October 2009 Archives
Like Moriarty coach Larry Denniston, who appeared to be at least 65 years old and wore a sort of Abe Lincoln meets United Kingdom top hat. That guy had some style.
Oh, and Happy Halloween. I recommend eating an Act II popcorn ball -- they're pleasantly moist if not quite exquisite. Thanks to copy editor Brandon Sieben for that one.
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• I took a few extra stats from the FHS-Aztec football game. What a game, by the way.
Aztec QB Brycson King, at one point, completed 9-of-9 passes less than eight yards past the line of scrimmage (I may have miscategorized one or two plays but I did my best).
King completed 9-of-11 short passes, 2-of-6 intermediate (8-12 yards) and 4-of-8 long.
FHS QB Tyler Hough completed 2-of-3 short passes, 1-of-3 intermediate and 0-of-2 long.
Check out the Scorpions' third and fourth downs by distance in the second half.
Third-and-12: No first down.
Third-and-4: Yes.
Third-and-4: Yes.
Third-and-8: No.
Third-and-1: Yes.
Third-and-3: Yes.
Third-and-3: Yes.
Third-and-7: No.
Third-and-1: Yes.
Third-and-19: No.
Fourth-and-6: No.
Fourth-and-7: Yes.
Fourth-and-19: No.
Anything under four yards, FHS managed a first down. Anything over, they didn't.
There was one exception. Farmington drew up a halfback pass to Daniel Lacey during a time out and managed to convert a fourth-and-7 on their last drive. Curiously, FHS called for a pass on second-and-6 from the Tigers 14 and Hough got sacked, leading to the two plays with 19 yards to go.
Coach Gary Bradley said his players asked for a different play and blamed himself for calling a pass. Based on the numbers, FHS just needed two or three yards on second down, a number they got almost every time they ran the ball in the second half.
A running play there and the Scorps almost guarantee themselves a first-and-goal with less than a minute left.
• Another trend related to Farmington football: This team is starting to dominate fourth quarters.
They turned a 17-14 deficit into a 28-17 win over Piedra Vista, beat Aztec 6-0 in the period and nearly scored another one and beat Silver 6-0 in the period.
I suggested that the team may get tired in the fourth quarter by playing both ways, and Talon Spearman and Colton Curry balked. No, they said, they don't feel tired at all. And they've placed a big emphasis on finishing the game well.
It's worked. Of course, when you rush for 323 yards, as they did against the Tigers, it's easy to lean on the other team late.
• The Piedra Vista girls soccer team showed up to The Hutch today to watch -- nay, cheer -- for rival Farmington in the state playoffs. Classy move by the Lady Panthers, which were considered the district favorites to start the year and missed the playoffs after a loss to FHS ended their season.
They also sent a signed banner of support to the Bloomfield girls game, which hung on the fence in front of the bleachers at Bobcat Stadium.
• The district cross country meet at Riverview Golf Course was nothing like my old meets on golf courses in the Southeast.
I used to love golf course meets because of the soft grass (no pounding on asphalt), the views and the trees which shrouded every hole and limited my view to a few hundred meters.
The District 1-4A meet stayed on the cart path and I don't remember seeing a tree on the course. You could watch the entire race, just about, from the benches behind the driving range. This can be depressing as you look into the distance and realize just how far you have to go.
I asked girls district champion Myka Benally what she thought of her home course, and she had a different opinion: "I like it because you can see where everybody else is. I like to watch races, too, when I'm running. It's nice to look in the back and see everybody coming, and it helps out because the spectators can watch as well."
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Football power poll: The de facto District 1-4A championship game takes place at FHS this week.
1. Aztec (5-3, 1-0 District 1-4) -- The Tigers got caught with their pants down in the first half last week but their short passing game and hammer Jake Espinoza proved viable options. (Previous: 1)
2. Farmington (5-3, 1-0) -- The Scorpions are stone set on treating Aztec as just another game, but Coach Gary Bradley relished the idea of a win over the Tigers when I talked to him Monday. (Previous: 2)
3. Kirtland Central (3-5, 0-1) -- The Broncos roared to a 20-7 halftime lead over Aztec before letting a second-half comeback discourage them. (Previous: 3)
4. Bloomfield (5-3, 4-0 District 1-3A) -- The Bobcats are in the middle of a three-week coast to the 3A playoffs. (Previous: 4)
5. Piedra Vista (1-7, 0-1) -- The Panthers hung with FHS for most of the game. Can they get their second win in their most winnable district game at home vs. KC? (Previous: 5)
6. Shiprock (6-2) -- The Chieftains need to win this game against Wingate to finish their season on a winning streak. (Previous: 6)
7. Navajo Prep (6-3, 4-1 District 1-2A) -- The Eagles are on the cusp of making the playoffs. They need to take care of business and hope Cuba can pull off a miracle against Newcomb, or leave their teetering fate to the selection committee. (Previous: 7)
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Prep rankings:
4A
1. Belen (10) 100 points
2. Goddard 88
3. Artesia 78
T4. Aztec 66
T4. Volcano Vista 66
6. Silver 38
7. St. Pius 35
8. Deming 25
9. Farmington 21
10. Del Norte 11
3A
1. Lovington (5) 85
2. Raton (4) 85
3. St. Michael's 67
4. Bloomfield 51
5. Albuquerque Academy 49
T6. Portales 35
T6. Socorro 35
8. Hatch Valley 33
9. Robertson 23
10. Cobre 17
Volleyball
4A
7. Piedra Vista
8. Shiprock
9. Aztec
3A
4. Bloomfield
Piedra Vista 24, Kirtland Central 21
Friday
Aztec 31, Farmington 21
Bloomfield 67, Crownpoint 0
Navajo Prep 37, Dulce 13
Shiprock 31, Wingate 20
Overall Record: 37-13
Last Week: 4-1
*****
Sports editor Darren Vaughan's predictions:
Today
Kirtland Central 30, Piedra Vista 21
Friday
Aztec 33, Farmington 21
Bloomfield 63, Crownpoint 6
Navajo Prep 41, Dulce 13
Shiprock 40, Wingate 20
Overall Record: 24-15
Last Week: 4-1
I'm not one to heap praise on a coach or an athlete to get on their good side.
