Despite a spirited start to the season, the Glenwood Springs High football team faced a setback, falling 30-12 to the Basalt Longhorns at Stubler Memorial Field on Friday night.

After an hour delay due to lightning, the match kicked off. 

Glenwood, coming off a two-point loss to Rifle last week after a 3-0 start, faced off against a Basalt side which remains undefeated, now sitting at 4-0. The Demons struggled with penalties throughout, seeing three touchdowns reversed, and while they put up a fight, the Longhorns capitalized on their opportunities.

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Glenwood Springs started with the ball, but struggled to convert early on. Drops plagued their offense, yet the aggression was evident, with Glenwood Springs head coach Hunter Holmes opting to go for it on 4th down on multiple occasions throughout the night.

Defensively, Glenwood held strong initially, but a reverse sweep by junior Taylor Hays and an eventual touchdown gave Basalt the early lead in the second quarter.

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Hays, who scored a pair of touchdowns on the night, emphasized the meaning of Friday’s win.

“It feels great to be able to beat two of our rivals in one,” Hays said. “Roaring Fork and Glenwood are two teams that we always have circled on our schedule so this one feels good.”

Glenwood’s roster saw a unique twist this season when six players from Roaring Fork High School, which discontinued its varsity program earlier this year, joined the team. The decision had heightened stakes as players had the option to play for either Basalt or Glenwood, adding a layer of rivalry given the historical animosity between Basalt and Roaring Fork.

With a total of seven touchdowns scored throughout the course of the game, neither team was able to convert an extra-point on the night.

Although Basalt maintained the lead, they had issues of their own — five fumbles throughout the game. Basalt head coach Carl Frerichs gave credit where it was due. 

“We haven’t had fumbles all season until tonight and I think it’s credit to Glenwood truthfully,” Frerichs said. “They brought pressure and caused problems… We got lucky with those turnovers to win this game.”

With the game within a six point reach and Basalt continuing to struggle with fumbles, Basalt junior Kody Barton recovered a botched punt from Glenwood, a point which Frerichs called a momentum shift in the game. 

Basalt senior captain Mav Dombrowski said the team feeds off the momentum of their play.

“A lot of our defensive players are offensive players,” Dombrowski said. “When we do have a turnover on offense, everyone knows on defense that we need to get that ball back and that’s what really gets us motivated.”

Basalt junior running back Will Daniels found the end zone twice Friday night while Hays put up an impressive two touchdown performance for the Longhorns. Glenwood Springs’ Cale Sollars led the Demons with each of the team’s two touchdown catches on the night.

Glenwood Springs will look to bounce back as they travel to face the Grand Junction Central Warriors next Friday. 

The Longhorns, carrying the momentum of a 14-1 record since the start of the 2022-23 season, will get a week off before their matchup against the Grand Valley Cardinals on Sept. 29.