St. Michael’s on momentum run

When you’e busing to play a high school football game right over the Texas border in El Paso, the only that matters is returning home on I-25 North with a W.

This St. Michael’s yearly home and away game against Cathedral is just a “friendly.”, and so far it has been the Horsemen with the round trip success. And in Friday night‘s 27-15 triumph, it was the third straight time that the Fighting Irish never led, and they remain windless in this “friendly.”

It advanced St. Michael’s to 5-1 overall, with the next stop Friday night at Santa Fe Indian School and this its District 2-3A opener. Also on this night, the Braves dropped to 5-2 when district foe Robertson (5-1) came visiting and left with a 54-0 rout.

Also in district play, undefeated Raton is now 7-0 after traveling to also-unbeaten West Las Vegas (5-1) and stunning the high-scoring Dons by carrying off a 14-7 close game and remaining now the only undefeated team in the district, as well as the only team in the 3A top-ten with an unblemished record.

In WLV, a tough place to win, it was a punting match in a scoreless first quarter. In the second quarter, Raton made it into the end zone, when with 3:37 left in the half, junior running back Cayden Walton ran in from the 5 and junior Cole Hooper converted the PAT.

In the third quarter, the Dons evened things up after the Tigers missed a field goal. They capitalized on an interception at midfield and in six plays, senior and leader scorer Damian Gallegos tallied from 7 yards out and the PAT by  freshman Carmen  Padilla was good.

But then, after WLV punted for the sixth time, Raton pounced on a Dons’ fumble at their own 33 two plays later, and with 2:40remaining, and on five plays, Walton ran it in from the 5 and Hooper against booted the point-after. Raton had three punts, missed a field goal, was intercepted and fumbled, yet  there it is, on top of the heap because only the W counts.

Good for the these Tigers being on the prowl again, but it’s also a district that has fallen twice to 6A Santa Fe High, Robertson at Ivan Head Stadium, and St. Michael’s at home also to the Demons. Raton had been on top in 3A, so had Socorro, but now it’s the Horsemen with a new starting quarterback and a steam of momentum.

The new starting QB, senior Zachery Martinez, passed for a pair of touchdowns, and in the first half, he completed 8-of-12 throws for 103 yards. Senior Daymon Lujan ran for two touchdowns that included a 4th down, 1-yard lounge in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. He also carried the 10 times for 72 yards in the first two quarters.

The Horsemen were handily on top, 20-2, at halftime.

Also around the area, Capital headed down I-25 South Saturday afternoon and rolled over windless Albuquerque Rio Grande, 50-0, to even its record at 3-3, in the game played at Milne Stadium.

Up at Pojoaque Valley Saturday night, it welcomed Albuquerque’s Hope Christian and the Huskies came away with a 42-22 win to up their record to 3-3 and drop the Elks to 4-3.

Friday night, Santa Fe High had a good start and a dismal finish in losing a District 5-6A test, 55-28, to Albuquerque Sandia at Wilson Stadium. The Demons fell to 5-2, (1-2 in district), the Matadors to 2-4.

Also in 5-6A, Albuquerque La Cueva moved to 5-1 and right up near the top of the rankings after shutting down Albuquerque Eldorado, 41-0. Then there was rejuvenated Albuquerque Manzano routing Albuquerque Del Norte, 42-6.  And Clovis finally made the win column by edging Albuquerque High, 25-24.

Los Alamos had a nightmare last two outings upon first losing 72-24 at West Las Vegas and following it up at home via a 54-0 shutout loss to unbeaten Farmington.

The top two teams in the state, champion Rio Rancho Cleveland and runner-up Rio Rancho High are both undefeated and one and two in the rankings. The Storm romped over Albuquerque Atrisco, 48-0, and the Rams disposed of Cibola, 65-35.