Football: McCurdy 52, Hozho 6
The McCurdy Bobcats (1-1) dominated their Week Two game over Hozho Academy (1-1), winning 52-6 on Aug. 26.
The Bobcats led 46-6 by halftime, and made an impact on both sides of the ball at home.
“Our defense was able to take over the game,” McCurdy Coach Robert Nevarez said. “Our offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders.”
The Wolves are in their second year as a program, after playing as a junior varsity team in 2022. Their week one game was an 8-man game against Legacy Academy junior varsity, making McCurdy their first-ever 11-man varsity opponent. Their team only contains up to sophomores as the school continues to grow and add new classes.
“They have talent and they’re going to develop into something special,” said Nevarez, who was impressed with the way Hozho played.
Nevarez said the heat had died down from the week before, letting the team “focus on playing football.”
Mari Sanchez made an impact with a pair of touchdowns, including one on a kick return. And quarterback Jeremaya Roybal had a strong day passing.
“Roybal was throwing, just, laser shots,” Nevarez said.
The goal for the game for Nevarez was to focus on creating an identity, and to create a hard-hitting aggressive defense.
McCurdy’s game against Tucumcari was canceled due to a death within the Rattlers. As of Monday, Nevarez (also the school’s athletic director) was looking for a replacement team, but is likely to take it as a bye week.
Up next, McCurdy starts a portion of their schedule with four-straight 3A opponents, beginning with Thoreau (2-0) on Sept. 9. Facing bigger schools (McCurdy competes in 2A) will give the Bobcats a chance to continue their momentum.
Bernalillo 26, Española Valley 18
The Sundevils went down 26-0 early in the second half. But they grabbed momentum and nearly came back, making it a one-score game before falling.
Finally, the Bernalillo Spartans (2-0) defeated Española Valley (0-2) 26-18 after a comeback attempt in Bernalillo on Aug. 25.
“The boys battled hard the entire game,” said Española Coach Tylon Wilder. “It was a war.”
Bernalillo led 18-0 at halftime, despite Española having the ball for long stretches, helped by a long punt return touchdown. They scored first in the second half to take a 26-0 lead.
Española got their first points on a field goal by Andres Valenzuela, the first made field goal by an Española player since Rob Cutter in 2007 according to Wilder (who said that came from Athletic Director Matthew Abeyta). The excitement from the kick, their first points of the season, sparked momentum in the Sundevils, and spurred a comeback effort.
Española recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown to go down 26-10. They then recovered another fumble and made a two-point conversion to suddenly be down just a score. But Bernalillo was able to run out the clock and secure the victory.
Week one starting quarterback Alex Chavez, who left the first game with a shoulder injury, played in the game but only as a holder. Wilder said that Chavez will become more involved in the game plan this week, but will remain on a snap count. He wants to be careful to ensure Chavez’s health for district play.
In his place, Adrick DeLeon made the start, while the offense focused on rushing. DeLeon ran for two touchdowns and 142 yards on 21 carries, his second-straight week of 100-plus yards.
Española next travels to Escalante (1-1) for a matchup with the Lobos, looking to keep momentum from the second half.
“Once these guys get it together, they’re going to be hard to stop,” Wilder said.
Escalante 58, Tohatchi 7
The Lobos went from scoring zero points in their week one game. In the second week, they were up to 58.
“Once we got rolling, the kids played great,” Escalante Coach Rico DeYapp said. “They executed the game plan to a T.”
The Escalante football team (1-1) cruised past Tohatchi (1-1) 58-7 on the road on Aug. 25. They were able to finish the game by early in the fourth quarter with a 50-point mercy-rule win.
Jayden Salazar joined the team and made an immediate impact with a kick return touchdown and a rushing score. Greysen Horan, who missed the first week with an injury, returned to the field and caught a touchdown pass from Trey Archuleta.
Escalante played with a pistol formation on offense, and found success. DeYapp also credited defensive coordinator CJ DeYapp with a strong defense under his gameplan, which included bringing pressure on the quarterback. And he said good communication on offense helped the Lobos break down the opposing defense.
The Lobos now face Española Valley (0-2) at home on Friday in what should be a contested matchup, sure to excite the local community. It is the first matchup of the two teams since 2017 (a 12-6 win by the Lobos). Rico DeYapp said he has heard plenty of excitement from people with connections to both teams, and expects a tough fight.
“They got athletes everywhere,” DeYapp said. “I’m expecting a fight, a good old fashioned dogfight.”
Dulce 32, Navajo Pine 22
For the first time since 2011, the Dulce Hawks are 2-0.
The Dulce 8-man football team took down Navajo Pine (0-2) on the road on Aug. 25, 32-22.
“They didn’t bend, they didn’t break,” said Dulce Coach Lawry Johnson. “They grinded it out.”
Despite some fumbles during the game, the Hawks held the lead the whole game.
James Johnson and Issak Reval both threw long touchdowns to Antonio Herrera, as the Hawks focus on their passing attack this year. Aljae Dixon rushed for a touchdown, and had an interception return for a touchdown shortly before halftime.
Dulce looks to extend its winning streak in its home opener on Friday as they take on Questa (0-2).