By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The Raton Tiger football team traveled to eastern Colorado on Friday, Aug., 29 to take on the Lamar Thunder for their season opener. Raton won their game last week at Tohatchi 54-0 so might have had an advantage over Lamar because of real game experience this year, but any advantage was wiped away early as Raton takes the opening kickoff and starts the drive at the Raton 29. The Thunder’s Casey Pallard picks up a Raton fumble and scramble the 35 yards to pay dirt for the first score of the game. The PAT is low leaving the game 6-0. Raton takes the kickoff that goes out of bounds and get a penalty that moves the ball to the 35-yard line.
On the second series it’s a 4th and two where Raton goes for it and gets three for the first. Unable to move the ball any further, Raton turns it over with a punt to the Lamar 26. Lamar moves the ball down the field and get an offensive pass interference penalty. Then Mother Nature takes control and sends the game into an automatic 30-minute lightning delay. The drenching rains and accompanying lightning made for an almost two-hour rain/lightning delay in which the field was completely covered in water. When the boys took the field again, there was just over four minutes left in the first quarter. As play resumed the rain continued to fall. Lamar began play with the ball and on the first play Cael Walton intercepted a Lamar pass at the Raton 18-yard line. Raton four and out punts it away and downs the ball at the Lamar 33. Lamar drives it down the field and adds another six to the board with a 25-yard pass to Alex Williams. The PAT is good making it a 13-0 game.
The KO is taken to the 31-yard line to begin the series of plays. Raton’s Cael Walton takes the ball and scrambles 69 yards for a TD, only to have it called back on a holding penalty. That gives Raton the ball on their 26. Raton ends the quarter and moves to the other end of the field to begin the second period of play. Raton begins the quarter with a fumble and gives Lamar the ball on the Raton 23. A penalty pushes Lamar back and a sack puts the Thunder on the 39. Lamar works the ball down to the six-yard line on a pass play then half the distance on a personal foul penalty. Lamar’s Adrian Gonzales takes the ball into for another six. The PAT is good leaving the score 20-0.
Cael Walton takes the KO to the 50-yard line. The Raton running game comes alive in the second quarter as Raton moves the ball inside the 20 at the 19. The Azden Romero pass is intercepted by Jason Pallard and taken 90 yards for a pick six. The PAT is good for a 27-0 game at 6:03 in the second quarter.
On the KO Raton fumbles and Shane Ashley manages to get it back on the 32-yard line. Raton unable to move the ball goes three and out as Logan Elliott boots it away, Lamar takes the punt return to the Raton 35. Lamar plagued by penalties in this series still manages to move the ball down the field to the 27. Another long pass from Jacob Dunning to Pollard adds six more and the PAT clears the uprights for a 34-0 score.
As Lamar starts the KO the lights go out on the field. The lights are on a timer and after the rain delay the light’s timeout shut the lights down at 10:00 p.m. Raton’s Shane Ashley makes a 28-yard return to the Lamar 43. A penalty and sac move Raton back to the 38 where Raton turns the ball over on downs. Lamar, on the ground and in the air takes the ball to the 11-yard line and on 3rd and 10 attempt a field goal that goes wide to end the half.
Raton begins the second half of the game with the kickoff, Lamar bobbles the ball but takes it to the 31 then loses the ball referees say the runner was down to keep the ball. From the Lamar 41 Adrian Gonzales scampers for another six but no it was called back on a penalty to the Raton 24. An offside penalty moves it up five then Dunning losses the ball and Raton recover on the Raton 26. Raton is unable to move the ball and turns it over with a Logan Elliott punt to the Lamar 43. Lamar’s Dunning throws one on third and 10 and is picked off by Cael Walton. Walton then scampers 32 for a first and 10 at the Lamar 18. Raton unable to get a pass completed turns the ball over on downs at the Lamar 24.
Pollard takes a Dunning pass at the 25 and breaks a tackle for a 59-yard pass play and it’s a 41-0. Raton takes the KO to their 47. The Raton running game finally begins to move the ball and ends the third at the 21. Cael Walton takes it in from the 21 for Raton’s first score of the game. Elliott’s PAT splits the uprights for the PAT and it’s a 41-7 game.
On the kickoff Elliott does the onside kick, and Lamar bobbles the ball and finally recovers it at the Lamar 44. Lamar begins the series with the second string who moves the ball down the field on the ground with a pass peppered in to keep the Raton Defense on their toes. Lamar unable to move it in turns the ball over on down at the Raton 41. Raton brings in the younger players to give them some play time to run out the clock and finish extended game.
Raton looks to next week for the coal bucket game and homecoming against Trinidad at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening September 6, 2025. KRTN will broadcast on 93.9 FM and will stream the video on our KRTN Facebook.
