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Sailors resume season

Steamboat football plays at Delta today

Melinda Mawdsley

The Delta football team is winless, but it did one thing Steamboat Springs, Rifle and Moffat County were unable to.

“They scored on Palisade,” Sailors coach Aaron Finch said. “Obviously, they have the potential to play some good football.”

Delta’s athleticism has Steam–boat’s attention. That tonight’s game will be the final one of the season for the Panthers and their seniors gives them even more motivation to try to upset the playoff-hopeful Sailors.



Steamboat enters the 7 p.m. game today off a bye week, rare in high school football. This week’s practices were run just like during a game week. Last week, however, the Sailors practiced “short and crisp,” Finch said.

“Bye weeks are tough,” he added. “On Monday, we were really, really rusty. Tuesday, we looked pretty darn good to be honest with you.”



If the Sailors execute tonight like they did in a 45-0 rout of Battle Mountain on Oct. 7, and if they play with the energy they did in the 16-13 loss to Eagle Valley on Oct. 14 — their last game — Steamboat should win.

The week off enabled the Sailors to rest and recover from some early season injuries. Leading rusher Jay Hanley has a smaller cast on his injured arm instead of the club-like cast he had in the past two games. Lineman Zack Savage’s ankle is coming along, and other players who had concussions appear to be fine, Finch said.

“We’re not quite 100 percent, but close to it,” he said. “(Players sitting out) gave us a chance to try some different guys at different positions.”

This year, unlike last, Steam–boat (6-2 overall, 4-2 in league) controls its playoff hopes. If they win the final two games, the Sailors will be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed out of the Western Slope League, depending on how Palisade and Eagle Valley finish the regular season.


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