SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
After getting whooped by Albuquerque Del Norte last week, Capital gave the Knights a chance at winning district 2-6/5A by surprising visiting Los Alamos Friday night.
The Hilltoppers could have clinched a tie for the top spot by winning. But the 21-14 loss and Del Norte’s 50-0 romp over visiting Santa Fe High gave the Knights the chance at finishing first if they can win at Los Alamos Friday night.
This despite being 3-6 overall, while the Hilltoppers are the only team among the district four with a winning record, at 5-4, but are now 1-1 in district after the Jaguars jolted them. Del Norte is 2-0.
Capital and Santa Fe High also have losing records and are eliminated from a run for first. The Jags (2-6-1) and Demons (2-7) wind up the season Friday night by meeting at Ivan Head Stadium in the cross-town battle.
It was never a contest for Santa Fe High. (1) it had numerous turnovers, couldn’t stop the home team from scoring, its own offense wasn’t going anywhere, freshman quarterback Luc Jaramillo was sacked six times, and the Knights red-hot, playing their best of the campaign that had them stumbling early in the season.
It was much too much for head coach Andrew Martinez’ team in his third year as head coach.
Said Martinez: “They just put it all together. They run cover zero, they blitz two guys and mirror the tailback. We practiced against it all week, but until you see it live with live bullets, and their guys on the other side of the field, I think it’s a little different.”
The contest ended via the mercy-rule midway through the third quarter.
Capital came to play, and that includes on both side of the ball. On defense it twice stopped Los Alamos. In the final minute the Jaguars put together a goal line stand, and not long before they stopped the Toppers at their own 7 and pushed them back at the 17. Then Los Alamos threw a fourth down pass into the end zone, but Walker Eaton, who was wide open, dropped the ball.
Three other times, Los Alamos drove inside the Jaguar 20, and three times came away empty. Its triple-option offense attack was held to only 43 rushing yards in the second half, and 157 for the game. It was for Capital its first win since routing visiting Pojoaque Valley in the season opener.
On offense, the Jags’ sophomore running back, Luke Padilla, carried the ball 32 times, putting together runs of 60 and 75 yards, and included the go-ahead score with a 7-yard touchdown run with 9:11 left for the 21-14 final score.
