By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The Raton Tigers travelled over Raton Pass to battle the Trinidad Miners in the annual Coal Bucket game and oh what a battle it was with a couple of lead changes, called back TDs and a last-minute ditch effort by Raton to keep the ball long enough to run out the clock for the 33-28 win.
The game began with Raton kicking off and Trinidad taking it to the 36. Trinidad went four an out with a bobbled punt giving Raton the ball at the Trinidad 34. From there Raton moves inside the red zone with a pass play to Cooper King at the five. Two plays later Braylon Walton tosses one to Luciano Castillo for the score at 7:38 on the clock. King’s PAT is good for a 7-0 lead.
Trinidad took the KO to their 35-yard line and began the march down the field on the ground. However, Trinidad suffered from a couple of penalties and on a fourth and 15. Moreno puts it in the air to Andrew East and gives Trinidad the ball on the Raton 16. Moreno puts it back up to a wide-open Curtis Bueno for six. The 2-point conversion fails after a false start penalty adds five to the distance leaving Raton on top 7-6.
The KO bounces and was almost picked off by Trinidad but the ball went out of bounds after a scramble for the ball was last touched by Raton. Raton takes the ball into the second quarter and on a fourth and long Braylon Walton puts it in the air and Isaiah Moreno makes a pick six to give the Miners the lead 12-7 at 10:17.
An onside kick by Trinidad gives Trinidad the ball on the Raton 49-yard line. Four an out forces a punt however the laundry flies as Cael Walton takes the punt down the field for a TD that gets brought back on a blocking in the back penalty. Raton takes over on their 21. Raton moves down the field but turn the ball over on a fumble at the Raton 30.
From there the Miners move toward the goal line when Moreno breaks a tackle and moves inside the Red Zone to the 13. On the next play Moreno does the keeper and waltzes into the end zone for another six at 5:26 in the second quarter. Moreno takes the 2-point try in and makes it a 20-7 ball game.
Raton gets the onside kick at their 47. Cael Walton moves the ball down the field and a pass to Castillo puts Raton in the Red Zone where they struggle to get the score. Finally, a six-yard pass play to Gage Alford gives Raton six at 3:03 left in the half. The PAT is no good leaving the score 20-13.
Trinidad takes the KO to their 35. Trinidad struggles and a bad snap to Moreno forces a punt to their 49 1:46 left in the half. Raton also struggles to move the ball with a sack and motion penalty. Walton then throws an interception giving Trinidad the ball at the Trinidad 35. Trinidad runs the clock out to finish the first half of play.
Third quarter action begins with a Trinidad KO with Raton taking the ball to the Trinidad 43. On the ground with the feet of Cael Walton Raton moves inside the red zone again. From the six Cael Walton takes it in for six at 9:01 on the clock. Raton attempts the 2-point conversion and overthrows Castillo for a 20-19 game.
Miners take the KO back to the 27 and from there they struggle some with false start penalty. Cooper King then picks off a Moreno pass as he was under Tiger pressure. Raton takes the ball over at the 30. Raton moves the ball but suffers from the yellow hanky with another false start. Cael Walton manages to get a first down and another pass to Alford gets called back on a penalty at the 25. Walton then puts it up to Castillo in the endzone for the go ahead at 5:01 in the third. The 2-point try is good for a 27-20 Raton lead.
Trinidad takes the KO to their 24-yard line to start the series. On the second play Moreno uses the option play to Cisco Sandoval who scampers the distance for a TD that gets called back on a holding penalty. On the very next play Moreno puts it for a 90-yard pass play to Jose Padilla for six. Moreno carries it in for the 2-point conversion and makes it a 28-27 ball game at 3:33 in the third.
Raton gets the KO at the Raton 35. After a motion penalty Cael Walton loses the ball giving the Miners the ball at the Raton 42. Moreno airs one up again and Roybal takes the pass in for a TD that gets called back on offensive pass interference. That brought the ball back to the Trinidad 48. On a fourth and long Moreno has the pass intercepted by Luciano Castillo and he takes it to the Trinidad 38.
From the 38 Raton goes on the ground. Raton takes the ball into the fourth quarter at the Trinidad 25. The handoff goes to Walton, but the yellow hanky once again comes out and sends Raton back 10. Cael Walton once again gets Raton inside the red zone. But Raton struggles with a false start and a tough Trinidad defense. The pass play to Colt Ayon falls just shy of the first down and turns the ball over to Trinidad on their two-yard line.
Trinidad moves out but, on an option play the ball is batted down by Warren Berry and he recovers the ball at the Trinidad seven. Two plays later Cael Walton crosses the goal line for a 33-28 game at 5:16 on the fourth quarter clock. The 2-point try fails leaving Raton with a five-point lead.
Trinidad takes the KO to the 30 and begin the series there. The Miners begin the series with a delay of game. Trinidad moves the ball down the field. A pass play to Joaquin Argyle gets called back on a holding penalty for a 3rd and 12. Moreno airs it out to Andrew East for a long gain. From the 30 Moreno gets sacked for a five-yard loss. Moreno airs it out and it is picked off by Cael Walton who brings it back to the Raton 35 with 1:45 left on the clock. Raton struggles and is unable to get a first down leaving Raton with a time control issue. Trinidad uses their last timeout to stop the clock at 52 seconds. Raton runs the ball to try and move the clock as much as possible but come up with a 4th down and 5.8 seconds Raton take the delay of game. Cael Walton gets the ball and runs for his life to run the clock out and win the game.
Oh WOW! what a game as Raton squeaks by Trinidad 33-28 to keep the coveted Coal Bucket for one more year. Trinidad came into the game with a 1-0 record under a new coach, Coach Eric Colorado who comes to Trinidad from El Paso. Raton will now travel to West Las Vegas for another rivalry game next Friday night.
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