By Billy D
KRTN Multi-Media
The Trinidad Miners football team brought the coveted Coal Bucket Trophy into Tiger Stadium on Friday night for the annual renewal of the rivalry game and packed it back over the Pass in the bus after a 41 – 8 win over the Raton Tigers.
The Tiger Defense started strong with a three and out on the Trinidad offense. Then on Raton’s first possession was going for it on fourth and two from their own 44 when a bad snap sailed over QB Dustin Segura’s head and was recovered on the Raton 27 by the Miners. On the very next play, Miner QB Ethan Duran lofted a 27 yard scoring strike to Vance Ferraro and with Wyatt Weining’s extra point, Trinidad led 7-0 with 8:00 left in the first period and never looked back.
Raton’s score in the second period was set up by an interception by Jonathan Cabriales, who returned it to the Trinidad 15. On the first play following the pick, Cabriales worked open in the endzone long enough for a scrambling Segura to find him.
Trinidad answered right back scoring on a 53 yard pass from Duran to J.J. Miera that left the halftime score at 27 – 8.
Raton moved the ball on the Trinidad Defense, but self-destructed while the Trinidad Offense kept escaping their own mistakes with the help of a 63 yard run by Izzy Manzanares, a 65 yard TD from Duran to Ferraro and a 30 yard run by Duran.
Raton falls to 1-2 and will travel to Escalante on Friday, September 18, while Trinidad goes to 2-0 and will play at home for the first time this season next Friday against Rye.
