Capital High got its gear in tact after a 6-0 first quarter lead

It took one quarter for Capital High to find its way back on the football field for an actual game, but when it did, it steamrolled visiting Los Alamos to the mercy-rule tune of 55-7.

It had been over a year since the Jaguars and Hilltoppers played a game and the difference was that Bill Moon’s team had more experience, more depth, a better mixture of offensive and defensive parts, and senior Luke Padilla, who ran for four touchdowns after his recent signing to play college ball at Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colo.

It was a high-scoring day for Capital against the undermanned visitors, but with time winding down in the first quarter, it was scoreless until Padilla broke downfield for a 47-yard touchdown with the clock showing 34 seconds. But the point-after kick by Julian Munoz failed. Before that, the Jags had made their first of five interceptions, this one by Geo Munoz as his own 9, and after a face mask and unsportsmanlike penalty against Capital, Padilla ran it 9 yards to the 47 before he burst up the middle and into the end zone.

Then the game got out of hand. In rapid order, and before a decent turnout at Jaguar Field on an overcast chilly day.

First came a 60-yard drive in nine plays, with Padilla running it in from the 10 at 6:23 of the second quarter. Then they added the two-point conversion, quarterback Dion Martinez to Donte Martinez. After Los Alamos lost the ball on downs, came an interception from senior Julian Sanchez, and he took the ball 18 yards to pay dirt, and the 21-0 lead via the PAT increased it to 27-0 when the point-after went wide left.

It didn’t long before Geo Munoz found his way downfield with a breakaway 70-yard run and the margin grew to 34-0 after the PAT sailed over the uprights. At halftime, it was 41-0 when the Hilltoppers had two more passes thrown by quarterback Luc Gonzales that were intercepted, to go with a fumble, and the final TD of the half came on a 60-yard almost untouched sprint by Padilla, and Julian Munoz again made the conversion.

This burst produced three touchdowns in six minutes and included the interceptions by Manuel Varga and a pick-6 tally by Sanchez that totaled 11 yards.

In the third quarter, the teams traded touchdowns. First the Jags got the running clock going in the mercy mold when Padilla ran 8 yards to score and Julian Munoz’ point-after upped the margin to 48-0. Los Alamos then finally made it into the end zone when Gonzales found Jeramiah Hartzol there, and Hartzol leaped to haul in the high pass. The PAT was good and the visitors were on the scoreboard down 48-7.

Then Capital, which scored on seven of 10 drives, capped off the impressive win when Dion Martinez tossed a 18-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Anaya and Julius Munoz was good on the conversion.

Next stop on this shortened season for the Jaguars was supposed to be a visit from Espanola Valley, but that will instead be a visit from Pojoaque Valley. on Saturday afternoon. The same day, St. Michael’s is expected to play its first tilt with an afternoon contest up at Taos, and follow that with a possible home game the following Saturday afternoonversus Espanola Valley.

On Friday night, Santa Fe High will play Los Alamos after Saturday’s afternoon loss to visiting Rio Rancho.