And yes, your usual stadium seat may be one of them.
With mild weather forecasted, two state-ranked 8-1 teams ready to lock horns and plenty of hometown drama on tap, more than 3,000 are expected by tonight’s 7 p.m. kickoff.
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Especially stiff against the run, the Demons will have their hands full with an Indians ground game that averages 311 rushing yards per game. Junior inside linebacker Nicko Rodriguez (5-foot-9, 207 pounds) leads the way with 111 tackles, more than double any other player out of the Demons’ 3-4 base set.
“It’s no secret we are a ball-control, run-dominated offense that likes to then keep opponents from doing the same thing,” first-year Durango coach Greg Wyatt said. “And we know we are preparing for a team in Montrose that does all of this better than anyone around here.”
Wyatt, who moved to Durango from Arizona last spring, knows a thing or two anyways about Montrose and its coach, Todd Casebier.
“It’s hard to live in an area this small and not hear of him,” said Wyatt, an off-campus coach who is the head financial analyst for Durango Mountain Resort. “I’ve not paid a lot of attention to the history of it all, but what has caught my attention is what he has done at both Montrose and Palisade.
“It’s clear that he’s doing it better than anyone else around here, anywhere.”
Casebier, of course, played his college football at Fort Lewis College and then began his coaching career as an assistant for seven years at Durango High. He married Durango, initially wished to coach in Durango and was even offered to do so long after becoming settled into head coaching himself at both Montrose and, previously, at Palisade, his alma mater.
But tonight, count on football to reign supreme. Not any side plates.
“There’s so much at stake for both teams,” Casebier said. “Coach Wyatt has done a remarkable job in his first year at Durango. They’ll come in here ready to give us their best game, for sure.
“A loss can do that better than anything for a high school football team.”
The Demons, ranked No. 8 among Colorado’s 4A teams by MaxPreps, stumbled last week against Central 20-14 after leading the Warriors by two touchdowns at halftime. Of course, No. 4 Montrose didn’t exactly dominate Central, either, rallying late for a 34-31 win.
“No one believed me early on when I said this league race would be tight,” Casebier said. “But you look closer, and we’re all about a touchdown apart from each other, in terms of the top four teams.”
After starring at quarterback for Northern Arizona University back in the late 1980s, Wyatt then played a short stint of pro ball before getting cut by the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, that’s understandable with guys named Montana and Young in front of him on the depth chart.
Durango is the first head coaching job for Wyatt, who, like Casebier, is 43 years old.
“It’s no secret Durango would have liked Casebier for its football coach,” said Larry Turner, the Demons’ head statistician for many a moon. “But it’s obviously gone on and gone well for the Casebiers.
“And we’re pretty happy with this situation, too.”
Ironically, this marks the first playoff appearance for the Demons since Casebier left Durango as an assistant coach back in 1997.
Offensively, the Demons fire out of the Wing-T set, with 5-foot-10, 165-pound quarterback Jordan Gillen as much of a threat to run (390 yards, 6 TDs) as he does pass (517 yards, 7 TDs).
Tailback Gus Barnes, all 5-9, 145 pounds of him, leads the way for Durango in most every direction, having just topped 2,000 yards in total offense in rushing (810 yards), receiving (240) and kick returns.
“What Barnes lacks in size, he makes up in pound-for-pound toughness I’ve rarely seen in my football career,” said Wyatt, who has seen many of the best to judge that statement from. “He’ll lead us in many ways.
“And we know very well what’s at stake with us and Montrose.”
An outright SWL crown. Perhaps even a playoff date at home or not. Inside pride for coaches and the like, too.
Get there early.
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