The Raton Tigers played their first home game of the shortened season on Saturday, March 27 and used a lightning quick-strike offense and a stingy first string defense to pull away to a 71 – 24 victory over the Tucumcari Rattlers.
Any sport played outdoors in March in northeastern New Mexico will probably have wind and Saturday’s game was no exception although it really didn’t have any effect on the outcome.
The Tigers won the toss and elected to receive, but things didn’t start well for Raton. On his way to a big return, Chance Middlebrook fumbled the opening kickoff when a Rattler defender swatted the ball away and the visiting team took over on the Raton 41.
After a Rattler fumble and a mixup with the chains, Tucumcari earned a first down at the Raton 30. The Tiger defense dug in, and after a solid stop by linebacker Matt Quartieri, Raton’s Michael Chavez stuffed a 4th and 2 run to give Raton the ball on their own 25.
Raton’s first offensive drive was short and long. A short one play, and a long 75 yard run for the speedy Cayden Walton. With Cole Hopper’s PAT, Raton lead 7 – 0 with 8:17 to go in the first.
Tucumcari returned the kickoff to the 38, but the Raton defense flew to the ball including Salvador Jimenez’s pass defense on third down and Tucumcari 3 and outed, was forced to punt.
A junior, Chance Middlebrook would atone for his opening kickoff mistake many times over during the course of the afternoon on both offense and defense. The first highlight, was his 65 yard punt return to the Rattler 20 yard line. After an 18 yard screen to Ahsan Maso from Dylan Quartieri, Raton was first and goal from the two. After a sack and then on second down from the six, Middlebrook swept around right end, avoided one tackler and went horizontal to break the plane and after the PAT, Raton’s lead was 14 – 0 with 4:39 left in the first.
Tucumcari’s next possession began on their 16, but another 3 and out dealt by the Raton defense, had Tucumcari lining up to punt. Raton’s Dylan Quartieri shot a gap and got to the punter almost as quickly as the snap, with the ball never touching the punter’s foot, Raton took over on the Rattler 5. It was another one play drive, with Isaiah Samora getting the jail-break screen into the endzone an the Hopper PAT, Raton’s lead was 21 – 0 with 3:00 left in the first.
Raton would score twice more in the first period.
After the defense did their third straight 3 and out number, Chance Middlebrook made his punt return magic for a 35 yard advance and set the Raton offense up for yet another one play drive. This time tight end Matt Quartieri lined up in the backfield and took the handoff straight up the middle, following a Devon Ramirez block and didn’t stop until 25 yards later and the fourth TD for Raton. At this point with only :08 left in the first, Raton lead 28 – 0 and had only run six offensive plays.
They wouldn’t need the offense to score the next one as Chance Middlebrook scooped and scored from 35 yards out on a Rattler fumble and kicking the point after the horn sounded to end the first it was 35 – 0.
Beginning the second quarter, Tucumcari’s offense began to click with some solid inside running by Colt Garcia, coupled with the Raton coaches getting some playing time for the younger Tigers. The Rattlers advanced the ball to the Raton 33. But on fourth down and six, Raton’s defense blanketed the receivers and QB Elijah Jimenez had to scramble but came up short.
On the subject of short, it was yet another one play drive for a TD for the Tigers as Cayden Walton added a 70 yard scamper for a TD that included a jarring stiff arm to a would-be tackler. Then Dylan Quartieri handled a low snap and ad-libbed a two point fire drill pass to Ahsan Maso with Raton’s lead going to 43 – 0 with 6:00 left in the half.
Tucumcari would then respond with an 8 play drive of their own capped off by a 38 yard TD pass from Jimenez to Josh Infante. That left 2:00 on the first half clock and Raton leading 43-8.
Raton would tally another lightning strike with Isaiah Samora getting a good return to the Raton 48 and then an Ashan Maso jet sweep for a 52 yard run and a 50- 8 lead after the Hopper PAT at the end of the first half.
Tucumcari did not give up, taking the second half kickoff and finishing with some lightning of their own, a 42 yard Jimenez to Infante connection for the duos second TD. Another 2 PAT made it 50 – 16 with 9:26 left in the third.
Freshman W.D. Hyer got a good return to the Raton 46 on the ensuing kickoff. Raton would then have their longest sustained drive in number of plays with a 17 yard reception to Matt Quartieri and back-to-back penalties, the first of the game, Raton had a 2nd and 27 from the Raton 39. Walton got the penaly yardage back with a 17 yard scamper and then on third and long, Dylan Quartieri ran 24 yards to give Raton a first down on the Rattler 18. Then Quartieri found Isaiah Samora in the back of the end zone and a great lay out catch for paydirt and the PAT made it 57 -16.
Tucumcari methodically drove the length of the field aided by a tipped ball into the hands of Infante for 38 yard gain. Then on a third and 2 from the Raton 7, Colt Garcia got the score to make it 57 -24.
Wyatt Berry, an 8th grader, would then get a 42 yard return for the Tigers and on a first down from the Rattler 35 yard line, Quartieri found Chance Middlebrook in a crossing pattern and he would tight rope down the near sideline for the score. The final play in the third quarter left a 64 – 24 Raton advantage after the PAT.
Raton would put the only points on the board in the fourth after a Cannon Walton fumble recovery followed by a 38 yard run by big brother Cayden Walton, it was time for some senior payoff as center Adrian Mendez lined as a runner and bowled in for a nine yard TD run. The 71 -24 score would be how the game ended.
Raton will end the season next weekend as they were supposed to start it, by playing Santa Fe St. Michaels. The “Bonus Bowl” game will be played on Saturday April 3 at 1 pm in the Jungle.
