After an act of disrespect earlier in the night, the Glenwood Springs High School Demons responded emphatically on the field, defeating the Grand Junction Tigers 44-10 Friday night at Stubler Memorial Field.

The tension between the teams was evident even before kickoff as a Glenwood Springs jersey was discovered dumped down a toilet by Grand Junction. This act only seemed to fuel the Demons.

Their opening statement was loud and clear. Senior Juoquin Sandoval connected with newly joined junior wide receiver Hunter Noll for the game’s first touchdown. Noll, along with several other players, recently transitioned from Roaring Fork High School to Glenwood Springs after Roaring Fork had to suspend its varsity program due to insufficient player numbers.

Sandoval wasn’t done. He rushed for the second touchdown, taking the Demons to a quick 14-0 lead.

“We have been visualizing putting up a dominant performance tonight for a couple weeks now,” said junior running back Mason Markovich. “It feels amazing to come in and play our brand of football against a team that we consider our rivals.”

On the stats sheet, Sandoval shined. He passed for 192 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for 104 yards, also adding another touchdown to his tally. The team had other standouts as well, notably Markovich, who churned out 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the night.

“It’s been great playing with these guys. They make us a better team,” Markovich said about the Roaring Fork players who made the move to Glenwood Springs.

Other notable contributors from Roaring Fork include sophomore Zach Bollock, who recorded 66 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Hunter Noll, before a shoulder injury sidelined him in the second quarter, totaled 90 all-purpose yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, Sandoval and junior Oliver Walz were forces to be reckoned with, racking up seven tackles each. Sophomore Griffin Sollars also showcased his defensive skills with an interception in the second quarter.

The game saw its fair share of animosity, especially as Glenwood Springs began to assert its dominance.

“What we tell our team is that we are a family,” said first-year Glenwood Springs Head Coach Hunter Holmes. “We are always going to have our brothers’ backs on the field. It may not be the most popular thing here but that’s how we play football.”

“No one left the field, no one threw any punches but we have each other’s backs and that’s what matters,” Holmes added. “If another team throws cheap shots, they aren’t going to get away with that and that’s not something that we are going to apologize for.”

Roaring Fork senior Nick Smith, who joined Glenwood Springs this week, noted the welcoming nature of his new teammates. 

“These Glenwood guys have brought us in and made us feel like we were already a part of the family before getting here,” Smith said.

Grand Junction’s junior quarterback Will Applegate acknowledged their shortcomings. 

“We got outplayed, our team did some stupid things and there are a lot of things that we are going to be working on to get ready for next week,” Applegate stated.

When asked about the jersey incident, Applegate had no comment.

The Glenwood Springs Demons now shift their focus to next week as they travel to face off against the Conifer High School Lobos at 7 p.m. Friday.

The 25th Kenny Cline Memorial Sequoia Glen 5K Run/Walk is set for 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 in West Glenwood, starting on West Donegan Road at the base of Mitchell Creek.

The race takes runners on a scenic, uphill journey above the Glenwood Fish Hatchery on paved and dirt roads before descending via the same route to the common start/finish line on Donegan Road.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. on race day; $20 entry fee ($10 for those under 18 years), with all proceeds going to help local animal shelters and the Schneegas Wildlife Foundation in Silt.

Costumes are encouraged in celebration of Halloween. Contact 970-618-7980 for more race information.

Rifle High School summer baseball nabbed a championship win last week at a 16-team wooden bat tournament in Pocatello, Idaho.

Head coach Troy Phillips said the Bears, made up of varsity and junior varsity players from the spring, went 6-0 in the Razorbacks/Rebels Wood Bat Classic held June 15-18. The tournament featured teams from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.

The Bears nabbed the championship title by beating Marsh Valley of Arimo, Idaho, by a score of 4-2. Marsh Valley is a two-time defending state American Legion A champion, Phillips said.