Some journalists have a sort of desire to be liked, to be friends with those they're covering, but that's not me. It's good to have a cordial, respectful relationship, but I pride myself on being objective and on saying things how they are.
Sometimes that means that people are not going to like me, and I can understand that, but I'm not in the business to make friends. I'm in the business to tell the truth and avoid sugarcoating things.
I am, after all, in the newspaper business, not public relations.
It is not hyperbole, then, when I say that Gary Bradley has done a commendable job with the Farmington football program.
Brad Hirsch has managed to keep his team at the top of 4A despite a crop of injuries, but I'd pick Bradley if I had to name a Coach of the Year today.
His players reinforce the notion that their turnaround is cultural as much as it shows up on the field.
"We've had a history of losing, and that has really given us a little bit of a chip on our shoulder. We're not very happy with our past and we are really trying to turn everything around as best we can," senior Colton Curry said. "Our attitude has just changed from being complacent with a two-win, three-win season. We're going to tear it up. Become the Green Machine, that's the big thing. Become part of the machine."
Said Talon Spearman: "The key is to buy into it. Coach Bradley brought all this stuff at the beginning when you get here, everybody's like, 'Oh, that's horse crap,' but as you go on, it just grows on you, man. You just get into it. He's like, 'Find a way to win.' You're like, 'Hell yeah, coach!"
Quarterback Tyler Hough stressed the comfort level he feels going into a game and his respect for Bradley's game planning and scheming, but the biggest makeover he's noticed has been the different mental approach.
"One of the biggest things he's brought with him is just an attitude," he said. "We changed everything up from decorating our lockers, taking pride in painting each locker, keeping our locker room clean, how we act toward each other, everything."
So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how well have the players bought into Bradley's program?
"They're pretty close up there to 10," Bradley said. "If I said 10, that means we'd be undefeated and we've already won a state championship. I'd say we're about an 8 right now. It's Week 8, so I'll stick with 8."
One thing's for sure. This FHS team isn't intimidated by the district favorite Aztec Tigers, this week's opponent.
"Aztec has everything to lose for this game and we have pretty much everything to gain," Curry said. "We're ready to go. We're ready to beat Aztec and we're not afraid. People can say, 'Oh, big Aztec.' They're just another team."
*****
Normally long blocks of text are boring and ill advised, even on the internet, but I thought Coach Bradley had some pertinent and interesting thoughts about his team and the game with Aztec. Here are a few.
On whether beating Aztec would boost their playoff seed considerably:
Beating Aztec would be a great step for this program. I mean, what would that mean? Right now, that would mean we beat one of the best teams in the state, we beat the perennial powerhouse in this district and we would be 2-0 in district. We haven't talked about playoffs. We're not in the playoffs. We don't have an automatic berth in the playoffs right now. All we can do is worry about Aztec, and that's a big worry right there, because they are good. We still believe they're top four in the state with their talent. They've had a lot of injuries. We understand that. You have key injuries like they have, it hurts you, and they've played a tough schedule. I still believe they're top four in the state if not better than that. If we played a great game and came out on top, it would be a big boost for this program.
On the team's lack of passing:
We're definitely a running team. We'd like to be able to pass the ball better and we definitely practice. We look good at times. You look at teams, what are you going to be good at, and that's what you practice most. We do practice the passing game, but not as much as the running game, and the option game takes a lot of time and work. We want to be good at that. We're just going to stick with what we're good at, and that's what good teams do, I believe.
On his confidence before the season:
We knew that we could have a great year. Those three losses that we had, we could've won every one of them. We were just a play or two away from actually winning all three of them, but at the same time we're a play or two away from losing a lot of them, too. That's just the game.
On the perception that his team shouldn't be this good:
Playing the underdog role is definitely the better way to go. And we're definitely not on top of anything. We've won some games and we won our first district game, which is the most important part. Playing that underdog role is fine, but to be honest with you, we don't really care what everybody thinks. What's in that locker room is really what counts, and what we talk about and how we plan, we're going to stick with that definitely.
*****
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher Smith
I interviewed Adair on the phone while driving down Main Street and attempted to record it, which was difficult to do with the stop lights and a manual transmission. His cell phone sounded weak as well, so I wasn't able to get any direct quotes from KC for my gamer. I apologize.
I didn't have much time to inject my interviews into the story on deadline, so here's the transcript of my talk with Aztec QB Brycson King and linebacker Josh Folk.
Little nervous there at halftime?
King: Going into halftime I still felt pretty confident. I know we had our mistakes, but we don't ever quit, and I knew our defense was going to pick it up. That was one of the biggest things because our offense was struggling at the beginning so we needed the defense to pick us up and they did their job.
