By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Friday night football in Raton saw another first as the Texico Wolverines entered the jungle for the first time ever as Texico was placed in District 5AAA football.
Another first took place in the jungle before the game as two-time national championship player Mark Chicarelli was honored for his football accomplishments both at Raton High and the University of Northern Colorado. Chicarelli quite accidentally ended up filling a running back position at UNC and helped that team win two national championships. He also noted that those winning teams had one of the best GPAs as a group at the school. He also noted that it is important to keep the grades up as he was courted by a professional team but due to injury was unable to play. Today Chicarelli holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees and works for a pharmaceutical firm.
Texico took the opening kickoff to the 30 and then marched it down field but was unable to pass the goal line as the Raton defense held on string forcing the Wolverines to turn the ball over on downs at the 15-yardline. Raton’s hope for a TD were dashed when Juaquin Bravo intercepted a Dustin Segura pass and took it to the Raton 14-yardline.
Mason Golden the big running back that Raton had trouble containing Friday night took the ball in for six from the 4-yardline. Tyler Romans finished it off with the 2-point conversion and at 5:17 in the first quarter left it an 8-0 ball game.
Raton however would finish off the first quarter with a solid drive down field and would start off the second quarter with a 14-yard romp by Dustin Segura for six. Jonathan Cabriales made the jump for the ball on the 2-point conversion and to make it an 8-8 ball game.
Texaco took the ball and opened it up but stalled with a holding penalty and were forced to punt with 4th and long. Raton took the wobbly punt at the 42 and moved down field but a holding penalty negated a 53-yard footrace to pay dirt by Jonathan Cabriales. The Tigers however didn’t give up and achieved a first down on a long count and off-sides penalty to keep the drive alive. With a combination of runs by Cabriales and Segura along with a pass to Gabe Martinez Raton moved up field. With only seconds left on the clock Segura took to scrambling for a 6-yard TD and Cabriales tacked on the 2-point conversion with another catch.
Not to be denied the Wolverines took to the air after a long kickoff return to the Raton 43 and ended the half with an incomplete pass in the end zone leaving the halftime score at Raton 16-8.
Isaac Ortiz with only a couple of steps booted the ball into the end zone for a touchback giving Raton the ball on the 20 to start the second half. The series was a short one and Raton was forced to punt it away. Three plays later Gabe Martinez finds a Lance Myers pass to give the ball back to Raton at the 37. Raton drove the ball down field to end the series with a pass interception by Skyler Davis in the end zone. Texico would capitalize on the turnover and take it 80 yards where Cayd Bilbrey would finish it off with a 24-yard pass play for six. The Raton defense however would stop Mason Golden just short of the goal line leaving it 14-16.
Raton fumbled the ball on a miss handled handoff giving the ball back to Texico to finish off the third period. Two plays later Golden pounded it through the goal line for six but the 2-point try failed leaving it a 20-16 game. From that point Raton struggled with penalties coming at the wrong time and turned the ball over on downs as did Texico on their next series.
Texico with a slim lead went into time management mode with 4:05 on the clock and worked the ball down field where Tyler Romans took it in from the one-yardline with 59 seconds on the clock. The 2-point try failed and left Texico with a 10-point lead at 26-16.
Raton again struggled but with only seconds on the clock managed to get 50 yards on pass plays to Cabriales. In a last ditch effort Segura puts it up and Texico’s Skyler Davis pulls it in, in the end zone with 8-seconds on the clock. Texico takes a knee to end the game with their second district win.
Raton has a two-week break before taking on Tucumcari for their final home and district game of the season. Raton will have to see how the other teams in the district fair over the next two weeks to see where they may fall in the standings. After Friday night both Santa Rosa and Texico have two wins in district play while Raton and Tucumcari have one win while Clayton falls to 0-2.
