There was sunshine, but there was also warnings of lightening and thunderstorms occurring east of the St. Michael’s Christian Brothers Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon during the Horsemen’s annual football game with Capital

By Arnie Leshin 

Save it for a rainy day doesn’t exactly fit in here. There was plenty of sunshine, but lightening and a thunderstorm lingering a few miles east of St. Michael’s Christian Brothers Athletic Complex put an end to the annual St. Michael’s-Capital football rivalry Saturday afternoon.

 

They kicked off around the scheduled 1:30 time, but at 4:30, 2 ½ hours of storm watching and hearing, forced the Horsemen to cancel the game and wipe out their 13-7 lead that never made it past the second quarter.

 

There were almost four minutes remaining in the first half when the contest was called and will not be made up because neither team has an off week that corresponds with one another.

 

Before that, word of the storm hanging out over the Sangre de Cristo Mounatins east of Santa Fe was relayed to the pubic address announcer who informed all the spectators as well as the players to seek shelter.

 

Then the St. Michael’s trainers reported that a lighting strike was recorded about six miles from the complex. Then, following New Mexico Activities Association bylaws, halted play immediately. At the time, the Horsemen had the ball at the Jaguar 40-yard line, but only the fear of lightening and a nearby thunderstorm mattered most.  

 

The home team was especially looking forward to win for the first time after being dominated in the opener up at Taos, and being badly outplayed in back-to-back routs at home to Portales and to Bloomfield.

 

Capital had a least one win in three starts, but it wasn’t much satisfaction rolling over 3A Crowpoint in the home opener, and a tough defeat at Deming followed by a Lovington second-half surge at Jaguar Field, wasn’t too welcoming.

 

So despite one victory in five starts for the cross-town rivals, this is always a meaningful tilt. But even through the Horsemen were on top by a touchdown when the game was first halted by lightening warnings, it was meaningless and disappointing that it had to end in less than a half.

 

Now St. Michael’s is still saddled with that 0-3 record with bye week coming on. It doesn’t play again the night of Sept. 25 when it heads for Siringo Road rival Santa Fe High, which stunned Taos, 30-15, Friday night and has now won three in a row after turnovers were costly in the 6-0 opening loss to visiting Robertson.

 

Now Andrew Martinez’ Demons own the best record in the City Different.

 

Meanwhile, Capital, which will be home Friday night to Moriarty, was trailing 6-0 when it tied things on a 3-yard touchdown run by sophomore Dominick Martinez with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.

 

The Horsemen had opening the scoring when sophomore quarterback Lucas Coriz hooked up with senior Rico Gurule on a 50-yard touchdown play in the first quarter, but the PAT didn’t make it.

 

So it was 6-6 when Gurule scored a second time as he ran the ball in from 3 yards out with 9:32 left in the second quarter, and this time the extra-point was good.