The game featured strong pitching and defense as a number of great defensive plays were made throughout the game by both teams. Easton Phillips picked up his third pitching victory of the tournament with five solid innings, not giving up a hit until the fourth inning and giving up no earned runs. Kade Street picked up the save, striking out three batters in the sixth inning, including two with the bases loaded. He picked up another strikeout in the seventh inning, his second scoreless inning in relief.

Street also smacked two solid singles with an RBI. Connor Abbott had two singles with an RBI. Logan Gross hit a triple and scored a go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Gavin Peterson had two RBI singles.

“It was an incredible game to witness with some outstanding defense from both teams,” Phillips said. “I am so proud of what these players did during the six games they played in this tournament. They are a special group, and this trip and tournament will be something they will always remember.”

Team members that made the trip included graduated seniors Trey Caldwell, Broc Caldwell, Gavin Peterson, Charlie Hisel and Easton Phillips; juniors Kade Street, Connor Abbott and Ryan Thomas; sophomores Logan Gross, Michael Slappey and Charlie Sprenger; and freshmen Josh Wright and Robbie Magnuson.

The Bears will have a number of games this week with single games against Battle Mountain on Tuesday and Thursday and a doubleheader against Delta on Saturday. Rifle then finishes its season with a single game at Fruita on June 27 followed by the Austin Booth Memorial Wood Bat Tournament in Rifle from June 29 to July 2.

Tri for the Sun triathlon

The Carbondale Recreation Department and Sunlight Mountain Resort team up for the Tri for the Sun “sprint” triathlon swimming, biking and trail running race on Saturday, June 11.

The race features a half-mile swim at the Carbondale Pool, a 16-mile road/gravel bike ride from Carbondale to Sunlight Mountain via Dry Park Road, and a 5K trail run on the mountain.

Registration and details here [ https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/CO/Carbondale/TrifortheSun].

Carbondale Arts ‘Golden Putter’ scramble

Carbondale Arts presents its second Golden Putter scramble golf tournament from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17 at River Valley Ranch golf course in Carbondale.

According to the event web page, the tournament features alternative scoring options, arts-themed holes, prizes and more. All proceeds benefit the Rosybelle Mobile Makerspace Bus and arts education programming.

Teams of two can enter for $360 ($400 after June 1), and four-person teams can enter for $720 ($800). Registration and more information at carbondalearts.com.

45th Strawberry Shortcut 5K and 10K

The Strawberry Shortcut foot races return to Strawberry Days weekend, with the traditional 5K and 10K races taking place on Sunday, June 19 (Father’s Day).

The races begin and end on Seventh Street at Bethel Plaza, as follows: 10K, 7:30 a.m.; Willey Coyote 5K, 9 a.m.; Nancy Reinisch Mile, 10 a.m.

Registration is open at strawberryshortcut.org. There will also be a registration table on site that morning.

The day’s festivities include the Glenwood Springs Rotary Pancake Breakfast, live entertainment and beer garden. Strawberry Days will also be continuing that day in Two Rivers Park.

Gravel bike race coming June 25

The Aspen Cycling Club is gearing up for its first Gravel Gran Fondo bike races on June 25 in El Jebel.

Cyclists can choose between three distances (45 kilometers, 100K and 160K). Each course will build on the previous, so there are two options to shorten the ride, a club email stated.

The Gran Fondo will start and end at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel, including a finish line party. For more details, course maps and registration, visit aspencyclingclub.org.

There are discounts for signing up before June 12. Course marshals are also needed, and every volunteer gets a free transferable entry for a friend. Sign up here: [signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/697014610462062098/false#/invitation].

Longtime Roaring Fork Valley golf club professional Doug Rohrbaugh is playing in this weekend’s Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Rohrbaugh is the former head pro at Ironbridge Golf Club and the current lead PGA instructor at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale.

A past participant in numerous PGA events, he will compete this weekend alongside major champions including Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh and Tom Lehman.

The opening round of play on Thursday saw Rohrbaugh shoot 5-over par. He’ll be looking to improve on that Friday to try to make the cut for the Saturday-Sunday rounds.

