By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
While there are 11 men on the field for a football team the Escalante Lobos had a quarterback that could almost be called a one-man team as Dominic Montano ran, scrambled and dashed for over 300 yards Friday night as the Lobos outran the Tigers for a 34-13 win.
Raton planned and executed the plan well. Going into the game the Tigers knew they had to shut down Montano and that they did with shirttail tackles and behind the line stops. But somehow Montano managed to squirm loose or simply find a hole and on two instances squirted for over 60 yards to pay dirt.
The Lobos scored first late in the first quarter with only 28 seconds left on the clock it was a 1-yard plow through the line by Montano. The 2-point conversion failed and it was a 6-0 game.
The onside kick was left uncovered by Raton to possibly go out of bounds but the Lobos recovered it just before it bounced out giving them the ball on the Raton 30. Seven plays later Montano dived for a 2-yard TD. The 2-point try failed and left it a 12-0 game.
Raton turned the ball over on downs on their next series at the Escalante 40 and Montano simply found a hole and scampered 60 yards to pay dirt. This time the 2-point try was good when Will Hurd punched it in with 4:19 on the clock, it was a 20-0 game.
Third quarter action began with Raton starting at the 50 on an onside kick. With the help of a face mask penalty the Tigers went the 50 yards in three plays in 49 seconds and ended it with a 9-yard scamper by Dakota Martinez. Oscar Areola put the ball between the uprights for a 20-7 ball game.
Raton recovered the onside kick at the Escalante 40 but was unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs at the Escalante 36. This time it was an 18-yard pass play to Tristan Martinez for six. Montano punched the 2-point conversion in and it was a 28-7 ball game with 4:10 left in the third.
A determined Raton team then went 14 plays from our own 37 to pay dirt. Dante Mileta put one up and Martin Ortiz was there to haul it in and find pay dirt with 41 seconds left in the third. An end around to Ortiz added the necessary 2-points to make it a 28-13 game.
A pass interception in the fourth by Lucas Cordova gave the Lobos another shot after a personal foul put the ball on the Escalante 31. From there Montano squirted free and went the 69 yards for six more. The 2-point was no good and left the score 34-13.
A fumble recovered by Lucas Cordova gave Escalante the ball back on their own 20 where they marched down the field and ran out the clock at the Raton five yard line.
Raton will play Thoreau at Lobo Stadium in Albuquerque this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
