Santa Rosa Overcomes Rain & Raton for District Win

By Marty Mayfield

  KRTN Multi-Media

 

Coach Tory Giacomo said, “We have to play a full game not just two quarters.” as Raton played the kind of game Giacomo knew they could for the first half of the game with Santa Rosa Friday evening, October 23rd in the jungle.

The first quarter of the game was a defensive battle as both teams struggled to move the ball with Raton going three and out in their first series. Santa Rosa did a bit better in their first series but would have to punt the ball away after nine plays.

Giacomo noted before the game that one of the things Raton would have to do was keep their hands on the ball and keep it off the ground as Raton has struggled with fumbleitis in previous games. As Raton started the second quarter a procedure penalty and then a fumble, that was fortunately ruled dead, hit the Raton offense. Raton punted the ball away and Santa Rosa put together an eight play 64 yard drive for the first points of the game. Joaquin Lopez made the PAT to make it a 7-0 ball game with 7:44 on the second quarter clock.

Another fumble on a pass play to Jonathan Cabriales gave the ball back to Santa Rosa. Four plays later they were in the end zone again. Lopez split the uprights for a 14-0 game.

After a good return by freshman Richie Acevedo, Raton started on the Santa Rosa 45 and mounted a drive that started with a 37 yard pass play to Cabriales to fire up the offense. Raton quarterback Dustin Segura put the ball in the air again this time it looked like it was a pass interception in the end zone but a flag flew and the referees called it pass interference. Santa Rosa’s coach protested the call and referees threw another flag which took the ball to the 8-yardline. Then on a fourth down, another pass to Cabriales gave Raton six with 3:18 left on the first half clock. Cabrieles topped it off with the PAT (7-14) and put Raton back in the game as a light rain began to fall.

Santa Rosa then fumbled on their next drive and Raton fumbled it right back to Santa Rosa. Three plays later Santa Rosa’s Joseph Esquibel puts the ball in the air and Raton’s Dustin Segura came down with the ball for Raton at the Santa Rosa 37 with only seconds left on the clock. Segura put the ball up to DJ Bird who scrambled to the Santa Rosa 2-yardline where Lion Joaquin Lopezas the buzzer sounded ending the half.

The extended halftime show included performances by the RHS band, Tigercats Dance Team and the Raton Cheer squad who put on a lil cheer clinic for future cheerleaders. Over 50 lil cheerleaders were on hand to perform as a light steady rain fell.

Santa Rosa started the second half with an 85 yard kick off return for six by Jaoquin Lopez. His PAT was good and it was a 21-7 game with only 14 seconds off the clock. That set the tone for the rest of the game as Raton simply couldn’t do anything in the rain. Raton’s first play in the third quarter ended in a fumble at the Raton 32. Santa Rosa’s Eric Lopez took the ball from the spinner back and scampered the 32 yards for six. The PAT went wide and with 11:28 left on the clock in the third quarter Santa Rosa was up 27-7.

For the remainder of the game Raton never had the ball longer than a three and out with Santa Rosa scoring on every possesion from then on with the exception of the last series where both teams struggled to hold on to the rain slick ball. When the final buzer sounded it was a 53-7 final score to start the district play season.

Coach Giacomo told KRTN he was very pleased with the way Raton played the first half of the game, it was the team he knew they were. However the second half of the game was much different. Raton will travel to Clayton this week to play the defending state champs who seem to also be struggling as they have a 2-5 record going into district play. Raton coaches will also have to deal with the possibility of not having one of their star players as Jonathan Cabriales took a hit late in the game and may have to sit the Clayton game out with a possible concussion.