“While competing on tour is the primary job of professional golfers, Doug is a PGA club professional, and his day-to-day responsibilities are vastly different than a professional golfer,” a news release states.

He is one of only 35 PGA club professionals from across the U.S. to earn a spot in the Senior PGA Championship. This will be Rohrbaugh’s eighth career Major Championship event, the release states.

Previously, Rohrbaugh competed in three KitchenAid Senior PGA Championships (2014, 2015 and 2018), four U.S. Senior Opens and the Regions Tradition, where he finished tied for 62nd.

In regional play, he was the winner of the 2018 and 2020 Colorado PGA Section Match Play Championships.

He is also a recipient of the 2018 Colorado PGA Section Player of the Year, the 2012-14 and 2018-20 Colorado PGA Section Senior Player of the Year, and numerous other awards.

“Doug has been involved in a charity ‘Golf for Kids’ in the past, an event hosted by the late Eagles singer Glen Frey, and spent a year playing the Australian Tour in 1989,” the release states.

In addition, his son, Tristan, won the Colorado State High School 3A golf title in 2013 for Basalt High School.

The annual Hogback Hustle 5K Run hit the streets of New Castle on Saturday morning, with 44 runners and walkers participating amid overcast skies and cool temperatures.

With the race date moved up from its usual early July slot, the traditional course remained the same as runners started near the New Castle City Market and made the long uphill trek to Castle Valley, then back downhill to a finish at Burning Mountain Park on Main Street.

Ezra Williams claimed the overall race title with a time of 21 minutes, 17 seconds. Glenwood Springs High School math teacher Anne Swanson took the women’s crown and was second place overall in 24:11. Nick Croissant placed third, coming to the finish line in 24:19.

A couple of standouts in the over 60 age category, Bob Dubois of New Castle and Brad Palmer of Carbondale, were next in line overall with times of 24:45 and 25:42. New Castle’s Angela Dunn was sixth overall and second among the ladies at 25:47, with Kevin Parker of Riverside Middle School right behind at 26:10.

Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Owen Evans (26:11), Johnny Utah (26:15) and Amanda Welk (26:36).

The race served as a benefit for the New Castle Recreation Department.

Thanksgiving morning turkey trot fun runs of varying distances are being planned for Rifle, Carbondale and Basalt on Thursday morning. Here’s the lineup:

Basalt Elementary hosts Gobble Wobble

Basalt Elementary School hosts its fifth annual Gobble Wobble fundraiser for STEM and other supplemental programming at the school, starting at 9:30 a.m., with race-day registration getting underway outside the school at 8:30 a.m.

“The Gobble Wobble has been a tremendous funding source for our Parent Engagement Group,” BES Principal Grant Waaler said. “Having such an upbeat and active outdoor event involving the entire community embodies many character traits that we strive to instill in our young students.”

Participants can register online at bit.ly/basaltgobble and can choose to either complete the 5K run or a 1 mile fun run. The cost to register individually is $20 per adult and $10 per child. A family of up to five can register and receive a capped entry fee of $50.

The first 100 adults to register receive a swag gift; the first 60 children that register will receive a Pop-It. All who register receive a prize drawing ticket.

Carbondale Turkey Trot

The Carbondale Recreation Department puts on the annual Carbondale Turkey Trot 5K or 1-Mile fun run, beginning at 9:30 a.m. outside the Rec Center.

Race day registration starts at 9 a.m., or register online at carbondalerec.com. Cost is $12 for adults, $7 for youth ages 3-17 and seniors 62 and older.

Rifle High School Turkey Trot

Rifle High School hosts its annual Turkey Trot 5K beginning at Deerfield Park, 300 E. 30th St. Little Gobblers run at 9:15 a.m., Big Gobblers at 9:30 a.m.

The event serves as a fundraiser for the RHS track team. Cost is $30 for individuals, or $100 for the family. Info at RacePlace.com/Rifle High School Turkey Trot.

“Last year we had participants from states that included Arizona and Texas,” according to the event website. “We are excited for the opportunity to host a community/country event and get people out and about to enjoy this great holiday together.”