Do you feel like you need time to come back or are you already there (physically)?
King: I don't think I need time to come back. I feel confident. I feel good with my arm. I'll say it's not 100 percent. I'm still getting strength back. But other than that I felt fine. I'm just glad to be back. It makes it a lot easier if we can run the ball and I think we struggled with that a little bit, but I've also got to make plays. A couple of throws there at the beginning, I don't really think it was my arm. I just kind of took some off.
It seemed like you were underthrowing it at first. Is that accurate to say?
King: Definitely. I was trying to hit these guys on a spot. Underthrowing Jake, that shouldn't happen because he's got speed. Just throw it over the top and let him go get it, but I took a lot off and just made it easy to pick, and that one in the red zone, just, it wasn't a smart play at all. When I came back out I was like, 'Just throw the ball, let it fly.'
Does it help to have WRs that can make plays after the catch?
King: You've got speed with Jake (Espinoza), and then you've got Tylin Hirsch who's just making move after move. The size isn't there, but you can't tackle him, so I mean that helps. And we've got speed on the other side, and Ty Atencio is just a mammoth.
Did it take pressure off the offense when the defense played so well in the second half?
King: A lot actually. Whenever you have that, it brings a lot more confidence not just to me, but to the whole team. It slowed everything down. Whenever you're in a hurry, it just makes it much harder, you're just going out there winging it, but whenever they do that, you take a deep breath and it makes it a lot easier.
Feeling a little more comfortable than you did at halftime?
King: It feels great, but we're going to have to clean it up. That was definitely not our best performance. Turnover after turnover on offense and just really didn't play our best, but right now, we'll take a win. We played hard, our defense played hard and it feels much better than the first half.
How long are (linemen) Matt Hegarty and Zane Clampett going to be out?
King: I don't think they'll be out too long. They're actually feeling really good. It's the same thing with them, making sure they've got the strength.
Would it make it a little easier in those short-yardage situations to have those guys?
King: The linemen we have in right now are doing great, it's just, they had to get thrown in and learn some plays really quick when we have guys that were in there starting as sophomores just already knowing the system. It's much easier for them.
Happy to be back after your own injury?
King: I actually worked my butt off to get back. That's all I wanted to do. I knew I wasn't going to be 100 percent coming back, but I knew I could help out with what I had.
Josh Folk
You gave up some big plays in the first half but it seemed like you controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half. What did you talk about at halftime?
Folk: Nothing, we just made sure we didn't go too far upfield. We are a major second-half team. We just got our game faces on.
What did you see on your fumble recovery?
Folk: I just stayed outside I had outside contain. Saw him go for the pass, slapped the ball, picked up the ball and ran as fast as I could for the end zone.
What was the mood after you guys got down 20-7?
Folk: Everyone was depressed but we still kept our heads high. After the fumble recovery everyone got excited and turned the game over.
Did you feel like you had more confidence as a defense by the end?
Folk: Yeah. We started to get our confidence back up and just started making it happen.
You get a shutout in the second half. Does it feel good to know that you guys (on defense) can win a game too?
Folk: Yeah, that does actually help a lot. It's really nice.
What does it mean to get the first win?
Folk: We started off very rough. To win the first district game is very nice. We plan on keep winning them.
*****
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
Today
Aztec 48, Kirtland Central 13
Farmington 28, Piedra Vista 16
Bloomfield 56, Wingate 6
Saturday
Shiprock 56, Santa Fe Indian 0
Laguna Acoma 35, Navajo Prep 16
Overall Record: 33-12
Last Week: 4-2
*****
Sports editor Darren Vaughan's predictions:
Today
Aztec 52, Kirtland Central 13
Farmington 34, Piedra Vista 20
Bloomfield 57, Wingate 0
Saturday
Shiprock 27, Santa Fe Indian 12
Laguna Acoma 48, Navajo Prep 19
Overall Record: 20-14
Last Week: 3-3
Ramsey gave a "Likes This" thumbs up to my Facebook status yesterday: "Mable the Mustang needs a new transmission."
A brief list of car troubles since I moved to Farmington: Two blown tires. One windshield replacement. One battery replacement. One totaled car (via a deer). One damaged rental car (cracked oil pan). One new transmission and clutch on my newly acquired 1995 Ford Mustang.
Here's to Lady Luck being a bit kinder to whatever vehicle comes in contact with me. I've heard of a green thumb; I must have a grease thumb.
*****
Football power poll: In the words of Michael Buffer: "Let's get ready to rumble!"
1. Aztec (4-3) -- The Tigers have remained everybody's district favorite throughout the early part of the season. Now's their chance to prove it. (Previous: 1)
2. Farmington (4-3) -- The Scorpions should secure a playoff berth with a win over rival PV this week. (Previous: 2)
3. Kirtland Central (3-4) -- The Broncos have lost two, won two, lost two and won one. Their streak may switch to lose one, win one during district play as the team's results vary from week to week. (Previous: 3)
4. Bloomfield (4-3, 3-0 District 1-3A) -- The Bobcats have won three straight, including a 41-20 blowout over 3A-ranked Albuquerque Academy. Now it's time for them to coast into the state playoffs. (Previous: 4)
5. Piedra Vista (1-6) -- The Panthers play spoiler in District 1-4A and they have their best opportunity tomorrow against rival FHS. They might match up better with KC, but the district opener represents a fresh start and the emotion of playing the Scorps might help them play FHS competitively. Or not. (Previous: 5)
6. Shiprock (4-2) -- The Chieftains have to regroup after getting hammered by both competitive teams on their schedule. (Previous: 6)
7. Navajo Prep (5-3, 3-1 District 1-2A) -- The Eagles are jostling for a playoff bid in 2A after an impressive romp over Cuba. (Previous: 7)
*****
Prep rankings: Belen relinquished four first-place votes in the 4A poll this week, while Volcano Vista slid up the rankings.
