Tigers tame Tigers in Taos

By Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

            It looked like it might be a run away game as the Raton Tigers took off on their first possession and went the distance for six followed by another TD before the end of the first quarter for a 13-0 lead.

            Raton went the 75 yards on their first drive in the air, in part with one 50-yard pass play to Mark Hightree. The drive culminated with a 7-yard pass play to Devon Casias. Jordan Darras’ PAT was good and Raton was up by seven.

            Raton took a fumble at the Taos 29 and turned it into six more when a Matt Ortiz pass was tipped by Taos Tiger Max Suazo that fell right into Devon Casias’s hands at the five, Casias then walked into the end zone. Darras’ PAT went wide leaving the score 13-0.

            Max Suazo took the kickoff to the Taos 44 and then a 47-yard pass play from Dakota Swinehart to Max Suazo took the ball to the Raton three. From there it was Isaac Gonzales who took it in for the Tigers and Swinehart’s PAT made it a six point game with 2:05 left in the first.

            Swinehart added three for Taos on a 30-yard field goal with 9:56 in the second.

            It became a defensive struggle until Raton fumbled at the Taos 15 the on the next play Taos fumbled on their 21 and Raton was able to make that turnover work in their favor and put six more on the board when Mark Hightree took it in from the five. At 7:02 in the second it was a 19-10 game.

            Taos turned it around and went 79 yards with the help of a 68-yard TD pass play to Josh Valencia. Swinehart’s PAT was good and brought the score to 19-17 with 6:25 on the clock.

            Dakota Swinehart with his leg and kicking ability took away any chance of a kickoff return by putting the ball deep into the end zone preventing any Raton returns most of the night. From the 20-yard line Raton moved forward, yet a holding penalty moved it back some. Later a pass interference penalty and an offside call helped move the ball down the field to give Raton good field position. From near mid-field Matt Ortiz put up one beautiful pass to Devon Casias that resulted in a 37-yard pass TD to extend the two-point lead to eight. The 2-point try failed and Raton ended the drive with a 25-17 score.

            Taos in hurry up mode took the ball to half-yard line and a tried to punch it in but a penalty and a tough Raton defense denied the score and ended the first half of the game.

            Raton began the third the way they did the first with a 8-yard pass play to George Marquez for six more and Matt Ortiz ran in the 2-point try to extend Raton’s lead 33-17.

            Raton spoiled the next Taos drive when Dylon Aragon picked off a Swinehart pass yet Raton failed to capitalize and turned it over on downs.

            Taos retaliated with a 5-play drive that ended with a 26-yard pass play to Suazo to begin the fourth quarter with a TD and another pass to Suazo for the 2-point conversion making it a 33-25 game.

            Raton started the 80-yard drive with a 49-yard Matt Ortiz scamper. Unfortunately a couple of penalties pushed Raton back 20 yards leaving Raton with a third and long. Ortiz found one of his favorite receivers in Devon Casias on a short pass and it was one of those tackle-breaking sprints to the end zone for six more. George Marquez took it on in for the 2-point try and Raton lead 41-25.

            But it ain’t over until it’s over and the final buzzer sounds as Taos took the ball down to the three and Suazo punched it in. A penalty pushed Taos back five yards and the 2-point try failed. It was 41-31 with 6:47 left on the clock.

            It was left up to the defense now to hold on and keep Taos out of the end zone. Coach Brock Walton later told KRTN that the key to holding Taos back was to keep the ball away from Max Suazo which Raton managed to do rather well on the last Taos drive. Both teams turned it over on downs as the defenses dug in and held. Fortunately for Raton Taos made the final try and failed leaving Raton with the ball to run out the clock with just over two minutes left in the game. A Matt Ortiz run for nine and a five-yard romp by Seth Parker gave Raton the needed first down to keep the clock running and the game.

 Raton will host Robertson Friday night in the jungle, which should prove to be another close game. 

Taos Tiger Max Suazo tipped it and there he was, Devon Casias, all he had to do was walk it on in to the end zone for six Friday night 10-14-2011

It's one of those picture perfect passes to Devon Casias as Matt Ortiz lays right in his hands for six more Raton points Firday night(10-14-2011) in Taos

Its up and away as Isaac Gonzales can't quite handle a Dakota Swinehart pass, Raton's Luis Ruiz can't get turned enough to bring it in. (10-14-2011)

Dylan Aragon gets a hand on the ball to break up this pass to Josh Valencia late in the game Friday night (10-14-2011) in Taos