KRTN Multi-Media
The Raton Tigers needed a district win and got a big one on Friday night, October 18 in the Jungle as the Tigers defeated the Santa Fe Indian School Braves 48-2.
The final regular season home game greeted the Tiger faithful with cool, breezy fall weather and the Seniors who were possibly playing their final game on the natural turf, felt right at home. The Braves won the toss, but deferred to Raton and the Tigers were only too happy to start the game on offense and took the opening kickoff and 8 plays later the 75 yard drive was completed by Isaiah Samora who took it in from 10 yards out. Raton’s Jesus Alvarado with the PAT made it 7-0 with 8:55 left in the first.
Raton’s Cayden Walton intercepted a Braves pass and returned it to the Raton 45, and Raton made the Braves pay for the turnover with a 3 yard TD pass from Dylan Quartieri to Isaiah Samora and the PAT made it 14-0 and there was still 5:23 left in the first quarter.
The Raton defense pitched a shutout against the Braves offense as on the next series it was a three and out and gave the ball to the Tigers on the punt at the 42 yard line and the Tigers made quick work of their third possession with Freshman Cayden Walton scampering 26 yards and stiff-arming his way into the end zone and after an unsuccessful PAT the score was 20-0 with 3:07 left in the first.
A Raton fumble on their next series is what prevented Raton from scoring on their first four possessions, but the Raton defense gave it right back to the offense after another three and out and a 37 yard Walton punt return, Jesus Alvarado showed his speed and capped off a seven play drive with an 18 yard streak around end and with 6:54 left in the first half Raton led 27-0.
Isaiah Samora had a 30 yard punt return after yet another three and out pitched by the Raton defense and
it only took two plays, an 18 yard run by Dylan Quartieri and then a 6 yard TD strike from Dylan to brother Matthew Quartieri for a 34-0 Raton lead with 4:57 left in the first half.
The next SFIS possession was their best threat of the game as the possessed the ball for 10 plays but had to punt when the drive stalled out. The punt pinned the Tigers back at their own one yard line with :37 left in the first half.
Cayden Walton has set the record for most rushing yards in a game and was set to break the season record with a good game on Friday. He now also owns the record for the longest run from scrimmage as he broke several tackles and outraced the opposition on a scintillating 99 yard TD run to make it 41-0 just before the half.
SFIS took the second half kickoff and had a big return called back because of a clip. Raton’s defense started the second half in much the same way as the first half, holding the Braves to a three and out.
Jesse Kelly started the second half at QB, and it only took him and the Tigers 3 plays to cover 70 yards as
Isaiah Samora got his third TD of the night on a 44 yard burst to make it 48-0 with 5:35 left on the continuous clock in the third.
SFIS got its only points by threatening to score and on a second and goal, Raton’s Tobias Tapia-Muniz intercepted on the Raton three. Then on the very next play, SFIS’s defense tackled the Raton RB in the end zone for a safety and the end of the shut-out.
Raton has a buy week next week and then will finish the regular season on the road at Santa Fe St. Michaels on Saturday, November 2. The game will be broadcast on 93.9 FM and streamed on Facebook.
L to R Tyler Nuerauter, Alec Vatlestad, Garrett Kelly, Kaleb Sena, Jesus Alvarado, Jaydon Romero, Tobias Tapia-Muniz, Vernon Edwards, Brayden Topping, Jesse Uribe and David Saenz
