Durango eyes a fast start vs. GV

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Sept. 1, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

All games 7 p.m.

Basic at Bishop Gorman

Chaparral at Bonanza

Foothill at Clark

Green Valley at Durango

Silverado at Western

Centennial at Desert Pines

Eldorado at Cheyenne

Rancho at Mojave

Valley at Palo Verde

Las Vegas at La Costa Canyon (Calif.)

The Meadows at Carlin

Valley Lutheran at Faith Lutheran

Saturday's Game

Cimarron at Delta (Utah) 1 p.m.

It's easy to look at a nonleague matchup in week one of a prep season in which 16 of 20 local 4A schools will ultimately make the playoffs, and come to the conclusion that there's really nothing at stake.

Just don't mention that to Durango and Green Valley.

As coaches from those two schools learned last year, the opener can truly set the tone for the season to come, be it successful or disappointing.

In 1999, the Trailblazers came into their week one matchup at Western as severe underdogs. The Warriors were a popular pick to win the Sunset Division, while Durango was coming off a '98 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs altogether.

When Western returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, it appeared the contest would follow the expected storyline and the Warriors would get off to a 1-0 start. Instead, Durango rallied, posting a shocking 16-15 victory to get a leg up in the division race.

The Blazers parlayed that momentum into the school's most successful year ever, going 8-1 in the regular season and winning a game in the zone playoffs.

"It was a real big lift," Durango coach John Mausbach said. "No one gave us a chance against Western, but we knew what we could do. That win gave our kids some confidence."

On the flip side, Green Valley coach John Culver knows all too well how a tough loss in the season's first week can crush a team's spirits, particularly a young squad like his 1999 Gators.

Culver's first year at the helm began rather rudely, with Green Valley dropping a 63-0 decision at Utah's Snow Canyon. The Gators never recovered from the disheartening blowout, dropping six of their remaining seven games and missing the postseason.

"We went out there without seeing any film or knowing anything about them," Culver said. "It wasn't a good game for us, and it hurt our kids' confidence. We just got off to a rough start."

Of course, neither coach is calling tonight's opener a "must-win," with both stressing that the nonleague games are for cleaning up mistakes and preparing for the critical division battles to come.

But both understand that staying competitive, regardless of the final outcome, will be important for the psyche of the teenagers on their rosters.

"It's not a must-win situation, but if we can come in and play solid football and beat Green Valley, it will give us some confidence for the rest of the season," Mausbach said. "But if we happen to lose, I don't think our kids will throw in the towel."

Offered Culver, "We're looking to compete with Durango and build from there. The feeling is we want to be competitive. Win, lose or draw, we want to represent ourselves well and get the kids battle tested."