Damonte’s last Sierra League loss was to the Galena Grizzlies, back in the 2015 season, 34-19. Since then the Mustangs have defeated the Grizzlies 56-7 in 2016, 47-22 in 2017, 55-0 in 2018, and 51-9 in 2019. The Cross Saw, the largest trophy in high school sports, was on display on the Damonte sideline for the game, and after the win, the team posed for pictures with it, before it was driven back to Damonte, where it will be on display until next Fall, when the two teams will face off to see where it resides for the next year. But first, a little bit more about Friday might’s action.
The opening kickoff went to the Grizzlies, who were forced into a three-and-out. The Mustangs took over, at midfield, and two plays later senior running back Carson Smith was in the end zone; the point after try bounced off an upright making the score was 6-0. The next Galena drive ended with Damonte junior Tyler Clark blocking the Grizzlies punt, junior Riley Zimmerman scooped up the loose ball and took it into the endzone, for the touchdown, 13-0 Mustangs. Carson Smith would add another first-half touchdown and it was 20-0 at the half.
Senior wideout Drew Vargas found the endzone, twice, in the third quarter and had a first half interception. The fourth quarter featured a running clock, with both sides trading turnovers. Smith and Vargas turned in strong performances for the Mustangs, as did Riley Zimmerman, on the defensive side of the ball. Both the offensive and defensive lines had strong outings for the Mustangs. Senior quarterback Ethan Kulpin didn’t like his first half performance, but was much happier with the second half. It was a cold March night, those handling the ball did have some issues, there were enough fumbles to frustrate both sides.
UP NEXT, the Mustangs head back to Damonte for a tilt with the Douglas County Tigers. The Tigers bring a 1-1 record into the game: a 26-0 home win over the Grizzlies and a 35-13 loss at Bishop Manogue. Senior running back, Trevor Kruger, is their workhorse on offense. Damonte will need to play four strong quarters to dispatch the Tigers who, like their namesake, will fight, claw, and scratch until the final whistle blows. The number of fans will be increased from 100 to 250, the school has not announced how tickets will be allocated, watch the school’s official information outlets for updates on that. The game will be broadcast on Damonte’s NFHS channel and the feed should be improved.
ABOUT YOUR AUTHOR – Lynn Ault covers DRHS for Battle Born Preps, his wife is the head of Damonte’s math department, and both his kids graduated from the school with his daughter playing basketball and cheering while his son was a part of DRFP for four years.