Bulldog running back proclaimed Team Champ at regional Punt, Pass, Kick competition

ST. IGNATIUS — He made it to Seattle, and did it again. Austin Durglo punted, passed, and kicked a football far enough to win his age group in the regional NFL/Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition held December 9 during halftime at the Seattle Seahawks game.
The 13-year old from St. Ignatius bested kids from throughout the northwest region, which also includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
For his efforts, Austin earned the honor of NFL Team Champion at the game, receiving a 13 by 15 inch plaque, “Punt, Pass, Kick” sweats and a Seahawks PPK jersey.
Austin, who is in eighth grade at St. Ignatius school, won the 12-13 year old competition in Seattle last year as well.
“We were just in awe of the whole thing,” Austin’s father Dan Durglo said. “We had higher expectations this year” because of Austin’s previous win, he added. And Austin came through.
The hitch, though, comes when moving on from the regional competition to the national challenge, held during the Super Bowl.
To compete there, the regional champ must hold one of the four best distances in the nation (the competition is scored by measuring the distance traveled by the balls the kids punt, pass and kick).
Because the northwest competition is held in Seattle in December, weather affects the results.
“Some of the parents were upset because of the conditions,” Durglo said.
“The weather was pretty cold, but clear,” Austin said. “It was just freezing.”
“We can’t compete nationally against better conditions,” his dad commented.
Montana’s scores are compared to those of kids in Florida, California, and 31 other places where the weather is more conducive to distance efforts.
The reason is simple physics, Austin explained. “When it’s cold, the football doesn’t go as far. When it’s warmer it goes farther.”
The cold toughens the skin, condenses the ball, and those brisk northwest winds combat efforts to push the football far down the line, he explained.
“It s a disadvantage to do it in Seattle,” he said, due to the wintry weather.
Still, Austin had fun, and considers the time well spent.
“It was fun,” he said, adding he’d like to compete again next year if he can.
“It’ll be tougher to do,” though, Austin said, as he’ll have to compete against high school football players from throughout the northwest who have had more experience at the game. “They’re pretty advanced,” he said of the experienced players.
Austin hopes to continue to play football regardless, and while he might someday play college or pro ball, he said those considerations are just too far down the line to predict. “It’s a long way away,” he said.
For now, he’s happy with his win as regional champ. For kids who want to try out next year, Austin has this advice: “Just practice a lot and get ready for it.”
Other area winners include 9-year-old Emilio Bravo of St. Ignatius, who took home a second place finish from the event. In the girls’ competition, 13-year-old Riley Kenney of Polson placed third and 14-year-old Katie Fitzpatrick of Ronan finished fourth.