It was a blustery day in Santa Rosa on Saturday, November 16, and the wind blew the home team’s way as the #2 seed Lions outlasted the #7 Raton Tigers with a 14 – 12 quarterfinal win.
Although the winds were stiff, Raton didn’t get blown out as in their regular season matchup just three weeks before. The difference was Raton’s defense getting another look at the vaunted single wing offense that has served the Lions for decades. The Lions scored all of their points in the first half but were able to turn Raton away from two first and goal situations in the second half to escape with a W and advance to the semis of the AA NM Football Championships next weekend against Loving.
Also making a difference in the second meeting was Raton’s senior QB Cannon Walton who did not play the first game because of injury. Walton’s legs and arm can be a difference maker as down 6 – 0 in the first, Walton took Raton on a 13 play 80 yard scoring march to tie the game. In the stiff wind Walton completed two long passes to senior Wyatt Berry and senior Joseph Saenz capped it off with an 18 yard run to knot it a 6 apiece with 10:00 minutes left in the half. Berry’s last game as a Tiger was an excellent effort as he not only had several receptions to keep drives alive but also had a blocked PAT and several tackles for losses on defense.
Santa Rosa’s counterpart to Walton, Josh Cordova, scored both of Santa Rosa’s touchdowns on short runs after long sustained drives, one of 10 plays for 60 yards and the other 16 plays for 85 yards. Cordova almost had a a third near the end of the first half when the Lions recovered a Raton fumble and Cordova was stopped at the one before time expired.
The wind also blew the Lions way as they scored all of their points in the first half and were able to turn Raton away from two first and goal situations in the second half to escape with win.
Santa Rosa’s offense not only churns out the yards, but chews up the clock as evidenced by their scoring drives, but also by their drive to start the 3rd quarter in which used up most of the quarter until Raton’s Cristoval Ortega stopped Cordova on a fourth and four at the Raton 20.
Raton’s Walton then gained 15 yards on a broken play then connected with Shane Asley on an 11 yard first down completion. Raton had three procedure flags thrown againt them on the drive and over came a 3rd and 15 with a Berry reception and a fourth and one run by Saenz, but the Raton offense self-destructed as a second and one from the Lion’s 9 they were flagged by a procedure and delay of game penalty back-to-back and turned it over on downs at the Lion 19.
The Raton defense came to play though and held the Lions to a three-and-out and Raton took over on the 40 with 9:23 left in the game. Walton getting 15 on the ground, followed by Saenz breaking a tackle for a good gain with another 15 tacked on for a personal foul on the Lions gave Raton a first down at the Lion 25. Runs by Saenz and Walton got Raton to a first and goal at the 9, but another procedure penalty and a busted play gave Raton a 4th and goal from the 13. Walton went wide and looked like he was going to throw and then tucked it in for a 13 yard TD run. The 2 point PAT fell incomplete so it was a 2 point Santa Rosa advantage with 5:40 left in the game.
Santa Rosa jumped on the back of Cordova and the junior converted two first down runs and they were able to ice it with a sweep to the outside on a third and 13 and get the first down.
Raton ends the season with a record of 6 – 6.
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