The Raton Tigers football squad started the new football season with big shoes to fill in the shadow of last year’s 11-1 team, and would be put to an early test by traveling on the road and taking on the defending 2A NM State Champion Eunice Cardinals. But on the first drive of the year, Senior running back Cayden Walton showed he would be wearing the shoes and opposing defenses will have to figure out a way to stop him as he ripped off a 43 yard run to score the games first touchdown with less than two minutes gone and help the Tigers to a 42 – 14 convincing win.
Played at the neutral site in Tucumcari on a warm August night, Walton would end up with 354 yards on the ground and score all of the TDs for the Raton offense and one on defense, with a fumble recovery for a scoop and score and the games second TD and Raton lead 14-0 with almost half of the first quarter still left.
Walton would score on 12 yard scamper as the first quarter was nearing its end, a 50 yard lateral midway thru the second quarter and would add sixes on a third quarter 32 yard run and a fourth quarter 4 yard run.
Walton has added 20 pounds in the offseason and the added bulk didn’t appear to affect his speed. The only thing slowing him down was leg cramps in the second half and had it not been for several holding penalties called, he would have notched at least 3 more scores.
As impressive as Walton’s performance was, the newly-revamped offensive and defensive line for the Tigers was just as eye-opening. The defensive line harassed Eunice QB Brady Colborn all night forcing him to move off his spot and either hurry throws or throw on the run. Colborn did connect twice with sophomore Maddox Mata for scores of 27 and 41 yards.
Raton’s defensive backfield also picked Colborn three times with Wyatt Berry and Matthew Munoz snatching the football, while linebacker Anderson Weese, began his senior campaign, in the middle of the action again, returning to form as last season’s leading tackler.
Weese, as most all of the Raton players, goes both ways, as he also doubles as an offensive guard. Along with new center Issac Garcia, the O-line can take credit for Walton’s big day as they were often downfield creating a crease for Walton to find.
Another bright-spot for Raton was the kicking of senior Cole Hopper. The South-paw boomed many of the kickoffs either over the head of the receiver or through the end zone. Hopper also does double duty as Raton’s punter and pinned the Cardinals deep in their own territory, flipping the field on several occasions.
Junior QB Jacob Mattorano took his first snaps as starting QB for the Tigers, and though he threw four interceptions, showed both a cannon and touch on his passes, completing 10 of 25 for 61 yards. Mattorano also used his legs well showing power when he opted to run, and can only get better
Next up for Raton will be their first ever Thursday game on August 25th. The shortage of referees in New Mexico, has prompted a change in this week’s schedule with the opponent, Guymon, Oklahoma.
The referee shortage has also prompted Raton to have to change its Friday night games to Saturday night against West (changed to October 8) and St. Mikes (changed to October 15).
