Preview: Delta Panthers vs. Montezuma-Cortez Panthers
Delta has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against The Montezuma-Cortez Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Delta will be strutting in after a victory while Montezuma-Cortez will be coming in after a defeat.
Delta can now show off six landslide victories after their most recent match on Friday. They claimed a resounding 49-0 win over Bayfield at home. Given Delta's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado football rankings (they are ranked 30th, while Bayfield is ranked 141st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Delta's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jovanny Romero, who rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and Ty Reed, who threw for 189 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 passes. Romero was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards. Talan Hulet was another key contributor, rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown on only six carries.
Meanwhile, Montezuma-Cortez unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak two weeks ago. They fell just short of Pagosa Springs by a score of 20-17.
Delta's win was their eighth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 8-0. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 0-8 The Academy and 1-7 Bayfield (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 41.7% over those games). As for Montezuma-Cortez, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-4.
Everything came up roses for Delta against Montezuma-Cortez in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 as the squad secured a 42-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Delta since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
