While their league opener may not have gone exactly the way they wanted, the members of the Steamboat Springs High School football program have plenty to be positive about going into the coming weeks.

The Sailors fell 35-14 Friday night as they began the 3A Western Slope League portion of their schedule against Eagle Valley.

Despite a huge rushing touchdown to start the scoring for the evening, Steamboat struggled to contain the Devil offense, with the Eagle Valley defense doing its job by seizing on fumbles and interceptions.

“My hat’s off to them,” Steamboat coach Scott Pryzmus said of Eagle Valley. “Their playmakers made plays. If we erase the turnovers, it is tighter ball game.”

Though the final score wasn’t in his favor, Pryzmus was still pleased with his players’ output with 462 yards of offense.

“The run game was strong, and we will learn how to finish,” he said. “Our defense was able to make stops and forced a few punts.  If we can capitalize on those opportunities, we are in a good spot.”

The Sailors move to 4-1 as they head into a Saturday afternoon game in Buena Vista.

“I feel like we learned a lot on Friday night about our team,” Pryzmus said. “They did not quit. We had a few bad breaks, like the turnovers, that need to get cleaned up. As long as we learn and respond, we will be a better team coming out of this. I am proud of this group. They acknowledge that we let one slip through our fingers, and the communication has been positive, and they are ready for the rebound.”

The Eagle Valley game followed a massive 65-6 win over Summit the previous week, an event that was literally one for the history books.

Senior Luke Jordan tied two state records during the game, including five interceptions — a feat achieved by only two other Colorado high school players in history and last done in 1975 — and three picks returned for touchdowns, last done in the state in 2013, according to the Colorado High School Activities Association archives.

The homecoming game also saw junior Eli Bever tie for eighth in state history for extra points in one game, kicking 9 PATs. 

Pryzmus has submitted the details to CHSAA for authentication.

“It was a special night for the team and for these players,” he said. “They worked hard and took advantage of the opportunities that they had.”