4A
1. Belen (8) 89 points
2. Goddard 76
3. Volcano Vista (1) 71
4. Artesia 62
5. Aztec 61
6. Silver 38
7. Deming 27
8. St. Pius X 23
9. Farmington 16
10. Valencia 12
3A
1. Lovington (10) 108
2. Raton 95
3. St. Michael's (1) 91
4. Bloomfield 57
5. Socorro 46
6. Portales 45
7, Albuquerque Academy 44
8. Cobre 42
9. Robertson 34
10. Hatch Valley 25
Volleyball
4A
4. Piedra Vista
8. Shiprock
3A
6. Bloomfield
2A
9. Navajo Prep
*****
PV-FHS soccer leftovers: Farmington stayed undefeated in District 1-4A with a late comeback at PV today in the best soccer game I've covered this year. Both teams played well, challenged every ball and gave the crowd a show.
Farmington had won 14 straight before a 1-0 loss at Santa Fe last week -- curious, as PV beat that team 7-0 on Sept. 29.
The Scorpions handle the ball so well 1-on-1, particularly the Klepac kids. Riley McGovern makes good decisions on both ends, as do most of his teammates, although a foul in the box gave PV an easy PK that almost cost them the game. Their role players don't make mistakes, their defense challenges the ball and if they get a lead they are tough to crack.
I thought the way PV brought extra offensive players, rather than hang guys back, and attacked the Scorps' defense all game worked. If you sit back on your heels, Farmington is a tough team to play. They don't back down if you hit them in the face, but they're more manageable if you stay aggressive.
Kudos to the referees -- the game stayed physical throughout but maintained a good flow as they let a lot of calls go, particularly if the players were going for the ball. It was tough to pin the aggression on any one individual and they did a good job of keeping the game under control while remaining hands-off.
The wind stayed at a steady 20 mph during the game, creating a chill, but fall in the Four Corners is most pleasant.
Here are some stats:
Shots: Farmington 14, Piedra Vista 8
Shots on Goal: Farmington 6, Piedra Vista 5
Fouls: Farmington 11, Piedra Vista 14
Offsides: Farmington 0, Piedra Vista 2
Corner Kicks: Farmington 6, Piedra Vista 5
Significant Plays
• Piedra Vista's Shane Woodson missed a long, bending shot in the 2nd minute after keeper Brycen Campbell left the goal to contest a long through ball.
• Farmington's Thaddeus Carter clanged a shot off the crossbar in the 5th minute after he withstood a slide tackle that left a defender out of position.
• Woodson got a header on goal in the box after a corner kick in the 24th minute.
• FHS' Riley McGovern leaves the game after a collision leaves him bloodied. He re-entered in the second half and got stitches after the game.
• FHS' Anthony Klepac draws a yellow card near halftime for a slide tackle that clips Devin Santillanes from behind.
• FHS' Presley Paxon takes a nifty pass from Carter and sends it past the right post. Paxon appeared to break his wrist during the second half.
• PV's Cory Blackwater sends a header on goal off an FHS foul, but Campbell makes a pretty, leaping deflection.
• FHS' C.J. Klepac secures a corner kick from McGovern and sends a bender into keeper July Shay's chest in the 72nd minute.
• PV's Andy Moore draws a yellow card late in the half. The fourth official told me it was for language or dissent.
Speaking of Paxon's injury, it's never good when an official or player makes the desperate wave for a trainer. His left hand hung from his wrist like a shirt from a laundry rack.
If you ever wonder whether or not you've broken a bone, you haven't. Fractures are one thing, but the most gruesome-looking injuries in sports happen when bones snap and limbs go in directions they aren't supposed to.
Two of TV's most cringe-inducing moments: Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Kendall's broken ankle and Alabama WR Tyrone Prothro's broken leg.
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Bizarre NFL: As I've said before, I spent the past two years with the Denver Broncos (2007) and Tennessee Titans (2008).
When I accepted this position at the Daily Times, the Titans were an NFL-best 13-3 and hosting the Baltimore Ravens for the right to play in the AFC Championship.
I covered that game. A late Alge Crumpler fumble in Ravens territory cost them the game, and they haven't won since. They were as good as any NFL team last year, crushing the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
This year they may be the league's worst. There are a lot of bad teams, but you don't see the St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and all the other lousy teams getting beat 59-0.
Meanwhile, the Broncos, who wouldn't have been able to stop the New Mexico Lobos the last two years on defense, are 6-0 and the toast of the league, having all but clenched a playoff spot with a win over San Diego on Monday Night Football.
The margin between winning and losing, everyone knows, is small in the NFL. But watching those two teams and their jolting reversals has me galling at how paper-thin it can be.
It's no wonder NFL coaches use so many cliches related to turnovers, injuries and field position.
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The last word: I'm curious to see how the margin of victory turns out for the district football games.
