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Delta drops Devils, 27-3

GYPSUM, Colorado – Delta rolled into Eagle Valley’s Hot Stuff Stadium and rolled out with a 27-3 win.

The Devils traded the Panthers hit for hit through most of the first half but hit a wall with 1:08 left in the second quarter. Eagle Valley gave up two touchdowns in the final minute of the second half and turned it over five times before the game was through.

Eagle Valley’s Sam Boyd gathered in the opening kickoff and returned it 65 yards, busting up the left sideline all the way to the Delta 34. Add a 15-yard penalty on the Delta tackler for hanging on Boyd’s neck like an ugly Christmas tie, and the Devils were in business at the Delta 19.



Three plays later, Eagle Valley’s Travis Edgar went old school and straight ahead to pound a 29-yard field goal less than two minutes in for a 3-0 Eagle Valley lead.

The Devils defense forced Delta three-and-out, but Eagle Valley committed the first of its five turnovers, fumbling the punt. Delta recovered, and faster than you can repeat the lyrics from a second-chance country song, Delta was rolling deep in Eagle Valley territory.

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The Panthers went through the motions of three plays and finally went to Miguel Ramirez’s right leg. Ramirez is pretty much in field goal range as soon as he gets off the bus, and he drilled one from 31 yards out to tie it, 3-3, six minutes into the first half.

Ramirez added a 34-yard field goal early in the second quarter to put Delta up, 6-3.

Delta took over at its own 47 late in the first half. It powered for a couple of first downs and then broke out a little razzle-dazzle.

Quarterback Mitchell Whiteside rolled to his right and hit Chris Lopez near the right sideline behind the line of scrimmage.

Lopez pulled up and fired a strike to Taylor Smith at the goal line for a touchdown and a 13-3 Delta lead.

Smith, doubling at safety, intercepted a Jordan Hudspeth pass at the 34. Seconds later, Whiteside found Colin Fraser deep in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown and a 20-3 halftime lead.

Delta returned the second-half kickoff all the way to the Eagle Valley 45, but the Devils defense forced another three-and-out.

Eagle Valley needed to make something happen, and something did, but it wasn’t good.

Eagle Valley fumbled Delta’s punt for the second time in the game, putting the Panthers back on offense from the Eagle Valley 18.

The Panthers drove to the goal line, where it was their turn to cough it up.

Eagle Valley recovered but fumbled on its first play, and Delta recovered in the end zone for a defensive touchdown. Ramirez added the point after for a 27-3 lead and the win.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.


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