Arbor View puts hurt on own cheerleaders in big win
The players on the Durango football team’s defense are probably pretty sore after trying to tackle Arbor View senior running backs Ryan Hill and Gabe Toney for much of Friday night.
But it doesn’t compare to the pain the Aggies’ cheerleaders are feeling right now.
After every Arbor View score, the team’s cheerleaders drop down and do a push-up for each one of their team’s points.
In the first half alone, the squad did 182 pushups and by the end of the Aggies’ 52-7 romp over host Durango, they had pumped out 234.
“I felt bad for them, but they’ll probably be buff (today),” Toney joked.
Toney scored three first-quarter touchdowns as the Aggies (2-0) equaled last year’s win total.
The transfer from Shadow Ridge scored on a 69-yard punt return, a 34-yard run and a 44-yard interception return to help Arbor View open a 27-0 lead after the first 12 minutes.
“There are certain formations I go out to wide receiver,” Toney said. “I was hoping they’d throw one to me.”
Hill finished with a game-high 114 rushing yards and had a 37-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Sophomore Taylor Wooten added 103 yards for the Aggies, who rolled up 384 yards on the ground as 11 different players carried the ball.
In last week’s 15-7 win over Eldorado, Arbor View had 348 yards rushing.
“Our goal is to control the ball and control the tempo,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said. “We run an up-beat offense and we work the line of scrimmage as fast as we can. ... We’re spreading the wealth.”
About the only bad news for Arbor View was junior quarterback Austin Anderson going down in the first half with an injured hand.
Senior Tony Bilyeu came on and tossed a 59-yard scoring strike to DeMarlo Virgil with 44 seconds left in the second quarter to put the Aggies on top 45-0.
“It’s not a glamorous offense, but it’s real effective,” Trailblazers’ first-year coach Gary Maki said of Arbor View’s double wing formation.
Durango (0-2) gained just 20 yards in the first half and 52 in all.
The lone bright spot came midway through the fourth quarter when backup quarterback Thomas Flanagan connected with Romell Maxwell for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 52-7.
The Trailblazers, who have just one senior playing on offense according to Maki, don’t get any breaks in the next two weeks as they take on Liberty and Bishop Gorman.
“We knew it would be a challenge,” Maki said. “We just have to keep the wheels on and stay healthy. The effort is there. If they packed it in and quit I would be disappointed, but they stuck it out to the very end.”