Farmington should handle PV, but will they? Will Aztec trounce everyone? Will KC win the ones they're supposed to (PV) and lose the ones they're not (Aztec, FHS)?
The four teams seem predictable when they play each other at this point. Here's how I project the district by season's end:
Aztec (7-3, 3-0 District 1-4A)*
Farmington (6-4, 2-1 District 1-4A)*
Piedra Vista (2-8, 1-2 District 1-4A)
Kirtland Central (3-7, 0-3 District 1-4A)
*Playoff teams
What do you think?
*****
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
Part of the reason we chose Polledo was Aztec's rise in District 1-4A, including a win over previously unbeaten Piedra Vista.
But Aztec went 2-4 during a September stretch, including a 3-0 loss to Bloomfield.
"We had car wrecks, we had broken thumbs, we had wisdom teeth, three of them got the flu," coach Anna Strauss said.
Asked if the collection of misfortune came at a good point in the season, as the Lady Tigers are peaking during district play, the team wasn't biting.
"If it had to happen at all, it could've happened in the summer," Strauss said, laughing.
Polledo said you never want to have a down stretch, no matter the circumstances, but found a silver lining.
"It makes us feel that we're the underdogs. That we have to kind of prove to everybody because nobody really knows," Polledo said.
"You want to play your best all the time, but being the underdog makes you want to play so much harder to prove to everybody that you actually are (good)."
Tonight
Kirtland Central 31, Shiprock 0
Aztec 42, Bayfield (Colo.) 13
Farmington 52, Los Alamos 6
Piedra Vista 22, Moriarty 18
Albuquerque Academy 31, Bloomfield 17
Saturday
Navajo Prep 29, Cuba 22
Overall Record: 29-10
Last Week: 3-1
*****
Sports editor Darren Vaughan's predictions:
Today
Kirtland Central 34, Shiprock 6
Aztec 43, Bayfield (Colo.) 20
Farmington 41, Los Alamos 13
Piedra Vista 25, Moriarty 12
Albuquerque Academy 28, Bloomfield 19
Saturday
Cuba 29, Navajo Prep 18
Overall Record: 17-11
Last Week: 2-2
Random Thought of the Day: Why is it so difficult to focus on the big picture and so hard to avoid staring at the minutia of details that won't matter to us by next month?
*****
Football power poll: Last week I wrote that my poll might change a good bit during the next few weeks. Notice it didn't change at all. I lied.
1. Aztec (3-3) -- The Tigers look to get a game above .500 for the first time since their season opener, a 56-7 win over Santa Fe. (Previous: 1)
2. Farmington (3-3) -- The Scorpions now look like a bona fide playoff team. How will they handle that down the stretch? It won't matter this week. They're a better team than Los Alamos. (Previous: 2)
3. Kirtland Central (2-4) -- The Broncos may have killed their playoff chances with a loss to Bernalillo. They'll have a remedy this week in what should be a blowout against Shiprock. (Previous: 3)
4. Bloomfield (3-3, 3-0 District 1-3A) -- The Bobcats haven't won a game outside the pedestrian District 1-3A. They'll get a chance against Albuquerque Academy. (Previous: 4)
5. Piedra Vista (1-5) -- The Panthers would love a two-game winning streak heading into district play. (Previous: 5)
6. Shiprock (4-1) -- The Chieftains have created a lot of talk, but their season isn't a failure if they get whooped by KC. (Previous: 6)
7. Navajo Prep (4-3, 2-1 District 1-2A) -- The Eagles are talking playoffs -- at least a few players -- but they're not ranked in 2A and may fall back to .500 before the season ends. (Previous: 7)
*****
Prep rankings: Farmington makes its season debut at No. 10 in the 4A poll.
4A
1. Belen (12) 120 points
2. Artesia 99
3. Goddard 97
4. Volcano Vista 88
5. Aztec 67
6. Silver 45
7. St. Pius X 38
8. Valencia 32
9. Deming 31
10. Farmington 16
3A
1. Lovington (8) 89
2. Raton 77
3. St. Michael's 69
4. Albuquerque Academy (1) 59
5. Socorro 50
6. Bloomfield 40
7. Cobre 37
8. Portales 25
T9. Hatch Valley 18
T9. Robertson 18
*****
All-Media: Some coaches act different during interviews depending on the result of the game. The coaches that are open and willing to talk even during a loss, and the coaches that call a spade a spade, are the ones that are easiest to respect.
Let's face it, we depend on coaches to write good stories. There are too many teams and too many schools for us to be experts.
Some that come to mind are Kirtland Central's Roy Johnson, Piedra Vista's Brian Shock and Jared Howell and Bloomfield's Frank DeHoyos. You can count on those guys to tell it how it is. It makes it easier to write credible stories that aren't critical in tone.
Reta Dominguez, the FHS volleyball coach, deserves special mention. She's called in her scores all year, even though we haven't covered the winless Scorps, and she's managed to be honest about her team (inconsistent, had a lot to re-learn), positive about her kids and pleasant to talk to.
Kirtland Central's Danene Sherwood impressed me during the Lady Broncos' 4-0 loss to Aztec in soccer. She gave an honest assessment of her team's performance. Not a frustrated one or a sugarcoated one, but one that seemed unafraid to contradict the neo philosophy that, even at the varsity level in high school, everyone's a winner, everyone is good and everyone deserves a trophy.
*****
Link of the week: You've all read about Balloon Boy by now.
