Panther football falls at home to Aspen, 6-16

Montezuma-Cortez varsity football lost 6-16 to Aspen at home on Friday night, the Panthers’ homecoming game and their first defeat since they picked up their only league win of the season a week earlier.

Graphic: Cortez Current. Source: MaxPreps; Montezuma-Cortez High School calendar

The game kicked off at 7 p.m. and counted in the 2A Western Slope league standings. The result leaves the Panthers 2-5 on the season and 1-3 in the league.

It follows the team’s best night of the year. Montezuma-Cortez won 25-21 at Gunnison on September 25 for its first league win of the season, after losses to Pagosa Springs and a 42-0 shutout at home against Coal Ridge. The Panthers’ other win was a 44-0 season opener against Ignacio on August 21.

The homecoming parade that was to have closed Main Street on Wednesday, September 30 was called off because of rain, the Cortez Police Department said at the time. The game itself went ahead on Friday as scheduled.

Montezuma-Cortez has an open date next weekend and plays again on Friday, October 16, when it hosts Basalt at 7 p.m. in a league game. The regular season closes at Delta on Friday, October 23.

The box score and season records come from MaxPreps. Upcoming dates come from the Montezuma-Cortez High School calendar and can change.