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 17 Apr 2021 21:59:44 -0600</pubDate>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Big final week of regular season upcoming for Demonsdu1-i-syn After losing two games in a row earlier in the week after an 8-0 start to the season, the Durango High School volleyball team was happy to jump back into league competition Saturday. The Demons (8-2, 6-0 5A/4A Southwestern League) turned in a dominant performance with a 3-0 victory at Grand Junction. DHS won the three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-9 and 25-14 in an absolute dismantling of the Tigers (0-11, 0-5 SWL). “The girls were excited to get to play after the two midweek losses,” DHS head coach Kelley Rifilato said. “We really controlled the tempo of the match offensive from beginning to end.” Paired with the Fruita Monument (7-3, 4-2 SWL) loss of 3-1 to Montrose (7-4, 4-2 SWL) earlier Saturday morning, the Demons clinched the Southwestern League championship with the victory as well. DHS still has to face Grand Junction Central (3-8, 1-5 SWL) on Monday and Fruita Monument at home Friday, but even if Durango was to somehow lose both of those matches, the Demons will own a tiebreaker advantage. Kyle Rowland led DHS on Saturday with seven kills, while Paige Ammerman and Leah Wolf had six kills each and Mason Rowland had another five. Leah Wesley had another strong serving game with four of the team’s nine aces. She also had 13 digs, while Mason Rowland and Ammerman each had eight. Mason Rowland led the passing game with 19 assists, while Ammerman also had 12. Freshmen Sarah Somrak and Aava Dreger also got a chance to play in all three sets, and they recorded four kills each. The Demons will have a tough final week of the regular season, with the rematch with Bayfield set for Tuesday in Bayfield after DHS fell to the Wolverines 3-1 at home a week earlier. jlivingston@durangoherald.com]]></content:encoded>
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