Homecoming Football: Elks Feast on Tigers
A record-breaking homecoming crowd of approximately 1,500 watched the Elks thump the Taos Tigers 31-8 Saturday on Jacona Field.
Pojoaque head coach Quevin Redding and quarterback Mike Garcia said the team lacked focus and didn’t play with intensity. They both agreed it was probably because of homecoming distractions.
Today, Redding said, we had maybe six kids playing well. He then mentioned junior lineman Lee Abeyta as being one of the guys who played well.
Abeyta recovered two fumbles and was unbeatable on the offensive line.
Pojoaque didn’t waste anytime getting on the board. The Elks scored on their first possession, an 11 play series that saw Garcia connect with Robert Vigil on three passes before he ran it in from the 5-yard line. Tim Cowen split the uprights and Pojoaque took a 7-0 lead.
Near the end of the first quarter, Vigil snagged a two-yard TD pass from Garcia and Cowen converted to put Pojoaque up 14-0.
Chris Vigil returned a first quarter Pojoaque kickoff for an apparent Taos touchdown, but the TD was nullified by a clipping penalty.
The only points scored in the second quarter came on a Cowen 7-yard field goal. The field goal was set up when Vigil outjumped and took the ball out of a defender’s hand for a 37-yard gain.
Garcia, who was disgusted with himself for throwing his first interception of the year, completed 21 of 33 for 443 yards, including the TD toss to Vigil and another to Luke Salazar in the third that put Pojoaque up 24-0.
Four players were on the receiving end of Garcia passes. Vigil caught nine balls for 123 yards. Luke Salazar caught five balls for 172 yards. Carlos Vigil had six catches for 146 yards, and Robert Ortiz had a catch for a couple yards.
With Robert (Vigil), Luke (Salazar) and Carlos (Vigil) we have three of the best receivers in the state, Redding said.
The sure-handed trio all took multiple hard hits and held on to the ball.
Taos (1-3) outrushed Pojoaque 175 yards to 91. Tiger quarterback Dakota Swinehart completed 12 of 27 for 222 yards, including a 9-yard TD toss to Anthony Labella early in the fourth quarter. Labella caught a 2-point conversion pass to make it 24-8.
Taos followed the TD with a squibb kick and recovered the ball at midfield, but outside linebacker Josh Ortiz took the Tigers momentum away when he intercepted a pass on the Elks’ 25.
Pojoaque took advantage of the turnover and marched 75 yards on a drive highlighted by a 54-yard catch and run by Salazar. Robert Ortiz, who ran for 63-yards bulled it in on a blast from the 1-yard line to give the Elks a 31-8 advantage.
The Pojoaque defense has allowed just three touchdowns this year.
“Like I said, ‘We bend, but we don’t break,’ Elks’ defensive coach Miguel Medina said. “Our defense is aggressive. We don’t read and react. We attack. We want the offense to adjust to us.”
Look for Pojoaque to break into the state’s top ten 3A list this week. A list that includes Raton and St. Michael’s.
“Our district is the SEC of the state’s 3A football,” Redding said. “Every year St. Michael’s, Robertson and Raton are one of the state’s top teams. We’re not in that upper echelon yet, but when we get our entire team playing up to potential, I like our chances against anyone.’”
