GYPSUM(10/4/13) — “All kinds of crazy things happened,” Glenwood coach Rocky Whitworth said after two fumbles and a bad snap thwarted scoring opportunities, but the Demons still prevailed 19-0 over an outmanned Eagle Valley team.
“Our defense played outstanding,” Whitworth said by way of explaining how Glenwood (3-2 Western Slope, 3-3 overall) won its third straight league game despite “a total lack of focus” on offense at times. It didn’t hurt that Eagle’s 900-yard rusher, Riley Rowles, was injured on his team’s first play from scrimmage and didn’t return. None of the other backs 31-year veteran coach John Ramunno tried were effective, as the Devils’ run-oriented offense was held to just 31 yards in 19 attempts.
The Demons, meanwhile, continued to get fine performances from the backfield duo of Henry Hill and Derrick Chase (before he left the game in the 4th with a separated shoulder), and quarterback Travis Lundin provided both a passing and running threat as Glenwood totaled 256 yards to the Devils’ 80.
All the scoring came in the second quarter. The Demons stopped themselves on their first two possessions with a holding penalty and a Hill fumble in Devil territory, before driving 70 yards in 10 plays via a varied attack to take a 6-0 lead on a 6-yard pass from Lundin to Chase, who got into the end zone for the fifth straight game. The Demons crossed midfield on a defensive holding penalty, then put together three consecutive first downs with a 7 yard run by Hill, an 11-yard sweep by Chase, and Lundin’s 18-yard pass to Cole Adams down to the 12. However, Robert Hiles missed his fourth consecutive extra point kick, going back to his last attempt in the Steamboat game.
Eagle Valley, after a first-quarter drive ended with a fourth-down fumble at the Glenwood 30, was unable to record a first-down until a pass interference penalty just before halftime, punting on its three other possessions. Glenwood continued to move the ball, overcoming a holding penalty when Adams and Lundin hooked up for a 26-yard completion to the Devil 18, but this time Chase lost the ball on a first-and-goal from the seven.
He redeemed himself on the next possession, capping a 44-yard drive with a determined 26 yard run behind the blocking of Cristian Gonzalez, Chase Nieslanik, Garrett Lowe, and Justin Barham. Lundin found Adams with the extra point conversion pass, but he was stopped short of the goal line leaving the score, 12-0 with 2:39 left in the second quarter.
On the next series, Gonzalez and Colton Vail sacked Devil QB Orin Reichardt on first down, then Evrett Marr picked off a pass near the 28 and returned it for a touchdown. Hiles kick was good for a 19-0 lead with 1:46 remaining until Eagle Valley’s somewhat dampened homecoming halftime celebration.
Junior Harrison Stevens came in to play quarterback after a 30-yard kickoff return by Victor Avila, and the interference penalty put the ball in Demon territory, but Justin Barham outwrestled a receiver for an interception to end the half.
Stevens put some life into the Devil offense in the third quarter, completing three passes for first downs but Lowe’s 13-yard sack when Eagle evidently forgot it was still 4th down after an unsportsmanlike penalty gave Glenwood the ball at the Devil 22. Another holding call wiped out a Lundin-to-Adams touchdown and Hiles’ 31-yard field goal attempt was wide with 2:05 left in the quarter.
Stevens passed for two more first downs and another pass interference call yielded another, but the drive died on downs on the first play of the 4th quarter with a 4th down incompletion. Glenwood’s first two possessions in the final frame featured injuries to both Hill and Chase as well as a snap over punter Nieslanik’s head that handed Eagle the ball at the Demon 35. Four plays netted just 6 yards, however, and Hill was able to return and run effectively, going over 100 yards (118 on 30 attempts) in all three Glenwood victories.
Chase, who had 57 yards rushing and 23 receiving, while bringing his touchdown total to 7 in the last 5 games, said after the game, “I wanted to go back in, but the coaches said no.” There was no need to risk further injury as Shane Cleverenga and Dante Sparaco sacked Stevens on the final Devil possession to complete the domination by the Demon defense.
Eagle’s quarterbacks were held to a combined 9-of-20 for 75 yards with two interceptions and four sacks. Lundin was 6-of-11 for 70 yards, and has now thrown 29 passes without an interception after being picked off 6 times in the first three games. He also ran the ball effectively, gaining 32 yards on 5 carries.
Friday, the Demons host Moffat County, in its last season of 3A football before dropping down to 2A next year, which won for the first time in six games, 28-21 at Summit.