But have you read about the sunbathing woman that got run over by a city council maintenance vehicle? It's more disturbing and it's nearly as riveting.
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
The Shiprock Chieftains aren't ready to challenge Aztec for Four Corners supremacy any time soon.
Two years removed from a 17-player team, Shiprock is ready to compete in District 1-3A next year. It could be that a seamless transition at the top of that district takes place between Bloomfield and SHS.
The Chieftains started this season with 77 players and have surpassed 80 thanks to a significant public push from coach Ricky Ballard and his staff. Ballard hasn't wavered in his aim to compete with Kirtland Central and the rest of District 1-4A -- eventually -- and his determination hasn't worn off despite a 41-7 loss to Bernalillo last week.
Ballard views it as a long term project, something he doesn't expect to happen this year or even next year. Part of his plan includes a more extensive weight program for his traditionally smaller, slower team.
The other problem at the moment is that his team lacks depth.
Witness the first half against Bernalillo: Shiprock opened the game with a seven-minute drive that stalled inside the 5. They allowed their first score after muffing a punt on their own 7. Another turnover-and-touchdown handed Shiprock a 12-0 halftime deficit -- one that could've been tied with one less fumble and a few more yards on a running play.
Then they faded during the second half.
"The war of attrition caches up to you. We would like to get to the point where we have 22 (different starters)," Ballard said. "I think the day will come. As coaches, we just haven't developed enough football players yet."
He said the team has 15 or 16 legitimate starters right now. As a consequence, the best athletes must carry more responsibility and can't specialize.
For instance, QB/kick returner Maylan Jones also plays safety, which is how he hurt his shoulder. Now he's a game time decision for the KC game.
"At a small school, if you have an athlete, he has to be on the field, man," Ballard said. "We don't have the joy of saying, 'Maylan, you're just a kick returner and a quarterback.' You're a safety. Can you kick and punt too? Can you block here?"
Ballard thinks Shiprock can compete with the good teams in New Mexico if it can sustain the type of high numbers on the football team it's enjoying right now. Eventually they'll develop more of those players into starters and they'll have more depth, strength and speed than maybe any team in school history.
*****
Friday's matchup: As if anyone needed confirmation, KC lost to Bernalillo by less than a touchdown, evidence they're a better team even if you don't put much stock in common opponents.
Ballard said his realistic goal is to keep the game closer than the last meeting between the two teams -- the deficit surpassed 50 points.
He hopes the Broncos play in fear of losing rather than pursue a win. KC (2-4) would all but lose hope of making the state playoffs with a loss.
"Kirtland has a lot to lose. They get beat by us, man, they're in trouble. It's a must-win for them," he said. "If we lose to Kirtland, that's OK, we end up 7-2 on the season."
Ryder Hathaway and Easton Sherwood are KC's primary offensive guys, running the football, although the team balances their offense when they're playing well. Although they're physical, KC's speed might be their largest advantage, Ballard speculated.
"Kirtland's always physical, but they're technicians. They're very technical with what they do. They don't do a whole lot, but what they do they do perfectly and they take pride in that," he said.
"They don't run a very big, exclusive defense, they run a very fundamentally sound defense. They don't run anything real, real fancy on offense, no tricks. They take pride in it and you can tell they're well-coached and well-practiced with what they're doing."
Needless to say, this is a game that's been circled on Shiprock's calendar since the offseason.
They might have to do it without Jones, their QB. Backup QB Peterson Billy might not be cleared to play, either. Both JV quarterbacks are hurt. That will make it difficult if Jones' shoulder doesn't allow him to play. The triple option is not an easy offense for a high school QB with no experience.
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
Tonight
Silver 25, Farmington 12
Bloomfield 67, Tohatchi 6
Bernalillo 23, Shiprock 17
Saturday
McCurdy 31, Navajo Prep 16
Overall Record: 26-9
Last Week: 3-2
*****
Sports editor Darren Vaughan's predictions:
Today
Silver 27, Farmington 13
Bloomfield 62, Tohatchi 0
Shiprock 19, Bernalillo 6
Saturday
McCurdy 26, Navajo Prep 20
Overall Record: 15-9
I'm eating a bowl of Potato Soup with roasted garlic as I type.
It's one of the colder Octobers in a while according to the Weather Channel, especially for our northern neighbors in the Colorado Mountains.
It's hard to believe it's already snowed multiple times there. But then, I saw it snow on Mt. Sneffels on July 31, so it can snow any day of the year.
Hopefully it doesn't snow too soon here -- I need to get used to driving my new ride first. It's a '95 Mustang GT Convertible, and I must say it's nice to be back in a vehicle that's not a rental.
*****
Football power poll: Expect some movement in this poll during the next couple weeks. We're about to get into district play, and the schedule vs. results quadrant will begin to get easier to figure out.
