The Steamboat Springs Sailors will head out on the road to take on the Glenwood Springs Demons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Steamboat Springs is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
Steamboat Springs is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Palisade on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Sailors were dealt a 49-14 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Sailors were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-0.
Steamboat Springs might have lost, but man, Thomas Krupp was a machine: he rushed for 187 yards and one TD while picking up 9.4 yards per carry. Krupp's longest rush was for an incredible 96 yards.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last five times Glenwood Springs and Rifle have met, but the home crowd finally got their W last Friday. The Demons took down the Bears 23-7. That 16 point margin sets a new team best for the Demons this season.
Glenwood Springs found their leader in sophomore Emmit Nieslanik, who rushed for 102 yards and one score on only 12 carries.
Glenwood Springs' run defense was locked in: Rifle could only muster 0.1 yards per carry. The team can thank Griffin Sollars for the heroic effort on defense: he. The dominant display was nothing new: Glenwood Springs has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in three consecutive games.
Glenwood Springs' defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Brackett Enewold and Ossie Hilgeford, who racked up four sacks between them. Hilgeford has been hot recently, having posted at least one sack the last four times he's played.
Steamboat Springs' defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Glenwood Springs, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Steamboat Springs has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 363.9 total yards per game. It's a different story for Glenwood Springs, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 236.6 total yards. Will Steamboat Springs be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Demons flip the script?
Steamboat Springs was able to grind out a solid victory over Glenwood Springs when the teams last played back in November of 2024, winning 17-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Sailors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
