By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton’s clawed its way into the NM State Football Championship Tournament as the 12th seed, so they knew they would have to travel in the opening round on Saturday, November 10th, but the bracket sent them to a familiar foe as they went just down I-25 to the Cardinal’s nest in Las Vegas for the first round of state AAA playoffs.
Fifth ranked Robertson hosted #12 Raton Saturday with the winner of the game going on to the next round of state playoffs against #4 ranked St Michael’s in Santa Fe, who began the playoffs with a first-round bye.
On a very windy fall afternoon, the winds of fortune were not at Raton’s back as the Tigers dropped a 21-6 decision. It looked good very early on as those winds started blowing Raton’s way when Raton’s Skylar Smith recovered a Cardinal fumble on the opening kickoff to give Raton a first down on the Robertson 39. But the wind shifted quickly, as Raton’s QB Aden Vanderwater came down hard on his head after gaining nine yards on the first play from scrimmage, and would leave the game with a possible concussion not to return. It was like déjà vu for the Tigers as they lost Vanderwater during the regular season contest against the very same Cardinals on October 12th and one of the top signal callers in AAA had not started since.
Cayden Walton stepped in again as signal caller and was quickly stripped of the ball and had to make a touchdown saving tackle on the Raton 27 yard line. Raton’s defense has been good and steadily improving all season and the Raton defenders didn’t lose their composure and aided by a Cardinal holding penalty, forced a punt.
Raton flagged for a hold of their own, started the drive on the 10 yard line and after a Richie Acevedo 12 yard run and a 15 yard personal foul penalty on the Cardinals, had a first down on the 36. A Cayden Walton 14 yard run took the ball to midfield, but Tiger faithful held their breath as Walton stayed down with a leg injury on the play. He would return, but Raton was forced to punt and LVR took over on their 21. The Raton defense stiffened again for a 3 and out and on the ensuing Raton possession the Cardinals Antonio Padilla out-jumped an intended Raton receiver for the interception and the Cardinals took over with 4:08 left in the first.
Eight plays later Raton’s defense stopped Robertson’s advance, and an attempted a 30 yard field goal which went wide right with the help of the stiff westerly wind.
Raton went three and out this series and the punt return gives Robertson the ball on the Raton 49. Padilla, one of the top scorers in AAA, ran to the 28 and then on a fourth and four, Cardinal QB Brandon Lucero scrambled for a first down at the Raton 2 and Padilla muscled it in on the next play for a TD and the first points of the game with just under four minutes left in the first half. Raton’s Richie Acevedo knifed in and blocked the PAT attempt, and Robertson led 6-0.
On the ensuing kickoff Raton’s Ismael Tafoya returned to the 25. After a couple of Walton runs, Robertson was flagged with a facemask penalty giving Raton a first down at midfield. Cayden Walton flashed his speed and took it down to the Cardinal 35 yard line, and with :40 sec. left in the half, Raton was threatening. But what looked to be an opportunity, turned into disaster as a high snap had Estevan Marquez scoop and score for the Cardinals with only two seconds left in the first half, and with the two point run by Padilla, Robertson led 14 – 0 at the half.
On the second half kickoff, Robertson squib-kickedand recovered the ball at the Raton 34. A face mask penalty and a 15-yard pass play put the ball at the Raton three where Andres Grano carried it in for six with 11:03 on the third period clock. The PAT was good leaving it 21-0.
The next Raton drive again worked the ball down the field only to have to give it up on downs at the Robertson 40. Robertson’s running game then moved the ball down the field and two personal foul penalties on Raton added another 30 placing the ball on the Raton eight. The third quarter ended and the teams switched ends of the field and a holding call, negated a LVR TD and put Robertson back at the 20. On the next play Raton’s Ismael Tafoya picks an overthrown pass off in the end zone to end the Robertson drive.
The winds of fortune shifted again in the fourth quarter as Raton’s Ismael Tafoya intercepted a pass in the endzone and Raton took over on the 20 yard line to begin their 9 play scoring drive. Walton and Acevedo toted the rock for the Tigers, Walton getting a big chunk of 42 yards, and then finishing the drive with a five yard TD run. The Pat was wide and Raton trailed 21-6 with 7:30 left in the game.
Robertson essentially ran out the clock on their next drive and a FG attempt was no good, but Raton got possession with just over a minute left and could not come up with any miracles.
Raton ends the season 5 – 6, but has momentum of going into next year, knowing they can play football with the perennial powerhouses of the District and State.
Congratulations to the Seniors for the Tigers: #2 Richie Acevedo; #11 Ismael Tafoya; #13 Aden Vanderwater; #72 Matthew Duran; #74 Fernando Olguin; #77 Robert Horner, and #81 Brandon Decker who helped the Tigers bring the Coal Bucket back from Trinidad and also beat Albuquerque Academy for Homecoming while playing a very tough schedule back in District 2AAA.
Robertson will try and get the monkey off their back this year. They were the #1 seed in 2014 in 4A and lost in the quarterfinals, and for the last three years straight have made it to the 4A championship game only to come up short. Last year it was an epic 57 -54 loss to Ruidoso that kept the championship ring off the Cardinals finger.
They will take on 2AAA regular season champ St. Mikes in Santa Fe next week’s quarterfinals.
