By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The first round of New Mexico state football playoffs is in the books as Raton marks the win column with a 35-20 win over the Hozho Wolves making up for the 2-point loss to Hozho last year during the quarter final game in Gallup.
Raton joins Santa Rosa (35-6 win over Loving) and Tucumcari (40-20 win over Tularosa) from District 2A to move on in the state playoffs where Raton will travel down to Dexter for a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday. Santa Rosa will play Eunice and Tucumcari will travel to Estancia for a 7:00 p.m. game Friday.
Raton took the opening kickoff and drove 58 yards to the five only to have Colt Ayon lose the ball and fortunately Brayden Decker was there to fall on the ball. Harlem Coley took the hand off and dove in for six. Cooper King adds the PAT for a 7-0 lead at 10:21 on the first period clock.
Hozho does a four and out with a fumble at the Hozho 29. Colt Ayon gets the ball and scrambles to the 10-yard line. Luciano Castillo takes the hand off and rounds the corner for another Raton TD. The King PAT falls short and leaves the score 13-0. Again, Hozho goes four and out and gives Raton the ball on the 35 after a high snap goes over the head of the punter. Raton then turns the ball over on downs at the Hozho 32.
Two big running plays and it’s a pass play to Hudson Cash for six. Kaleb Bowannie adds the PAT for a 13-7 ball game at 1:52 in the first quarter. Raton takes the ball into the second quarter all the way down to the one-yard line where they turn the ball over on downs unable to get it over the goal line. From there the Wolves methodically drive the ball 11 plays and 99 yards to put the ball in the end zone on a pass play to Hudson Cash from Nicholas August with 3:15 left in the second quarter. The Bowannie PAT is good for a 14-13 Wolf lead.
Hudson Cash ends the next Raton series of plays with an interception at the Hozho 35. The ball goes back and forth with Hozho ending the second quarter and going into halftime with a14-13 lead.
On the third quarter kickoff the kick bounces off a Hozho player and is recovered on the 50 by Raton. Eight plays later Raton is in the redzone, and another Harlem Coley run puts the ball in the endzone for six with 9:07 on the clock. The 2-point try is good making it a 21-14 ball game.
Hozho does a four and out and gives Raton the ball. Eleven plays later Braylon Walton puts it in the air where Trey Tafoya gets a hand on it and Nicholas August picks it off and races 85 yards for a Hozho TD. The 2-point try fails and leaves the score 21-20 with 2:44 left in the third.
Raton takes the next series 72 yards in nine plays culminating the drive with a 15-yard run by Colt Ayon for six. The Cooper King PAT is good for a 28-20 score at 10:59 in the fourth. On the kickoff Hozho fumbles the ball at the 22. Three plays and Harlem Coley takes the ball six yards for another Raton score. The King Pat is good for a 35-20 score at 10:01 left in the final quarter.
Another Hozho fumble on the kickoff is followed by Raton fumble giving Hozho the ball on their 32. They work the ball down the field and an incomplete pass on 4th and 15 turns the ball over to the Tigers on the 20. Raton goes nine plays and turns the ball over on the Hozho four. Hozho goes four plays and Raton ends the game with a knee to move on to Dexter next Saturday.
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