Burn the Turkey 5K

For some post-Thanksgiving calorie burning, Anytime Fitness on Colorado Highway 82 between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale hosts its third Burn the Turkey 5K at 10 a.m. Friday.

Canned food and cash donations go to LIFT-UP for its food assistance programs. Enjoy a beer at Ball Brewery afterwards.

Coming up Saturday, July 24 will be the 42nd annual Mount Sopris Run Off 14-miler and 4 Mile Fair Run, in conjunction with the 50th Carbondale Mountain Fair.

The 14-mile race starts in Basalt (Emma School House) at 7 a.m. and climbs 1,500 feet up West Sopris Creek Road, then descends 1,700 feet past the 4 mile start and into Carbondale, finishing in Sopris Park.

The 4-mile race begins a short time later on Prince Creek Road. Participants should meet at Sopris Park in Carbondale by 7 a.m. to take the bus to the start line.

For more information, call Independence Run and Hike at (970) 704-0909. And, for registration visit the endurancecui.active.com event page.

Hosting Grand Junction at Stubler Memorial Field Tuesday, the Glenwood Spring boys lacrosse team buckled down after the Tigers tied it 5-5 in the third quarter, taking the 11-5 win.

The Demons led 4-1 in the first half, but the Tiger came back to make it 5-4 at the break and scored the equalizer soon into the third.

“We started to get a little bit out of our organized offense, and it just led to them making a comeback and making some really good shots,” Glenwood head coach Joe Lang said.

The Demons controlled the ground balls 46-23 on the night, and senior co-captain and goalie Nolan McPherson had 13 saves while senior defenseman Jeff Lowe had four takeaways.

Sophomore Brady Johnson broke the tie with just under 5 minutes to play in the third period, and from that point on it was all Demons.

After Johnson’s goal, senior attackman Conner Powell had a goal called off for stepping into the crease. Seconds later, he made good on the second effort to make it 7-5.

Additional second-half goals came from sophomore attackmen Jamie Dolan and Nick Geiser, another from Powell and a parting shot from sophomore midfielder Ben Hippona in the closing seconds.

For the night, Powell and Geiser both had two goals and two assists, senior Cody Thompson had two goals and one assist, Dolan had two goals and one assist, and senior middle Owen Mangeot had a goal.

“We’re still a relatively young program, and we didn’t get to play last year,” Lang said of the canceled 2020 season due to COVID-19. “So with this group, it’s really only their second year playing together.”

The Demons sit at 3-2 in the 4A Mountain League ahead of a road trip to play Telluride (4-0) on Thursday and Durango (1-4) on Friday.

Baseball: Rifle stomps Coal Ridge, 16-2

Coal Ridge bats showed some promise in the second inning, getting two runners across. That, however, was it.

Manufacturing some consistent runs throughout Monday’s Memorial Day outing against the host Titans, Rifle baseball nabbed a 16-2 victory.

With the win, the Bears now hold a 5-6 overall, 4-3 Class 4A conference record. Coal Ridge, meanwhile, has dropped to a 3-9 overall, and 2-6 in the 3A conference.

Rifle drew first blood during Monday’s game, tallying three runs. After the Titans answered back in the bottom of the second stanza, Rifle would go on a 13-0 run to finish the game.

The Bears would score one run in the top of the third and fourth innings before tallying an additional three runs at the top of the fifth inning and a final eight runs in the top of the seventh inning.

On offense, Bears junior Trey Caldwell led the charge at the dish. On four appearances, he collected 4 RBI as well as 2 runs. He also spanked three doubles.

Sophomore teammate Connor Abbott also had a good showing at the plate, chipping in 2 RBI and 1 run on three appearances.

On the hill, starting Bears pitcher, junior Gavin Peterson, collected three strikeouts in two innings.

Coal Ridge stats were not unavailable.