Week 7 Rankings
1. Aztec (3-3) -- The Tigers got the first plank out of the way with a blowout win to start the final six games of their schedule. They have a great chance to run the table and get some players back for the playoffs. Things look much better than they did three weeks ago. (Previous: 1)
2. Farmington (2-3) -- The Scorpions have moved a long way since the beginning of the season, in part because of their competitive games against good teams and in part because of the rest of the area's futility. FHS plays Silver this week, a team that handled KC until the final six minutes earlier this year. (Previous: 3)
3. Kirtland Central (2-4) -- The Broncos lost a game they shouldn't have, 13-10, to Bernalillo. "Shouldn't have" is a relative term -- KC will continue to experience inconsistency this season with their youth and inexperience, but they'll need to avoid another letdown like that if they want to make the playoffs. (Previous: 2)
4. Bloomfield (2-3, 2-0 District 1-3A) -- The Bobcats are into the meat of their schedule. In other words, the other teams are the steak and BHS is full of carnivores. They won't play another meaningful game until the state playoffs. (Previous: 4)
5. Piedra Vista (1-5) -- Beating a team with fewer than 20 players isn't going to leapfrog the Panthers up this list. But 1-5 is better than 0-6, especially for the team's confidence. The question remains: Can they beat any of the other teams in the district? They'll need to make sure Richard Gonzales progresses as a QB and teach him to avoid risky throws. (Previous: 5)
6. Shiprock (4-0) -- The Chieftains have had a few weeks to prepare for the crux of their season, a two-week stretch including a game at Kirtland Central. First they have to face a Bernalillo team that surprised the Broncos, which should give fans an indication of their chances against KC. (Previous: 6)
7. Navajo Prep (4-2, 2-1 District 1-2A) -- The Eagles proved that Bloomfield isn't the only team that can put up video game numbers, beating Ramah 65-6 a week after handling Navajo Pine. (Previous: 7)
*****
Football polls: KC's loss didn't do the district well. Aztec dropped a slot to No. 6 despite a big win and the Broncos fell out of the poll, leaving the Four Corners with one team in the top 10 for 4A. Bloomfield fell to No. 8, the only other area team ranked.
4A
1. Belen (12) 120 points
2. Goddard 96
3. Artesia 89
4. Volcano Vista 79
5. Silver 70
6. Aztec 64
7. St. Pius X 54
8. Moriarty 15
9. Deming 14
10. Del Norte 13
3A
1. Lovington (8) 98
2. Raton 85
3. St. Michael's 73
4. Albuquerque Academy (2) 60
5. Socorro 55
6. Portales 46
7. Cobre 39
8. Bloomfield 37
9. Robertson 24
10. Hatch Valley 19
*****
Aztec girls flaunting it: What kind of fertilizer are they using to treat Aztec's new soccer field?
Whatever it is, make sure the Olympic Committee knows about it -- and the World Cup organizers -- otherwise, we're going to see a new wave of performance enhancers.
Seriously though, the Lady Tigers are doing work. They started the season 4-6 and have won five of their last six games.
That includes home wins over Farmington and Piedra Vista, the latter by a shocking 6-0. The Tigers are preparing to face Kirtland Central at home Saturday, and we'll see if there really is something in the grass. The Lady Broncos are playing well, dropping a 1-0 contest at Farmington this week.
*****
Real Broncos, stand up: The Denver Broncos are 4-0. They've won a few coin flips (Dallas and Cincinnati) and beat a few bad teams (Oakland and Cleveland). Now they have to face the New England Patriots.
These aren't your 2007 Patriots, namely because Tom Brady looks more skittish in the pocket than a man during a Thanksgiving sale at the mall and because their defense is older and missing chunks of leadership and production from that team.
These aren't your 2007 Broncos, either. Maybe the worst defense in football the past two years, this team couldn't pressure the QB and couldn't stop the run. Now, under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, running a 3-4, suddenly they're No. 2 in the NFL in total defense, giving up 239.8 yards a game.
There are some people that still don't believe these Broncos are a Super Bowl contender. The stat machines, and they've got credibility as sophisticated as they've become, say otherwise. Still, I'd like to see how they do against the Pats.
New England's offense has shown better balance in recent weeks. Randy Moss is starting to get his connection back with Brady and his 29 catches are second in the NFL. And the defense isn't as porous as I expected. In fact, they're giving up 17.8 points a game, ninth in the league.
They manhandled a decent Falcons team and got by a Super Bowl contender in the Ravens last week after a weak start. We'll know if the Broncos are legit after this game.
It should be cool: Sunday's forecast for Denver features a high of 51. Better than Saturday, when it's supposed to stay between 29 and 34 degrees with snow showers.
*****
Links of the week: This article on the Barefoot Burglar, a teenager allegedly responsible for about 50 burglary cases in 18 months, should be a must read. I'd call it the most fascinating story I've read in 2009.
I won't give away all the best parts, but here's a taste, in the form of a quote from his mother, Pam Kohler:
"I hope to hell he stole those airplanes -- I would be so proud," she told a reporter, noting her son's lack of training. "But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time."
* ESPN came out with a "Body Issue" this month. Think Sports Illustrated swimsuit, a bit more modest, with all athletes. One of the best things to come out of it: Rick Reilly's column on his experience with naked athletes (and a certain big time college basketball coach) as a reporter.
* For those of you that follow the NFL, check out this blog maintained by a "single white fan" attempting to find a team to root for.
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
I was doing a ride-along in Becca Webster's rock crawler when a decent-sized group of guys waved us further left on the rock.
"We're doing RC here!" they yelled over the engine.
Several remote control cars sat on the sandstone.
Apparently there's a sort of underground, RC Crawlers event at most WE.ROCK curcuit stops. The five-event season culminated in a $1,000 prize Friday for Brett Rodney of Arizona.
The men were gambling at $5 a pot after the official event ended.
The cars cost about $800, one of them estimated.
Many of the RC Crawlers are also involved in the full-scale version of the event and participate because of their competitive nature.
