The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate football team fell to the Elizabeth Cardinals 41-0 last Friday, Sept. 25, in Elizabeth, losing its third game in a row and moving to an overall record of 1-3.
“I thought they played really well, actually,” coach Nathan Morales said of the Pirates.
Morales mentioned the Cardinals are a good team to play against, noting the Pirates gave up a couple of “big plays” in the first half and “missed a couple opportunities of their own.”
Morales mentioned that if the Pirates were able to limit those big plays, they had the chance to keep it to a one-score game going into halftime.
Morales also praised the Pirates’ effort on the night, noting the team is “making strides in the right direction” and kept fighting throughout the game.
The Pirates gave up a touchdown in the first quarter, followed by two touchdowns in the second quarter — on a 44-yard rushing play and a 54-yard passing play within six minutes of each other — bringing the halftime score to 21-0.
The Pirates gave up two more rushing touchdowns in the third quarter and another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter for a final score of 41-0.
The Pirates put up a total of 183 rushing yards, with Colton Lucero leading the way by putting up 163 yards on 21 carries.
Alex Pacheco tallied 23 yards on nine carries and Hudson Mazur rushed for 14 yards on three carries.
Pirate quarterback Creede Dozier had nine rushing attempts that totaled for a loss of 17 yards.
Dozier did not attempt a pass on the night.
On the defensive side, Zander Lefthandbull led the Pirates in tackles with five solo tackles and five assisted tackles recorded.
Mazur also recorded five solo tackles, while Lucero recorded four solo tackles and five assisted tackles.
Jayton Ross recorded two tackles for loss and the Pirates’ only sack on the night for a loss of 7 yards.
On special teams, Pacheco returned three kickoffs for a total of 60 yards, while Lucero returned two for a total of 19 yards.
Morales praised the team’s seniors for continuing to display leadership, noting that most of the seniors have experienced the playoffs at least once in their careers and “know what it takes to become a winning football, a playoff team.”
He mentioned that the team will continue to rely on its seniors as it continues to get better and prepares for the start of league play this Friday, Oct. 3, against the Salida Spartans.
“We’re just excited,” he added.
The Pirates will host the Spartans at Golden Peaks Stadium for this year’s homecoming game, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Spartans enter the matchup with an overall record of 0-4.
Morales explained that the Spartans and Pirates run similar-style offenses and that it “should be a fun, tough game.”
He mentioned that Salida typically plays the Pirates well and that it’s “always a fun challenge.”
He commended the Salida coaching staff for having a well-structured organization.
Morales also noted the importance of the matchup being the Pirates’ first league opportunity in the Intermountain League (IML), describing this stage of the year the start of “new season.”
He explained that the Pirates have been figuring themselves out through the first portion of the season in their nonleague matchups and are “excited for the opportunity” to get better through the league play portion of the season.
“Big challenge ahead, but we’re excited for it,” he said, noting the Pirates’ “roots are dug in.”
Morales also mentioned that the Pirates will “hopefully have a big crowd to support us” for the homecoming match up against Salida, adding, “The community always does a good job.”
Admission to the contest is free.
