Lady Lobos Take Over First Place
The Escalante volleyball team (13-2, 4-0 in district) easily defeated Mora (9-6, 3-1) at home on Oct. 14 to take sole possession of first place in district 5-2A, and extend a district winning streak to 13. Their straight-sets win came 25-14, 25-14, 25-8.
Now the No. 5 2A team in MaxPreps rankings, the Lady Lobos will look to continue their streak on Thursday at McCurdy (2-9, 0-3) and at Questa (6-9, 1-2) on Saturday.
Taos Ends Española Winning Streak
The Española Sundevils football team (5-3, 0-1) lost after winning five straight games, falling on Oct. 14 at home to Taos (7-1, 1-0) 61-6. Taos scored 27 points in the first quarter and led 55-6 at halftime. Three minutes into the second half, the Tigers ended the game with another score. The Sundevils gave up both a kick return touchdown and an interception touchdown, in addition to six Tigers offensive scores while Española was missing starters on defense.
Coach Tylon Wilder called the game a “humbling experience” and praised the discipline and coaching for Taos, a much stronger opponent than all they faced on their win streak.
Nate Chacon still managed to put up 143 passing yards, including a long pass to Kevin Coffeen and a touchdown to Victor Parra. But the rushing game went backwards, registering negative six yards on 11 carries.
After Española scored a touchdown and found momentum on offense late in the second quarter, the ensuing kickoff was returned for a touchdown, which Wilder said deflated the team’s spirits.
The Sundevils, on the bubble of their first playoff berth in seven years, have another difficult district opponent on Friday as they travel to Moriarty (6-2, 1-0), while looking for a big upset. But Española will have to fight extra hard after missing practice on Monday while under a shelter-in-place at the high school.
“I don’t want the community to give up on us,” Wilder said. “We’re ready to get back to work.”
Soccer: Taos Squeaks Past Pojoaque
The Pojoaque Valley girls soccer team (2-14, 0-4) battled hard but lost 1-0 to Taos (5-10-1, 2-2) at home on Oct. 13. Freshman Lucy Schreiber scored the lone goal for the Tigers.
The Elkettes face Moriarty (7-9-1, 2-2) on Tuesday, looking to avenge a double-overtime loss earlier in the season. They conclude the season Thursday at Los Alamos (10-7, 4-0).
The Pojoaque boys (3-11-2, 0-4) lost 4-0 to Taos (4-9-1, 2-2), and will look for a district win.
Football: Ft. Sumner/House (7-0) 58, Dulce (1-6) 6
Moriarty (6-2, 1-0) 55, Pojoaque (0-7, 0-1) 0
Volleyball: Peñasco (6-7, 2-2) 3, Mesa Vista (2-10, 1-3) 0