By John Livingston Regional sports editor
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020

The Durango High School football team will play at home this week for only the third time this season. It will come in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.

The Demons, after an unbeaten 5-0 run through the regular season, earned the No. 3 seed for the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A State Football Playoffs. No. 6 Lutheran, which was ranked No. 1 for much of the season before a loss to Holy Family, will visit DHS for a quarterfinal game of the eight-team playoff bracket.

Durango finished third in the final coaches poll of the season but was second in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), only 0.0004 points behind Lutheran for the top RPI.

“I was hoping we would be No. 1 or 2,” DHS head coach David Vogt said. “We are focusing solely on Lutheran. Really, any of the teams in the playoffs are super good.”

The game is expected to be played Saturday. No time for kickoff has been announced. It is not immediately known if Durango School District 9-R will allow any fans at the game. Last week, though San Juan Basin Public Health said 75 fans would be allowed to attend the game under current COVID-19 health guidelines, 9-R opted to close the stadium to all fans.

Lutheran (4-1, 2-1 3A Colorado League), is based in Parker. The Lions did not have a game last week after losing an opponent to COVID-19. The Lions have not played since the 38-14 loss to No. 2 Holy Family, which saw the now second-seeded Tigers (6-0, 5-0 Colorado League) use a power run game to blast through the Lions defense.

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