Next up, Rifle prepares to host Summit at 4 p.m. Thursday. Coal Ridge, meanwhile, travels to Carbondale to take on Roaring Fork at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Glenwood Springs 8, Steamboat Springs 6

The Glenwood Springs baseball team held off a late rally by Steamboat Springs on the road Tuesday to claim the 8-6 win in the first game of a double-header.

The Demons scored two in the first, four in the fourth and another two in the fifth to lead 8-4 headed into the final two innings. The Sailors scored two in the bottom half of the seventh, but the Glenwood pitching held tight.

Junior Jordan Meraz went two for three, including a triple, and drove in three runs for the Demons. Senior pitcher Wheatley Nieslanik went six innings, giving up just one earned run.

Glenwood Springs 7, Steamboat Springs 4

The second game saw the Demons open a 2-0 lead before the Sailors came back in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead. Glenwood responded with three in the sixth and two in the seventh to take the nightcap.

Senior Garret Dollahan went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, and junior Evan Heyl was 1-for-2, also with 2 RBIs. On the mound, Heyl and Meraz combined for a team 1.00 ERA.

Glenwood stands at 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the 4A Western Slope League ahead of a Saturday double header at home against Summit and another double header Monday versus Rifle.

Girls soccer: Glenwood 4, Summit 1

Junior Sydney Reinhold scored two goals and sophomore Cate Simpson and junior Ella Johnson had one each, as the Lady Demons topped Summit on the road Tuesday.

The win keeps Glenwood Springs in the 4A Western Slope League hunt at 4-2-2. A home rematch with the Palisade Bulldogs, who the Demons beat 1-0 in double overtime Saturday, is set for 11 a.m. Saturday.

Girls tennis: Glenwood 7, Basalt 0

The Lady Demons tennis team ran the tables versus Basalt on May 28 to score their third team win of the season. The win came on the heels of a 6-1 loss to Vail Mountain on May 26.

Match wins for Glenwood on Friday came from No. 1 singles Kenzie Winder (6-4, 6-4), No. 2 singles Miah Suarez (6-0, 6-2) and No. 3 singles Katherine Young (6-1, 6-0).

Doubles winners were Ella Henderson/Emily deMoraes (6-3, 6-0), Mattea Enewold/Siri Henderson (6-1, 6-2), Cate Williams/Hellen Bolton (6-0, 6-3) and Amanda Dehm/Sofia Mohl (6-1, 6-4).

The Demons are at the 3A Region 8 tournament Thursday in Grand Junction for a chance at state qualifying.

The year’s best dry fly fishing is just around the corner. As spring runoff subsides, our local waters will begin to clear rapidly. As the water warms up, we will begin to see an intensity of hatches. These hatches are what many anglers wait all season for, as there are few things more exciting than watching a trout appear under your fly and engulf it.

Within the next few weeks, anglers can expect to see a variety of different bugs on the water from Glenwood Springs to Aspen and everywhere in between. Most notably will be the first green drake hatches around Glenwood, coupled with pale morning duns and a variety of different caddis. This explosion of insect activity after a period of high, cold and discolored water drives the local trout into a feeding frenzy. Many of these hatches along the Roaring Fork occur throughout the day and into the evening, providing very consistent fishing throughout much of the day. Regardless of your daily schedule, anglers should be able to take advantage of some great fishing. As our area rivers drop and clear, check in with local fly shops as to when and where you can encounter these hatches and where the best fishing will be.

This week the Fryingpan has been fishing very well with clear and steady water flows. Blue winged olives are the main hatch, with lesser numbers of caddis and stoneflies along the lower river. Anglers have been very successful this week near the dam using Tim’s mysis shrimp, blings and pheasant tails, plus Chocolate Thunders and Palm’s biot emergers throughout the river.

Though the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers are high, they remain fishable on the soft inside seams and near the banks as the fish congregate along these softer edges and protected pockets. As long as the river has a foot or two of visibility, the fish will feed happily. Large flies and heavier tippets are needed to pull the fish out of the fast current so anglers can land them quickly. Our summer fishing season is quickly arriving with a vengeance.

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or TaylorCreek.com.