Through the month of October, the Pojoaque Valley football team is wearing pink jerseys.
The Elks are raising awareness for breast cancer, and during halftime of their first October game, with the players and student section all wearing pink, they honored breast cancer survivors in the crowd.
“We feel it’s important,” said Pojoaque Coach Zeke Villegas. “We had a lot of kids on the team that had relatives that either had breast cancer, or had cancer, and they did wear their initials on their helmets. So, we thought it was important to dedicate this game to them tonight.”
A year after losing to Highland 56-7, the Elks (3-4) made it a competitive game against the Hornets (3-4) but ultimately their offense came up short in a 28-6 loss at home on Friday. Four interceptions and numerous penalties cost the Elks, while their defense made big plays, especially after Highland’s quarterback went down with an injury.
“We didn’t give up, that’s big,” said Zekie Villegas,coach Zeke’s senior son. “Simple mistakes we need to fix.”
Pojoaque quarterback Ethan Meloy completed eight of 16 passes for 95 yards and one touchdown. Meloy was also the leading rusher with 23 yards on seven attempts, while the rushing game struggled to gain yards. Zekie Villegas caught Meloy’s touchdown pass and finished with 36 yards.
“The passing game wasn’t too bad,” Zeke Villegas said. “We had a couple balls that just got popped up. They were the right reads. We’re probably going to pass a little bit more.”
Sophomore Serafin Mendez finished as Pojoaque’s leading receiver with 37 yards. The athletic 6-foot-4 basketball star joined the football team midway through the season, picking up football cleats for the first time since youth league.
“He brings a lot to the team,” Zeke Villegas said. “That’s what I’m happy about, we still have a lot of kids who are interested in coming out to the team next year.”
The game was Pojoaque’s first of the season decided by less than a 38-point margin. They had recorded three easy wins against smaller schools, and three big losses against teams at or near the top of their classes.
“It felt really good to go back-to-back with these guys,” Meloy said. “The energy was there, the adrenaline was there. The crowd, it was amazing. I love a good competition.”
Pojoaque’s defense, despite players changing positions due to injuries, held strong for much of the game, forcing several punts and turnovers on downs.
“We have four starters out with injuries,” said Meloy, who also plays at safety. “We’re working around it. But I think we’re doing good for the cards that we’ve been dealt.”
Highland’s first drive failed to cross midfield, then Pojoaque punted. The Elks forced a turnover on downs when Highland had good field position, but had to punt again on their second drive after a holding call nullified a long run.
To start the second quarter, a penalty gave Highland first-and-goal, and on third down they punched in a score to go up 8-0. Pojoaque’s next drive ended with a dropped pass and a punt. And after Highland took over in Pojoaque territory, they made their way down the field, and scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. The final Elk drive of the half made it into Highland territory, but three straight incompletions led to a turnover on downs.
Pojoaque started to find some success on offense early in the first half, but their drive ended abruptly with an interception. Highland took advantage, and slowly marched down the field, and on fourth down Pojoaque missed tackles on a 19-yard touchdown run, and the Hornets went up 22-0.
Pojoaque again failed to find momentum, with an interception on their next drive, but they took over on a fumble recovered by Dylan Brandenburg. And this time, the Elks made their way to the end zone, finishing with a strike thrown by Meloy to Villegas for a 23-yard score.
“We were still competing, and that’s all I can ask for from these guys,” Zeke Villegas said.
After forcing a three-and-out, Pojoaque had a chance to get within one score with six minutes left. But another interception ended that opportunity. Highland then scored their final touchdown against a tired Pojoaque defense. But Zeke Villegas was happy with how his team kept fighting on defense until the end, stopping Highland’s final 2-point attempt.
Pojoaque heads into district play with confidence. Their first game comes on Oct. 13 on the road at Moriarty (4-3), a team reeling on three straight losses. The Elks have a chance if they can find ways to put points on the board.
“I truly expect big things,” Zekie Villegas said. “We’re progressing every single week, and you can see it out on the field.”