Long Trip Down I-25

Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

            One of the tough things in Tiger Football is traveling for a Friday night game at a far away school and Friday night was no exception for this young Tiger team as they made the trip to Socorro to play the Warriors.

            That long trip was only made tougher on the first drive of the game as Socorro went 62-yards in four plays for six followed by Raton going three and out. Soccorro followed that one up with a 72 yard six play drive that ended with another run by Zeb Esquivel for six. The 2-point conversion was good and Socorro lead 14-0 with 5:53 on the clock in the first quarter.

            Raton’s next drive looked like they finally started to gel and they rumbled down the field only to be interrupted by an interception that gave Socorro the ball on the 20. With the help of two offside penalties and a 62 yard run by Damian Baca the Warriors put up six more and Zach Binger split the uprights to make it 21-0.

            Another great kickoff return by Seth Parker, his second that took the ball to the 35, started the next Raton drive. They rumbled down the field again this time turning the ball over on downs at the half-yard line.

            Soccorro a running team finally tried to change things up with the passing game and ended their drive with three incomplete passes. Raton took the ball on their 31 and Jordan Mendez plowed it in from eight yards out. Toby Henson made the PAT and Raton was on the board 21-7. Raton would end the half with a pass interception by Luis Ruiz who scampered 65 yards only to be pushed out of bounds after the clock had run out on the half.

            The third quarter was a much different ball game, as Raton looked like a team revived, with a kickoff return by Seth Parker that went 45 yards to the 50. However it was a back and forth quarter with neither team making it to pay dirt. Raton ended the quarter with the ball, and on the move, only to end it with a punt pinning the Warriors at the 11 followed by a holding penalty that set the ball on the Warrior 5-yard line.

The Tiger defense did the job and the Warriors went three and out. Zach Binger boomed the punt and Raton took it at the 42 but on the next play Binger stripped the ball out of a scrambling Toby Henson’s hands and gave the Warriors the ball on the 35.

Zeb Esquivel did it again with a 26-yard romp to pay dirt. With 4:40 on the clock it was 28-7 Socorro lead.

Raton took the ball once again with a great kick off return by Seth Parker to the 39. Unable to make connections and a penalty forced Raton to turn the ball over on downs at their 45. Socorro’s Damian Baca took the ball wide and turned the corner with three Tigers in tow and scampered the 45 yards for another Warrior TD. Binger’s PAT made it 35-7.

Raton however was not finished and put together a 66-yard drive that finished with a 9-yard run by Seth Parker for six. A high snap doomed the PAT and left the final score at 35-13.

As coach Brock Walton points out this team is young and will continue to work on the mental game. Two offside penalties to give Socorro a first down is just one sign that shows Raton’s aggressiveness and desire. As a young team they can only get better and as they work on the mental mistakes Raton fans can look forward to an improved team for their first home game Friday night against Portales in the Jungle.