By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton Tigers travel the big “I” down to Socorro for the final preseason game before Raton begins district play next week here in Raton against Santa Fe Indian School Braves for a Saturday afternoon game in the Jungle.
The Tigers begin the game with a 3-2 record while the Warriors come into the match with a 4-1 record losing only to the Robertson Cardinals in their first game of the season. The Tigers lost their first two games against Eunice and Guymon both games were out of town.
Raton received the opening kickoff to begin the game returning the ball to the Raton 32. An offside call followed by a 63-yard pass play to Wyatt Berry gives Raton the lead, Logan Elliot adds the PAT for a 7-0 score with only nine seconds gone off the clock.
Socorro took the kickoff at their 25 and began the drive on the ground for a nine-yard run. In the air and on the ground the Warriors take the ball 38 yards for six at 8:45 on the first quarter clock. They add the PAT and make it a 7-7 ball game.
Raton fumbled the ball on the 43-yard line where the Warriors recovered the ball and moved down to the eight-yard line with 21 seconds on the first period clock. The Warriors ended the first quarter at the six-yard line. The Warriors’ Isaiah Ocampo passes to Jay Lee for a three-yard pass play to make it a 13-7 ball game to begin the second quarter. They add the PAT and make it a 14-7 game.
Raton takes the kickoff to the Raton 34. Raton continues on the ground with an 18-yard run to move into Warrior territory only to lose yardage with a penalty. Raton ends the drive with an interception at the Warrior five-yard line.
A stiff Raton defense forces Socorro to punt the ball away. Berry takes the punt and brings the ball inside the Warrior 35 to the 31. Raton again suffers from a couple of penalties and then Mattorano throws another interception to give Alex Amaro his second interception of the game.
Socorro begins the drive on the ground and in the air. Raton then returns the favor with an interception at the Raton 47 with 1:23 left in the half. Raton unable to move the ball is forced to punt with 28 seconds left in the half. Socorro takes the punt inside the 25. Socorro ends the half and heads to the locker room with the lead 14-7.
The second half of the game starts with Raton kicking off to Socorro where they took the ball to their 37. The Warriors found the ground game more successful as they move the ball down the field just outside the red zone. Then Chase Boykin took the handoff 23 yards for six with 6:51 left in the third quarter. Socorro adds the PAT for a 21-7 game.
Raton starts from the Raton 20 for their first series in the second half of the game. A stiff Warrior defense gave Raton fits, but the passing game manages to get Raton down the field. However, Raton is forced to punt the ball away with Socorro taking the ball to the Socorro 25-yard line. Socorro lets the third quarter run out and swapped sides to move into the fourth quarter.
A tough Raton defense holds the Warriors and forces them to punt the ball away with Raton taking the ball at the Tiger 47. A pass to Cannon Walton gives Raton a 30 plus yard pickup to go to the Warrior 23. Cannon Walton receives a 21-yard pass from Jacob Mattorano in the end zone for six. Elliott’s PAT is blocked and leaves the score at 21-13.
The Raton kickoff is returned by the Warriors to the Raton four, but the yellow hankies bring the ball back to the Warrior 37-yard line with 10:20 on the fourth quarter clock. The Warriors take to the ground game and move into Raton territory. An unsportsmanlike penalty moves the ball to the Raton 35 for a first down. Inside the 20 the Raton defense holds tough and forces the Warriors to turn the ball over on downs at the Raton 18.
Raton moves the ball down the field on the ground using both Joseph Saenz and Cannon Walton to do the running. They move into Warrior territory with just under 5:00 minutes left in the fourth. Raton passes down to the Warrior four then gets a procedure penalty for a second and goal at the six. Fourth and goal from the four then the Warriors jump offside to make it a fourth and two with 2:07 left on the clock. Mattorano rolls right and passes to Wyatt Berry for six. It 21-19 and Raton goes for the 2-point conversion. The Warriors jump offside to move the ball that much closer to the goal line. Cannon Walton gets the call and the pitch to carry the ball into the end zone for the 2-point conversion and ties the game with 2:00 minutes on the clock.
The Raton kickoff goes down to the Warrior 29 and out of bounds to give Socorro the ball at their 35 with no timeouts left. Raton’s Wyatt Berry picks off the Isaiah Ocampo to give Raton the ball at the 37. Walton picks up a good run and gets Raton inside the 25. The Raton offense faulters with a fourth and 11 and turns the ball over on downs with 14 seconds left.
Its Overtime!! Tied at 21. Warriors won the coin toss and chose to go on defense giving Raton the ball on the 10-yard line. A holding penalty moves Raton to the 20-yard line. Mattorano throws an interception to end the Raton drive. Socorro takes the ball on the 10. Isaiah Ocampo scrambles the 10 yards for six to end the ball game 27-21.
