Impressive opening victory emboldens Trailblazers

Durango’s football team improved from 1-9 in 2008 to 8-3 last season, but the Trailblazers lacked a signature victory.

 

Durango coach Gary Maki thinks his team got it last week by beating 2009 Class 4A state runner-up Del Sol, 21-14.

 

The Trailblazers will try to build on that victory when they host Basic, which lost to Del Sol in last year’s Sunrise Region title game, at 7 tonight.

 

“It was big, a major step for us,” Maki said of beating Del Sol. “Last year 8-3 was nice, but we never really beat a name opponent until last Friday.”

 

Maki thinks the season-opening win proved that his team could play with the area’s best. Del Sol has advanced to the past four Sunrise Region title games.

 

“We felt we could hang with them, but you just don’t know,” Maki said. “Our kids aren’t mentally ready for that step sometimes, because you have to believe in yourself before you can have things come together.”

 

That Del Sol victory has the Trailblazers confident and ready to take on a Basic team that opened the season with a 41-7 win over Boulder City.

 

“We just have to stay confident and come out hitting and come out strong,” Durango senior Donovan Smith said. “Last week we were nervous in the beginning, so this week we’ve got to come out strong.”

 

That early bout of nerves might actually have been a blessing for Durango. The Trailblazers fell behind 14-0 at halftime but didn’t fold and limited Del Sol to one first down in the second half.

 

“We told them, 'Here’s your statement half. Make your statement,’ ” Maki said. “And we went out and made our statement. So the way it happened really made an impact on the kids, where they do believe now that they can compete with those better programs.”

 

Basic has quietly become one of those better programs. The Wolves won the Southeast League title in 2008 and lost 20-19 to Del Sol in last season’s Sunrise Region title game.

 

Unlike many of the area’s best teams, Basic does it without a discernible star. Eleven players carried the ball against Boulder City, and seven caught passes.

 

Quarterback Vince Carducci, who spent last season as a backup, is the closest thing the Wolves have to a big-name skill player. He passed for 236 yards and four touchdowns against Boulder City.

 

“They don’t really have one primary receiver; they spread it around real well,” Maki said. “And the quarterback, he knows how to scramble and get rid of it. We think they’re a pass-first team, and that’s always a challenge.”

 

Durango hopes to present a tough challenge with its offense.

 

Last season, the Trailblazers relied heavily on Julio Mora, who rushed for 1,785 yards and 27 touchdowns.

 

But Smith gives Durango another offensive threat. He rushed for 91 yards and caught six passes for 69 yards in the opener.

 

Mora rushed for 124 yards and a TD on 27 carries while nursing a sore leg.

 

“We got Donovan involved, and he’s a weapon,” Maki said. “He’s a little bit under the radar. I think he’s coming out from under it real fast.”

 

Mora said he’s at full strength this week, and he will look to put up bigger numbers after averaging 4.6 yards per carry in the opener.

 

“Last week I was hurt, so I don’t feel like I had such a good game,” Mora said. “My stats are kind of low. I think this week I’m going to bring it all back and have a big game.”