Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Palo Verde run game completes comeback at Durango

Las Vegas Sun's HSFB Media Day Team Portraits

Christopher DeVargas

Members of the Palo Verde High School football team are pictured during the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day at the Red Rock Resort on July 24, 2019. They include, from left, Dacen Phister, Bogdan Filipovic and Tyler Quinn.

If you don’t complete a pass all night, it’s tough to win a football game. It’s even tougher to come back from down double-digits. But that’s just what Palo Verde did on Friday. 

The Panthers eliminated a 14-point halftime deficit at Durango, rattled off 30 unanswered points and claimed a 43-27 victory.

They went 0-for-2 in the air.

“We’re happy to get the win,” Palo Verde coach Joe Aznarez. “Real happy with the way our kids responded in the second half.”

Palo Verde’s offense isn’t built for big comebacks, and Aznarez admitted he got nervous looking at the hill his team had to climb.

Charron Thomas helped kickstart that climb with a punt return for a touchdown, one of four scores for the senior. Tyler Quinn joined him with a trio of touchdown runs.

Durango led 15-7 after a quarter of play and added 12 more points in the second. Palo Verde’s defense stood tall after that, and the offense scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead, then nine more points in the fourth to seal it.

Justin Emerson can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Justin on Twitter at twitter.com/@j15emerson.