Under the lights Friday night, the Glenwood Springs Demons found redemption on their home turf, overcoming an early mistake to earn a 35-13 victory over the Summit Tigers. The win was the team’s first triumph under new head coach Mike West, a moment that gleamed with promise for a team desperate to prove its mettle this season.
“It feels good to have this (first win) under our belt,” West said. “Our team showed a lot of improvement tonight compared to last week. That’s promising.”
Glenwood dropped the opening kickoff, giving Summit an early advantage. The Tigers quickly capitalized, scoring a touchdown that gave them a 7-0 lead. Senior running back Mason Markovich responded with an 18-yard touchdown run to tie the game with 10 minutes left in the first quarter.
Despite the early turnover, Glenwood’s defense held firm. The Demons forced Summit into a delay of game and a third-and-14 situation. Although Summit gained a few yards on a costly pass interference penalty, Glenwood’s defense held firm and limited the Tigers to a field goal, making the score 10-7.
Markovich, who had an absolute career night, put Glenwood back in front with a 9-yard touchdown run, capping a drive that culminated in a 10-yard screen pass to Jerrick Sorenson. Glenwood led 14-10.
Glenwood’s defense continued to shine, keeping Summit at bay with great stops. A 30-yard touchdown run by Markovich late in the first half extended the Demons’ lead to 21-10.
The Demons kept the pressure on in the second half. Markovich fumbled on a long run, but the defense stepped up again, forcing Summit into another delay of game and limiting them to a field goal, bringing the score to 21-13.
A 31-yard touchdown run by Cash Hilgeford and a 40-yard touchdown run by Markovich tied the game for Glenwood. The Demons defense added two more sacks by freshman Landon Triebel and junior Ossie Hilgeford to keep Summit from a comeback.
Markovich, who had 248 rushing yards and four touchdowns, attributed the victory to the team’s hard work and determination.
“We just needed time to learn a new offense,” Markovich said. “We worked really hard this week and I think we’ve just gotten a lot closer as a team over the last two weeks.”
West praised his team’s resilience, especially after the fumble on the opening kickoff.
“We had fun tonight,” West said. “The kids just took it with them, and even after the first play where we gave the ball away and then they scored, the kids just responded.”
The win was an improvement over the Demons’ season opener, where they managed just 78 all-purpose yards in a loss to Elizabeth last week. On Friday, Glenwood Springs showed offensive improvement, scoring 468 all-purpose yards.
Looking to the future, West emphasized the importance of fundamental principles.
“Our goal is to get better every day,” West said. “We’ll watch film and see how we can improve double coverage on blocks and tackles.”
The Demons will look to build on that win when they host the Northridge Grizzlies on Saturday.
