Miners Retrieve Coal Bucket from Tigers

By Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

            After three years in Raton the traveling coal bucket trophy is back in Trinidad after a tough game in Trinidad Friday night. Coach Brock Walton commented after the game that this is one of the best Trinidad teams he has seen in the last 10 years as they tromped the Tigers 41-6.

            According to Walton the young Tigers team put together a great two and half quarters and watched as his team stumbled after a third Trinidad TD in the third quarter.

            Raton struck pay dirt first in the game after holding Trinidad to a three and out on the first series of the game. It took Raton 11 plays to go the 70 yards for their first score but event that wasn’t without a couple of penalties that at one point had Raton with a first and 22 that was followed by a sack. Then a 30-yard pass play to John Duran kept the drive alive. Quarterback Toby Henson scrambled the final 12 yards for the TD. The hike was missed on the extra point try leaving the score 6-0 Raton.

            Trinidad answered quickly with a 75-yard kickoff return by Thomas Bowman. The PAT went wide left and it was tie game at 6-6. From there it was a defensive game until Trinidad’s Danny Martin picked off a Toby Henson pass that gave the Miners the ball at the Raton 31.

            With a grinding ground game the Miners took it to the 1-yard line where Miner Quarterback Dante Begano drove it in with seven seconds left on the clock. The 2-point try failed and that left the score 12-6 Trinidad at halftime.

            As third quarter action got under way It quickly became a Miner’s ball game as they took the ball 83 yards in 10 plays and capped it off with a successful 2-point try by Devon Payne to make the score 20-6 Trinidad with 4:24 left on the clock. Coach Walton commented later that he could tell that TD was the breaking point for the Tigers. He could see the disappointment in the team even from up in the coach’s box.

            Trinidad scored again on a 2-play drive that ended with a 57-yard pass to Devon Miller for six followed by a Danny Martin PAT for a 27-6 lead. The scoring continued in the fourth quarter and with a 1-yard run by Chris DeAngelis with Danny Martin’s PAT good.

            A mishandled hike from center on a punt attempt and a mad rush by Trinidad left the ball on the Raton 8-yard line which allowed Trinidad another easy score when Chris DeAngelis rumbled the eight yards for six. Martin’s PAT was good and left the score 41-6 with 6:54 left on the clock in the fourth period.

            Both defenses carried out their assigned tasks well the remainder of the game. After the hand shakes Colton Ruscetti followed by some of the Miner Seniors retrieved the coveted Coal Bucket and returned it to Trinidad after a three-year absence.

            Raton will travel to Socorro Friday to take on another class AAA powerhouse. Coach Walton is looking forward to district play hoping the very tough on the road schedule Raton is enduring will have his team prepared to take on the tough District 2AAA opponents later this year.

Tiger Luiz Ruiz brings down a Toby Henson pass early in the game in Trinidad Friday night

 

Miner Chris DeAngelis carried the ball often and well for the Miners, here Tiger Jordan Darras gets a DeAngelis ankle to bring him down.

Tiger Seth Parker carries the ball for a few yards gain Friday night in Trinidad

Colton Ruscetti retrieves the Coal Bucket for Trinidad returning it to the Miner trophy case after a 3-year absence Friday night

The Miners rally around the coveted coal bucket after a 3-year stay in Raton