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The losing streak is now at 26. Dozal runs for five touchdowns and totals 313 yards, with the next stop for the Demons Friday night at Capital
By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today
Santa Teresa could be on its way to its first and only winning season since 2007. The program has existed for 13 years, but it probably never had a player like senior quarterback Dominick Dozal or a roster of such size.
In last week’s 28-7 win over visiting Cobre, Dozal racked up a grand total of 334 yards by running and passing in the impressive start. And the Indians were also outsized and fell victim to five sacks, four fumbles, and a trio of interceptions.
This time, it was Santa Fe High taking the blunt of the attack as the Desert Warriors traveled some five hours to turn in a 39-21 win that extended the Demons’ nagging losing streak to 26.
If there was any consolation, new head coach Andrew Martinez saw his outweighed and outrushed team score after last week’s 48-0 shut down at home against St. Michael’s.
It came early and brought some hope for the home team at Ivan Head Stadium before a small turnout due to the annual Zozabra (Old Man Groom) playing to thousands that night at Marcy Park downtown.
But there was just too much to handle versus the visitors in the Demons’ second game of this independent schedule. Dozal was a bit too much to grasp, for he worked some magic against would-be defenders who couldn’t contain him. And every time he scored, he would just put the ball down or hand it to an official.
He ran for 313 yards and scored five times. Against Cobre, he mixed in rushing and passing, but this time it wasn’t necessary.
Dozal began his run the first time he had the ball, scampering 23 yards into the end zone. But the rather small turnout got a chance to cheer right after when senior Zach Russell ran the kickoff back 75 yards, both teams converted PATs, and it was 7-7.
But it didn’t last long.
Back came Dozal with a fake hand-off that turned into a 16-yard touchdown. Then he added TD runs of 21 and 17 before halftime, when Santa Teresa held a 27-7 advantage at the intermission.
“I saw films of their game against Cobre,” Martinez said, “and so I knew how good this Dozal was, and just how huge they were.”
Huge? Well, the Desert Warriors carry a roster that lists 18 players over 200 pounds, but that’s saying it mildly, for they also have eight who tip the scale the scale over 225 pounds.
As for Dozal, he took a break to hand the ball to junior back Adrian Saenz and he sped 24 yard down the sidelines for his team’s other touchdown.
Martinez said he saw some positives, but the negatives offset them. The Demons had less penalties than they did the previous game, but they couldn’t stop Santa Teresa’s offensive attack. Against Cobre, it was run or pass. This time, it was run, and that it what Dozal did five times to score 30 of his team’s points.
It was like, why stop doing what’s working, and so it was take the ball and run with it. The Demons’ response was to score some points this time, but barely enough to keep up with the Desert Warriors.
Senior quarterback Lexi Lopez, who did not play last season, tossed a short touchdown pass to Russell, and not long after found Isaiah Fordham for another six points.
By then, the visitors were up by enough and would enjoy the long ride home. In the final minutes, their possession consisted of four straight short running plays in the hands of reserves, and on their last possession when the final seconds ticked down, they took four-straight knees, and which made for a friendly line of shaking hands.
Friday night, Santa Fe High goes cross town to face rival Capital High, which is also 0-2 after losses at Roswell Goddard and St. Michael’s. But the Demons won’t have to line up against anyone the caliber of Dozal or be out weighed by the Jaguars.
