The injury-riddled Glenwood Demons varsity football team’s second-half fireworks didn’t prove enough, as the Eagle Valley Devils outlasted the Demons 28-21 on Thursday night. 

The proximity of the two schools led to a packed house on both sides of the stadium on Thursday night, and the Eagle Valley crowd made themselves known throughout the game. 

The Demons were the first on the board, but their offense stalled after breaking the tie. Senior running back Mason Markovich got into the endzone for his 3A Division-leading 20th touchdown after breaking free for a 62-yard rushing touchdown five minutes into the first quarter. 

The 3A touchdown and rushing leader didn’t get his chance to shine fully on his senior night after hurting his ribs during the second quarter. His presence was noticeably missed on both sides of the ball, leading to a big first half for the Devils. 

“We are playing with a higher pad level than they are,” Demons head coach Mike West said. “We need to make some adjustments and put ourselves in a position to win.”

The Devils and their sizeable away crowd dominated the first half of football. Eagle brought a 14-7 lead into the half and then increased upon it with a seemingly detrimental 89-yard passing touchdown halfway through the third quarter. The Devils fans sucked all the air out of Stubler Memorial Field and erupted in a way that made a Demons comeback imaginary. But Glenwood wouldn’t let their senior night slip away into the darkness. 

“We learned that you need to take baby steps to overcome adversity,” West said.  “There were opportunities throughout the game where we could have laid down, but we didn’t. I think that shows something, and it’s what I just said to the kids. We just have to find that fire, that spark, and build on that to help us keep fighting.”

A gutsy performance by Markovich helped Glenwood claw their way back into the game late in the third quarter. Markovich hobbled onto the field like a decoy after sitting much of the second and third quarters, and after two plays of pass protection, the Devils’ defense was not expecting him to get the ball on third and long. Markovich again broke a 60+ yard rushing touchdown, and suddenly, the Demons were alive as the fourth quarter began. 

The Demons’ defense rose to the momentum, and minutes later, an interception and a massive return set the Demons up in the red zone. A well-timed trick play got the scoreboard back to an even playing field as the Demons reversed the field, with senior receiver Jerick Sorenson running the opposite way with the ball in his hands. 

As time ticked down in the fourth, both defenses began to stand tall, but the Devils were the ones to grab the late-game momentum and bring the game home with them on I-70. 

An incredibly bold fourth and ten call from their own territory proved to be the game-winner for Eagle Valley. With three minutes left in the game, the Devils drew up a double pass, and an Eagle receiver slipped past the safeties deep in Glenwood territory. 

Eagle buried the game-winning touchdown with two and a half minutes left, as Glenwood couldn’t fully bring their magical comeback to fruition with their reciprocal drive. 

The Demons fall to 4-4, hoping to push through this loss and keep their playoff chances alive. They will have a challenging task doing so next week as they face the Rifle Bears in Rifle. 

On the other hand, the Devils improve to 5-3, improving their playoff chances with their win. They take the victory into their bye week before also preparing to face the Rifle Bears in two weeks.