Basalt High Football Defeats Glenwood Springs 35-14

Glenwood Springs —The wind off the Colorado River whips across Stubler Memorial Field, carrying the sharp scent of cut grass and diesel fumes from the distant highway. Under the Friday night lights, the Basalt High School football team stands huddled near midfield, their breath visible in the crisp August air. The scoreboard reads 35-14, a number that settled the contest long before the final whistle.

The Aspen Times reported on Friday that the Basalt Longhorns finished their second game of the season with a 35-14 victory over Glenwood Springs. It was a decisive win that moves the Class 2A Longhorns to an unbeaten 2-0 record. For a program under first-year head coach Danny Popish, starting the season with two wins is a strong foundation.

The game wasn’t without its early struggles. Glenwood Springs struck first, taking a 7-0 lead after the first quarter. The Demons’ early momentum stalled quickly, however. Basalt answered with 35 unanswered points in the middle of the game. The Longhorns leaned on a balanced offensive attack and a stingy defense to pull away, leaving the Demons with little more than a late touchdown scored against mostly BHS reserves.

Junior running back Jude Webb was the engine behind that surge. He rushed for 155 yards on just 19 carries, scoring four touchdowns. Senior Dylan Ferreira added a 34-yard touchdown run that effectively put the game out of reach for Glenwood Springs.

For context, this win comes after Basalt’s 21-12 victory at Rifle on Aug. 21. The Longhorns now look ahead to their home opener this coming Friday, Sept. 4, against non-league Eagle Valley. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Basalt.

The loss drops the Class 3A Glenwood Springs Demons to 0-2 on the season. They enter this game following a season-opening 44-2 loss to Elizabeth. Glenwood Springs will next play a non-league game at Delta on Friday, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

The broader regional picture is mixed. Aspen football opened its season on Friday with a 25-13 loss at North Fork, dropping the Skiers to 0-1. They will host non-league Summit this coming Friday in their home opener on the AHS turf at 7 p.m. Summit enters that matchup 1-0 after a 39-6 win over Skyview on Thursday.

The Aspen Times photographer Austin Colbert captured the intensity of the night, documenting moments like Basalt quarterback Nate Donnelly scanning the field and Glenwood Springs’ Evan Neuman throwing over defender Chris Hays. The images highlight a game that swung decisively in the second half, with Webb using defenders to stay upright and make big plays.

In practice, these records matter less for the immediate financial health of the towns and more for community morale. A 2-0 start builds local pride in Basalt, while a 0-2 record puts pressure on the Glenwood Springs program. The next few weeks will determine if these early results hold any weight in the standings or if they are just noise from a short, unpredictable season.

For locals in Basalt, the practical impact is simple: the Longhorns are alive and well. For Glenwood Springs fans, the work begins now at Delta. The season is young, but the scoreboard doesn’t lie about who controlled the field on Friday night.