Tigers hand Dons’ Homecoming loss with 33-16 win
By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The Tigers traveled down I-25 to Las Vegas to tangle with the West Las Vegas Dons Friday night in their first district game of the season.
Coach Brock Walton noted last week that the Dons should not be discounted despite coming into this game 1-5. Raton came out quick and went 66 yards in seven plays and put six points on the scoreboard. Toby Henson kicked it wide to miss the PAT.
Las Vegas turned around and took the ball 66 yards with the help of two personal foul penalties that cost Raton 30 of those 66 yards. With 5:07 left on the clock in the first quarter quarterback John Montano plowed through the line for a one-yard TD. The pass to Anthony Medina added two more points for an 8-6 lead.
The remainder of the first quarter went back and forth. The defensive battle continued into the second quarter where both teams traded interceptions. Raton however was able to battle down the field after a personal foul added 15 yards to the pass interception and put the ball on the 50 yard line.
Three offside penalties in a row also added 15 yards. Another penalty moved the ball inside the 20. Toby Henson took a short Cam Baird pass and scrambled the 13 yards to pay dirt. A procedure penalty moved Raton back five to the eight. Thus the two-point try failed leaving the score 12-8 with 44 seconds left on the clock in the half.
The Raton defense made the play in the third when Caleb Wood intercepted a Montano pass. Raton, however couldn’t capitalize and turned the ball over on downs at the West 46. Unable to move the ball consistently West turned the ball over on downs at the Raton 34. Raton pounded out the yardage to end the third quarter on the West 34 yard line.
A Cam Baird pass to Caleb Wood went the distance and added six more to the Raton total.Toby Henson nailed the extra point try and made it a 19-8 ball game.
The Dons put together a long drive and were threatening when a Montano pass was picked off by Caleb Wood on the Raton one-yard line and raced the 99 yards for six more. The PAT was good and with 9:24 on the clock Raton had a 26-8 lead.
As Walton noted don’t count the Dons out. They put together a 72 yard drive that ended with a 18-yard pass play to Stephen Urioste for six. Montano rounded the left end to add two more to the scoreboard for a 26-16 game.
Raton went three and out on the next series giving West a chance from their 32. Luis Ruiz however ended that drive when he intercepted a pass on the Raton 10 and took the ball out to the Raton 22 yard line.
Raton took the ball down the field with the help of a 25 yard pass play and a late hit penalty. Inside the red zone Raton ran the clock down and the ball into the end zone when Cam Baird scrambled seven yards to pay dirt. Henson again nailed the PAT and made it a 33-16 ball game with 35 seconds on the clock.
The clock then ran out on West as they scrambled down the field to the 32 and got one more play off before the buzzer sounded.
Coach Walton noted after the game that Raton tends to be a second half team and this game was no exception as they pulled out a win over West for their homecoming game. Raton now has a bye week and will take that time to heal up some minor injuries and prepare for a tough Robertson team in the Jungle on October 25.
