Football: Española 38, Gallup 6
Make it three wins in a row for the Sundevils (3-2) as they appear well on their way to their best season since 2015, when they finished 9-2 and won the division (back when their 5A district consisted of Los Alamos, Del Norte, Capital and Bernalillo).
The Sundevils ran all over Gallup (0-5) in a 38-6 win on Sept. 16, posting 389 yards and four touchdowns on the ground between six different runners.
“The boys came ready to play,” said coach Tylon Wilder.
Alex Chavez was the star of the game, and Wilder gave him extra props for his performance. The running back posted 144 yards, averaging more than 11 yards per crary, and scored a touchdown, while making contributions as the starting safety.
New bruiser running back David Sandoval ran for 83 yards and a touchdown. Jack Purdy, who moved from running back to receiver this year, spelled other backs in the fourth quarter and posted 75 yards and two touchdowns. Wilder said he wants to continue rotating between rushers to prevent injuries over a long season.
Quarterback Nate Chacon passed 5-for-13 for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, adding 17 rushing yards. JC Fordham and Victor Parra caught touchdown passes.
The Sundevil defense continued to dominate, now having allowed just 20 total points over their three-game win streak. Española recorded seven sacks in the game, two each from Adam Garcia, Luke Archuleta and Kevin Coffeen.
Wilder said there is more to improve from the game, including four turnovers — multiple in the red zone.
The Sundevils have what should be another blowout opportunity in a shorter road trip against a struggling Santa Fe Indian team (1-3) coming off a 40-12 loss to McCurdy. Wilder said the team needs momentum headed into a competitive district, including highly-touted teams in Moriarty (4-1) and Taos (3-1). But for now, they can relish the winning streak.
“They’re on cloud nine right now,” he said.
McCurdy 40, Santa Fe Indian 12
The Bobcats (1-4) finally got in the win column on Sept. 17 with a dominant victory over Santa Fe Indian School (1-3).
McCurdy took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, including a 76-yard touchdown run. The lead narrowed to eight in the third quarter, but McCurdy finished with 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including an interception returned for a touchdown.
While the Braves ran for 219 yards, they were largely limited outside of a couple of big plays. The McCurdy secondary held Santa Fe Indian to just 38 yards through the air on 13 attempts — less than three yards per pass.
The Bobcats will look to extend a winning streak on Saturday at home against Navajo Prep (0-4).
Los Alamos 42, Pojoaque 0
The Elks (0-3) continued to struggle on offense on Friday in a blowout loss on the road in Los Alamos (2-3).
After a scoreless first quarter, the Hilltoppers erupted for 28 points in the second quarter.
Adam Pacheco threw for 98 yards on 5-for-15 passing. Elias Martinez ran seven times for 55 yards. Ethan Meloy collected two interceptions defensively.
Through three games, the Elks have scored just six points (not counting a no-contest against Santa Fe Indian), and allowed 148.
Pojoaque faces another touch matchup on Friday on the road at Portales (5-0), the top-ranked 4A team according to MaxPreps rankings and the coaches’ poll.
Volleyball: Escalante 3, Cimarron 0
The Lobos (8-1) have been as advertised so far this year, adding three more impressive wins over the past week and rising to No. 4 in the 2A MaxPreps rankings.
The Lady Lobos added wins over Cuba (6-5) in straight sets on Sept. 13, most impressive was a five-set win over Bloomfield (4-5) on Sept. 17, and on Monday they took down Cimarron (6-3) in a sweep.
Escalante will look to continue winning this weekend when they travel to the Aztec tournament and play more larger schools.
Española 3, West Las Vegas 0
The Sundevils (2-10) managed to add another win to their tally and snap a seven-match losing streak on Sept. 14 with a straight-sets win over the Dons (3-5).
Española had a strong performance on Monday against Capital (5-4), ultimately losing in four sets: 25-13, 24-26, 25-15, 25-13.
The Sundevils have a tough week ahead, staring with top-ranked St. Michael’s (11-0) on Thursday.
Pojoaque 3, Bernalillo 0
The Elkettes (8-1) continued their winning ways with a rout of Bernalillo (0-9) on Sept. 14, winning 25-7, 25-10, 25-8. Joslyn Nuñez had 36 assists, while Anica Urioste had 16 kills, with Sonya Quintana adding 13. Adrianna Rodriguez had 25 digs and five aces.
Pojoaque, however, fell behind Goddard (5-1) to No. 2 in the MaxPreps 4A state rankings. They host defending state champion Hope Christian (7-6) in what should be a thriller on Wednesday.