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Rocha runs through Durango

Try as they might, the Demons just can’t stop No. 3 Montrose

It’s not fancy, but it sure is effective.

Montrose showed off one of the most potent rushing attacks in the state Friday night in a 44-27 win at Durango High School.

The No. 3 Montrose Indians (4-1) picked apart the run defense of the Demons (2-3) to the tune of 497 yards and six touchdowns on 68 running plays.

“It was pretty hard to stop. We knew they would come out running hard, and we worked on defending it all week. It was a battle, and we tired out best out there, but it was hard to stop,” said DHS senior defensive end Patrick Cunnion, son of Kelly and Peter Cunnion.

Montrose senior fullback Mike Rocha did most of the damage, running for all six Montrose touchdowns. He finished with 261 yards on 30 carries.

“It was a team effort; it’s never just me,” Rocha said. “Without my guys on the offensive line and everybody else, I would never get it. The line loves to get physical and block, and it is a great thing for Montrose football.”

Durango cut the Montrose lead to just 37-27 late in the game when junior quarterback Terrence Trujillo hit Lucas Baken on a 64-yard touchdown pass before running for a 7-yard touchdown of his own. Trujillo then hit Baken on the ensuing 2-point conversion pass, but the Demons couldn’t recover an onside kick.

The Indians iced the game when Rocha rubbed some salt in the Demons’ wound with a 24-yard touchdown run with just 24 seconds to play in the game.

Trujillo finished the game 20-of-29 passing for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The first score came on the Demons’ opening drive when Trujillo hit Justin Marcum on a 79-yard pass.

Heavy rain and wind hit the DHS stadium in the second quarter, but it didn’t last long and was gone by the second half. Still, Cunnion said the wind made the Demons switch from their potent passing attack to more of their running plays in the second quarter.

Lawrence Mayberry broke out of an attempted tackle by Rocha to scamper 31 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first half. That score made it 27-13 Montrose, and the Demons still were in the game at halftime.

Mayberry finished the game with 87 yards on 15 carries to go with his one touchdown.

Durango held the Indians to just three points in the third quarter on a 24-yard field goal by Lucas Ruiz-Diaz, but the Demons couldn’t score to chip into the Indians’ lead.

“We came out and competed and held our own, and we cut it to 10 points late in the game, but we just couldn’t stop them when we needed to,” DHS head coach David Vogt said. “They executed and made the right blocks, and (Rocha) is the real deal. It felt like he ran for 400 yards, and we couldn’t stop him.”

Baken had a monster game of his own for DHS. He finished with nine receptions and 128 yards to go with his big touchdown reception.

DHS and Montrose used to compete in the Southwestern League together, and beating their old rivals felt pretty sweet for the Indians.

“Coach (Todd Casebier) always says tough teams win on the road. Here, it was raining and windy, and we just overcame it to win,” Rocha said. “The Southwestern League used to be everything in the past, but now it just feels good to get another win on the road.”

Cunnion said the goal still is to win the Pikes Peak League, which includes defending state champion Pine Creek (5-0).

“We can learn from this game and continue to build as a family,” Cunnion said. “It would be huge to win the league opener at home, and our goal still is to improve every week until we get to the state championship.”

Vogt said his team can build some confidence from hanging in with the No. 3 team in Class 4A before play begins in their new conference next Friday against Liberty.

“We were playing the No. 3 team in the state and still had a chance late in the game. That is a big statement, and it should be a message to all the other teams we are playing,” Vogt said. “We’re not backing down from anybody.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com

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