By Clayton Chaney
Staff Writer
The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate football team rolled past the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers on Friday, Sept. 11, in the team’s first league matchup of the season.
The Pirates defeated the Panthers by a score of 47-27, bringing their overall record to 2-2 on the season, including a 1-0 record in the Western Slope League.
The Pirates got things going quickly with Kasen Limebrook completing a 60-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Mazur on the first offensive drive of the night.
Coach Nathan Morales commented on Limebrook’s performance, mentioning he is getting “really confident with [Limebrook] throwing.”
Morales explained that Limebrook had a good week of practice leading up to the game against the Panthers, and that throwing the ball is “something we’re gonna continue to get better at.”
Limebrook ended the night completing two out of three pass attempts for two touchdowns and a total of 75 yards.
Limebrook also had one rushing attempt on the night that went for 5 yards.
The Pirates jumped out to a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter, with running back Hudson Mazur breaking off a 72-yard touchdown rush.
Mazur led the Pirates in rushing, putting up two touchdowns and 224 yards on seven carries.
“You gotta go to your guys,” Morales said of Mazur’s performance on the night, explaining that the team leans on its senior players as younger players continue to develop.
Scoring continued in the first quarter with the Panthers getting on the board to bring the score to 14-7.
Following the Panthers’ touchdown, Mazur returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for another Pirate touchdown, taking a 21-7 lead into the second quarter.
Morales also noted that the Pirates were missing a few of their seniors, mentioning the importance of leadership displayed by Limebrook, Mazur and Jimmy Elledge.
He noted the three of them “did a lot for us” on the night.
“I thought our young guys played well,” Morales said, noting that only two seniors started against Montezuma-Cortez.
The Pirates were able to add to their score early in the second quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Limebrook to Noah Bellina, extending the lead to 28-7.
The Panthers were able to strike back on their next possession to make it a two-score game at 28-14 with two minutes remaining in the first half.
The Pirates were the first to open the scoring in the second half with a 4-yard touchdown run by Gage Sams.
Sams ended the night with a total of 76 yards and one touchdown on 16 rushing attempts.
The Panthers were able to nail a 55-yard passing touchdown in the last minute of the third quarter, bringing the score to 34-21.
The Pirates were able to get on the board twice more in the fourth quarter with two long runs from Mazur.
Montezuma-Cortez scored the final points of the game within the last minute of the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 47-27.
The Pirates offense put up a total of 396 yards on the night.
Gabe Torres ran for 15 yards on five rushing attempts, and Eathon Kinkhead had two rushing attempts for a total of 1 yard.
“I’m just proud of them,” Morales said of the Pirates’ performance. “Proud of them to get their first league victory.”
On the defensive side, Vinny Fish led the Pirates with six solo tackles on the night, followed by Bellina, Elledge and Jaycub Carter each with four.
The Pirates also won the turnover battle, coming up with four interceptions and only losing one fumble.
Mazur had two interceptions, which he returned for a total of 27 yards. Bellina and Sams each had one interception, returning them for 17 yards and 7 yards, respectively.
Mazur converted four out of five extra-point attempts for the Pirates, and Fish was successful in one of his two extra-point attempts.
Morales took accountability for some of the team’s mistakes during their matchup against Montezuma-Cortez, saying, “We just gotta be disciplined as a team, and that starts with me.”
Morales mentioned that his players “are doing what we ask them to do” and that he’s “gotta make sure they’re prepared” for certain pass-coverage situations and special teams plays.
“That starts with me,” he added.
Heading into this week’s matchup, the Pirates sit in third place of the Western Slope League as they take on the first-place Delta Panthers. The Pirates are currently ranked 24th in the state’s 2A division.
The Delta Panthers are ranked second in the state with an overall record of 4-0, which includes their 42-0 victory over league opponents Aspen.
“We’re going to continue to grow as a team and be the family that we want to be,” Morales said, explaining that Delta is a good team, “but I think we are, too.”
The Pirates will be back on the road for their game against the Delta Panthers tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 18, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Morales spoke about how the Pirates will look at film, reflect and learn from mistakes, and “continue to get better” moving through league play.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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