Three local high school football teams advanced to the state playoffs this past season. That is the most local teams that have made it to the playoffs since I started working as a reporter nine years ago.
A lot has changed since that 2001 season. In 2001, only one team was worth watching and that was the McCurdy Bobcats. They won the District 1A championship that season and had upset wins over Springer and Newcomb. Española Valley, Pojoaque and Escalante finished a combined 1-29 that season.
Since that time, McCurdy has been the one local school to field a team that is consistently fighting for a playoff berth. Coach Eric Vigil has spent seven seasons at McCurdy and that consistency at the head coaching position likely contributes to McCurdy’s record of success.
This season was no exception as the Bobcats finished second in District 1A before losing by 34 points to Jal in the state quarterfinals.
The Bobcats will likely be in the hunt for a playoff spot next year, when there will be some changes in Class A. Clayton, a perennial football power, will move up to Class AA, and Cloudcroft and Capitan will drop from Class AA to Class A. Overall Class A will expand next season from nine to 12 teams.
McCurdy has an exceptional sophomore class led by quarterback Louie Martinez. That along with Vigil’s return should mean the Bobcats will be back in the playoff hunt.
Pojoaque’s fairytale season ended on a sour note. After jumping out to a 6-1 start and securing the first winning season in school history, the Elks lost four consecutive games, including a 59-13 defeat to Albuquerque Academy in the state quarterfinals.
Despite the losing streak, Pojoaque was undoubtedly the top local football team this past season. They beat McCurdy and Española by a combined score of 94-19.
But to stay on top Pojoaque will need to make some changes.
Coach Quevin Redding may have hit the nail on the head when he said his team seemed satisfied once it had secured a winning record. If the progress is to continue, the expectations have to rise. Next year’s team will also have to complement its two big-play receivers — Luke Salazar and Carlos Vigil — with a running game.
Pojoaque will join Academy and St. Michaels in District 5AAA next season. I really think the Elks could have beaten the Horsemen this season if they had believed they could. A win over St. Michaels would be a good goal for next year’s team.
Escalante was the third local team to make the playoffs. The Lobos had the best result in the playoffs, losing 30-23 to Fort Sumner. The Lobos were likely still smarting from the defeat administered by McCurdy.
I think Escalante was a little over confident entering the McCurdy game and paid the price when the Bobcats turned out to be tougher than they expected.
With two playmakers returning in Isaiah Maldonado and Eric Belser, the Lobos should be a contender for a playoff berth next season. Coach Diego Brusuelas is an Escalante graduate. The Lobo should look at how well McCurdy has done by keeping the same coach year-after-year and give Brusuelas the chance to build a program.