By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
It was a beautiful fall afternoon Saturday, Nov., 9th in Raton that greeted the St Mikes Horseman into the jungle and a rematch of last week’s regular season finale game in Santa Fe. Raton won that game fairly easily to give them the #8 seed and a home rematch with the Horsemen in the first round of the NM State AAA Football Championships.
Saturday’s game was another win for Raton, but it was no way easy as the scrappy St. Mikes team owned most of the first half, before Raton woke up and nipped the Horsemen 22 – 21 for the win and a trip to the quarter finals next week against #1 seed Socorro.
The Horseman took the opening kickoff and soon the Raton defense made the plays to force St Mikes to punt it away followed by a short series for Raton and the punt.
On the next series of plays it was the Horseman who struck pay dirt first with a 43-yard pass play from Lucas Coriz to Kennis Romero for six during their second series of plays. Devin Flores misses the PAT to leave it a 6-0 ball game mid-way through the first quarter.
Raton is forced to punt it away after getting the ball just past mid field. The St Mikes offense would carry the ball into the second quarter. The Horseman moved the ball down the field and almost into the red zone when the yellow flag flew not just once but several times pushing St Mikes back into Raton territory and were forced to punt the ball away.
Raton’s offense was sputtering and still unable to move the ball and has to punt the ball away. St Mikes moves the ball down the field to the 10-yard line. A tough few yards and a pass interference and St Mikes finds themselves at the one where Derek Royball carries it in for six more. Another pass interference call on the 2-point conversion pass play gives St Mikes another chance and this time Lucas Montoya does the end around for the 2-points. It’s now a 14-0 with 2:03 left in the first half of play.
Raton’s Jesus Alvarado turned the momentum in Raton’ favor, when “Chuey” took the kickoff from the nine-yard line, found the wedge up the middle then broke to the outside and steaked 91 yards for six points. After catching his breath, Alvarado then splits the uprights for the PAT making this a seven-point ball game at 1:50 on the clock in the first half.
Raton took the momentum into the second half, received the second half kickoff and kept it out of the hands of the St. Mikes offense by pounding the ball down the field and holding on to it for over half of the third quarter. Then on the 13th play of the drive from the St Mikes 28, Cayden Walton goes over the left side and scampers almost untouched for six. Alvarado splits the uprights and it’s a tie game at 14.
It’s a defensive game the remainder of the third quarter and then in the fourth St Mikes drove the ball to the Raton 30-yard line. Then, it’s a long pass to Jake Rockwood who takes it to the one-yard line where Cayden Walton makes the tackle to save the TD. But, on the next play, Roybal again gets the call and finds a hole for six. Devon Flores splits the uprights, and St Mikes goes up 21-14 with 11:10 left in the game.
On Raton’s next possession, they move the ball to the St Mikes 30, but a pass intended for Walton is tipped in the air and Santa Fe’s Rico Gurule gets the gift near the goal line to thwart a Raton TD attempt.
Unable to move the ball, St Mikes is forced to punt the ball away where Walton takes it on the 20 and scrambles to the 47 but a holding call brings the ball back to the Raton 25. Then on a third and 22, Quartieri throws a perfect pass over a defender and into the hands of a streaking Jesus Alvarado along the side line and he out runs the defenders for a 75 yard TD explosion and it’s now a 20-21 score. Raton decides to go for the win with the 2-point try. Dylan Quartieri fakes the hand off not once, but twice and turns and throws to brother Matthew Quartieri for the 2-point conversion and the go ahead point, 22-21, at 2:29 on the fourth quarter clock.
Plenty of time for St Mikes especially when you have gunslinger Lucas Coriz as your QB to drive the field and score. St Mikes goes into time management and with the help of a face-mask penalty on Raton, moves the ball down into the red zone at the 18. But then, a pass from Lucas Coriz intended for Lucas Montoya is intercepted by Isaiah Samora to put an end to the St Mikes drive and essentially their season with 48 seconds left on the clock.
After the game Coach Tory Giacomo noted that the team did a great job and he felt they are just now beginning to peak. They are a much-improved team from the second week team that met Socorro in Socorro in early September. They will travel to #1 seed Socorro on Saturday, November 16 with a 1p.m. kick off for the quarter finals. The game will be broadcast on KRTN FM 93.9 and our Facebook page.
