Playing on the road, without their starting quarterback, against a much larger school, the Montezuma-Cortez High School Panthers football team could have thrown in the towel.
The Panthers played hard from start to finish however, managing to keep things somewhat close for the better part of three quarters before falling 42-0 to the Durango Demons on Nov. 1.
Early on, things looked bleak for the Panthers as the Demons’ scored on their opening possession, courtesy of a five yard touchdown run by Demons’ running back Lawrence Mayberry on a read-option play.
Not long after, the Demons scored again, this time on a 12 yard screen pass from quarterback Jeremy Szura to receiver Blake Dunlap, to move ahead 14-0 with 5:25 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers defense stepped up however, forcing turnovers on three consecutive Demons’ offensive possessions before yielding a three yard touchdown run to Demons’ running back Isiah Mayberry with 5:11 left in the second quarter.
“We work hard on forcing turnovers,” said Panthers’ senior defensive back Keegan Ralstin, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the first half. “We practice that and it paid off.”
Trailing 21-0, the Panthers narrowly missed putting points on the board after sophomore safety Ryan Gurney returned an interception deep into Demons’ territory before subsequently missing a 38 yard field goal as the half expired.
Looking to close the gap in the second half, the Panthers’ defense forced yet another Demons’ turnover when senior defensive back Joe Whyte forced a fumble, which was recovered by junior defensive tackle Dante Dennison.
The Panthers’ offense remained stagnant however, and finally, the defense cracked, surrendering a touchdown on a 1 yard quarterback keeper by Szura to fall behind 28-0.
Although the Panthers’ defense forced their sixth turnover of the game shortly thereafter, the Panthers fell apart in the fourth quarter, giving up touchdown runs to Mayberry and junior Steele Spies, making the score 42-0.
“We played with our hearts,” said Whyte of his team’s performance. “We played hard. They were just bigger and faster.”
While the lopsided defeat served as a disappointing end to the 2013 season, the Panthers’ 3-7 overall record represented a major improvement from seasons past.
“I’ll remember playing with the guys,” said Whyte, reflecting on the year. “Hopefully, they will have a good season next year.”
imaclaren@cortez journal.com