The move of the New Mexico Activities Association Football Selection Show to Sunday morning caused problems for plenty of teams’ plans.
A technical issue forced the change from the show’s usual Saturday night slot to the following morning at 7:30.
Escalante had already scheduled a schoolwide senior dinner for that morning. So players were unable to watch the show together.
Escalante (4-6) received the No. 8 seed in the 8-team 2A field. They travel to face top-seeded Eunice (8-2) on Saturday afternoon. With the bottom half of the 2A bracket all but wrapped up, the Lobos guessed this matchup was coming, and the coaches have been watching Eunice for weeks.
“That’s been our goal all year … to get into the playoffs,” said senior wide receiver Greysen Horan. “Just trying to make a run as far as we can against teams that are real, real good in the state.”
Escalante Coach Rico DeYapp admitted that their No. 1 opponent likely had the physical edge. But he said the team’s grit and discipline could help them play tough.
“Size-wise, we don’t match up well; speed-wise, we don’t match up well,” DeYapp said. “We have tough kids, I never worry about our kids not being competitive … Hopefully we’re able to surprise some people.”
DeYapp said the key to success will be their offensive line.
Eunice’s only losses this year are by one point to Dexter (8-2 in 3A) and Portales (9-1 in 4A). They beat No. 2 Texico by seven points, and also defeated No. 4 Jal in district play. The Cardinals also defeated Estancia and Raton, both teams that defeated Escalante.
The Cardinals have a pass-heavy offense led by sophomore quarterback Elijah Melancon, who is also a strong rusher. The dual threat will put pressure on Escalante’s defense, who struggled at times this season against pass-first teams.
Eunice also has a skill position group that includes three members of a 4×100 meter relay team that finished third at state in the spring. And defensively, Luis Gomez’s eight interceptions are second-most in the state.
“We have the talent to get it done,” Horan said. “We’ve just got to go out and play.”
“Just got to get our blocks, run hard, catch passes, throw good passes,” quarterback Trey Archuleta said.
The Lobos will make a 7-hour drive, just a little bit shorter than their drive to Jal last year. That time, Escalante lost 49-0 in the first round. DeYapp said that more than the travel, the impact to Escalante is that they are not used to playing games during the day.
“By the time we get a good night’s rest, we eat something good in the morning, we’re already going to be ready to play,” Horan said.
The Cardinals and Lobos have not met in the last 20 years. In 1983, Eunice won a playoff matchup 35-0, and again in the playoffs in 1988 Eunice won 28-6.
“It’s just great to have made it, that’s the first goal,” Archuleta said. “Next goal is to play our hearts out. Leave it all out on the field, win or lose.”
Española Valley
The Sundevils’ selection show watch party took place without the actual selection show. They had already planned for a Saturday night, and could not change it.
On Saturday, the team gathered at assistant coach Nancy Suazo’s home, eating, playing ping pong and video games, and staying warm by the fire pit.
The next morning, they watched the show at 7:30 a.m. and immediately began texting and calling one another. They were already wanting to get to work.
Española Valley (7-3) was rewarded for its fantastic district season with a home playoff game and the No. 7 seed in 4A. In the first round, Española faces No. 10 St. Pius X (4-6) as they seek their first win in a playoff game in school history on Friday night.
“They are pumped, they are locked in,” said Española Coach Tylon Wilder. “Some of them already want to go back to school and start practice already.”
Parents and fans will be back in attendance after they were unable to go to the Española-Pojoaque game.
The Sartans bring a young team, with freshmen at every skill position. They have a tall and athletic group of young receivers led by Cayl Cox-Liggins and Curtis Flakes III.
Wilder said he watched their game against Moriarty (a 24-14 win) and was impressed by the defense with a new coaching staff.
“They got some playmakers,” Wilder said.
They have been a bit banged-up over the season, and we will see how big an impact any injuries will have on the game. (Española, for that matter, is mostly healthy outside of Week 1 starting QB Alex Chavez, who missed essentially the whole season.)
The end-of-regular-season party was also a chance for some players to show off their cooking ability. Sophomore running back Miguel Galvan, who scored his first touchdown of the season a day earlier, was the standout with his birria tacos.
“Those things were delicious,” Wilder said.
Predictions
With the way that the Sundevils have been playing in recent weeks, they look nearly unstoppable. St. Pius has not found their groove on offense (only one game this year with more than 28 points) and Española has a chance to feast again on defense. If the rushing game stays as strong as it has been for Española, they have a great chance to make history.
Española Valley 27, St. Pius X 12
The Lobos have had good and bad games in their pass defense this year. They will have to step up in a big way to keep the game close against the Cardinals.
Eunice 35, Escalante 16