The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate football team opened its season on Friday, Aug. 30, with a win against the Kirtland Central Broncos in Kirtland, N.M.
The Pirates defeated the Broncos by a score of 42-27.
Coach Nathan Morales explained that Kirtland Central is a 4A football program in New Mexico.
“Happy to get out of there with a win,” Morales said, noting that is a good start to the season.
He mentioned that the Pirates are not quite “rolling-on all cylinders” and that there will always be stuff the team can work on.
Morales also noted that there were time-clock issues during the first half of the game, causing the first and second quarters to be shorter than usual.
He noted the team was in the locker room for halftime by 7:30 p.m., which is “unheard of” with a 7 p.m. start time.
Morales also commented on the Pirates’ offensive performance, noting that it was a “good start” to the season, but that he would like to see the Pirates “sustain” their offensive possessions.
He added he would like to see the Pirates be able to put together offensive drives that are 10 to 12 plays long, rather than just relying on “big plays.”
Morales went on to mention that more than half of the defensive starters are first-time starters this year and that it was “good to get those guys experience.”
Morales pointed out that the Pirates did a “decent job swarming to the football,” something they’ve been focusing on throughout preseason.
The Pirates put up 22 points in the second quarter, taking a 22-0 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Pirates put up 13 more points and the Broncos put up 14, bringing the score to 35-14 for the start of the fourth quarter.
The Pirates gave up another 13 points in the fourth quarter, but scored one more touchdown, bringing the final score to 42-27.
The Pirates had a total of 313 yards of offense on the night, with quarterback Creede Dozier going two for seven on pass attempts for a total of 81 yards and one touchdown.
Dozier also had six running attempts for 106 yards, and two touchdowns.
Seth Zeigler had five rushing attempts for 48 yards and Jayton Ross had three rushing attempts for a total of 9 yards.
Colton Lucero carried the ball nine times for a total of 69 yards and three touchdowns.
Lucero also had one pass reception for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Zeigler had one pass reception for 6 yards.
The Pirates’ defense came up with a total of five turnovers, which included three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Jaxten Schiel had two interceptions, while Lucero had one.
Dozier and Ross each recorded one fumble recovery.
The Pirates’ defense made a total of 46 tackles, with Lucero leading the team with eight individual tackles.
Morales noted that the Pirates’ offensive line, along with Dozier and Lucero, had great performances in the team’s opening game of the season.
He explained that creating turnovers and knowing assignments will be big in the Pirates’ success defensively this season.
Morales also added that the team needs to stay “ true to the process.”
He added that there is a lot of experience on this year’s roster and that the seniors and juniors have “done a great job stepping up” in leading the team.
The Pirates will be on the road again tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 6, to take on the Centauri Falcons in La Jara.
“We know each other,” Morales said, explaining that Pagosa plays Centauri in most sports.
He added that Centauri is usually coached well and “we gotta play well.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
