Panthers breeze past Durango

Darrion Finn scored three touchdowns Friday to lead Palo Verde's football team to a come-from-behind 77-6 win over visiting Durango.

The Trailblazers led 6-0 with 5:49 left in the first quarter after a 14-play opening drive, capped by a 20-yard slant pass to Caleb Booze from quarterback Ben Hayden.

The No. 7 Panthers (7-1, 4-0 Northwest League) took control after that, scoring on their next eight possessions and adding three scores on defense and special teams.

Palo Verde scored with an 11-yard TD run by Jaren Campbell and a 1-yard TD carry by Calvin Beaulieu before Finn supplied a 40-yard interception return for a score to make it 22-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Finn then added a 19-yard TD run early in the second quarter, which was followed by teammate Dallas White’s 12-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Panthers quarterback Parker Rost contributed a 1-yard TD plunge and a 31-yard TD strike to tight end Jake Ortale before Finn found the end zone again with a 55-yard punt return that made it 56-6 at the break.

Palo Verde scored twice in the third quarter: a 20-yard pass from backup QB Graeson Vereen to Jordan Bruner and a 24-yard scamper by Ty Fuller.

Fuller broke free for a 90-yard TD run on the game’s final play to cap the scoring.

Kicker Bradley Matsukawa went 9-for-10 on extra points, and Griffin Kemp notched three sacks for Palo Verde, which had a blocked extra point from White and interceptions from Vereen and River Raygosa.

Hayden finished with 107 yards passing, including 98 yards to Booze to lead Durango (0-8, 0-4), which got 90 yards in kickoff returns from Artie Gallegos.