Webster advocated the sport as a good option for people who can't afford the expensive modified four-wheel-drive vehicles (an engine alone can cost more than $25,000).
Also, she said, many of the techniques are the same. Theoretically, a driver could learn a lot on the small-scale version without risking expensive parts.
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
Out is the 6-foot-1, 190 pound Shilo McCall. In is the 5-foot-9, 220 pound Richard Gonzales.
The braces-wearing linebacker played well for a sophomore switching to varsity QB midseason, although I'd like to reserve judgment since Albuquerque High's football team is small: They had eight players on the sideline during play by my count. They were a far cry from PV's first five opponents, all losses.
The Panthers' line had a much easier time keeping the Bulldogs' defensive players away from the quarterback.
"I felt way comfortable back there. My line was doing a heck of a job," Gonzales said. "They were blocking real good for me tonight. We stepped up our game blocking-wise. The last couple games we hadn't been doing so hot."
Gonzales found room to run, completed 12-of-19 passes for 110 yards, accounting for five touchdowns.
He threw three TD passes to Morgan McCasland and rushed for two more. McCasland beat his man 1-on-1 on all three scores, but Gonzales put the ball where he could catch it without difficulty.
"Perfect. It was right there every time," McCasland said of No. 12's passes. "It was good. I like Richard back there at quarterback."
Gonzales did force a few throws, two of which turned into INTs, and never did anything that convinced me he'll be a vertical threat. If he can learn to make better decisions and continue to complete safe short-to-intermediate passes he'll be an adequate option at QB.
The move also frees up McCall, a good athlete, to run the ball or line up as a receiver.
I'm told that PV threw the ball less than a handful of plays in their loss at Cleveland. The play calling was balanced and effective Friday. I thought a few bubble screens to receivers were set up well and could be a plus play for PV going forward.
Here's what coach Jared Howell said about Gonzales, the quarterback:
"He's got a good football mind. He's a good linebacker, he can be a lineman, he can be everything. And he can be a quarterback. Apparently we like portly quarterbacks. Paul Shay... they seem to do well for us.
"When we got into practice, it looked like we'd been doing it all year. I think he'll get better and better and better. The kids believe in him. We were able to get more athletes out. Sometimes you think you've got something built for the future, we're young and you try to stay with it, but after a while, you've got to say, 'OK, maybe this isn't what we are.' I think maybe we've found an identity."
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
Tonight
Bloomfield 61, Zuni 0
Aztec 52, Gallup 13
Kirtland Central 24, Bernalillo 17
Albuquerque High 13, Piedra Vista 12
Saturday
Navajo Prep 31, Ramah 17
Overall Record: 23-7
Last Week: 5-1
There is a sprinkler system dousing the drive-thru line at Burger King during the early evening.
I've noticed it a couple times now.
It can't be good for business. Who wants to order a burger with a full-spray car wash swirling overhead and through the car window?
And part of the point of fast food is that it's fast. I would bet at least a small percentage of potential customers would rather skip to the next McDonald's, Arby's or Sonic before parking their cars and ordering inside.
Speaking of consumption, has anybody cooked up some Cider or your warm winter drink of choice? It's a bit chilly tonight.
*****
Football power poll: Not much movement this week. Aztec's stayed at No. 1 all season while Shiprock and Navajo Prep have been 6-7. Piedra Vista's holding onto No. 5 for now.
Week 6 Rankings
1. Aztec (2-3) -- The Tigers escaped Alcatraz -- er, St. Pius -- with a blocked field goal, earning a 22-20 victory. Aztec's faced a difficult schedule, a rash of injuries, a few bad breaks and lots of inconsistencies, but they needed to win to keep alive realistic hope of attaining one of the top five seeds for the state playoffs. (Previous: 1)
2. Kirtland Central (2-3) -- The Broncos did their best FHS impression, nearly executing an improbable comeback before losing to Silver 34-28. The Scorpions are getting all the talk about being an improved team, and deservedly so, but the Broncos have made tangible progress each game. Now they need to clean up their special teams coverage. (Previous: 2)
3. Farmington (2-3) -- Finally, a no doubter. The Scorpions beat Capital 42-6 -- that's 36 points for the mathematically challenged. Their first four games were decided by a combined 21 points. FHS is now +17 for the season in total points. (Previous: 3)
4. Bloomfield (1-3) -- The Bobcats fell behind big to Socorro and lost by 20. They've dropped two games to ranked 3A opponents and another close game to KC. Not cause for mass disappointment, but they haven't shown the ability to make a deep run in the state playoffs. (Previous: 4)
5. Piedra Vista (0-5) -- The Panthers are still a question mark. They've looked like a terrible football team, but they've played the toughest schedule in the district. What will they do this week against Albuquerque in what should be a competitive matchup? (Previous: 5)
6. Shiprock (4-0) -- The Chieftains ought to be scouting KC while they have a few weeks off. They face Bernalillo next week and need to win to preserve the luster now attached to the game with the Broncos, but it's difficult to picture them keeping up with an improving KC team. (Previous: 6)
7. Navajo Prep (3-2) -- The Eagles dazzled Navajo Pine with their rushing attack. Coach John Gutierrez impressed me. He's coached for several decades and took the gig as somewhat of a favor to give back to Prep. But he's not taking his job lightly. He fussed at several of his players for missed assignments during the blowout win and the players respect him. (Previous: 7)
*****
Football polls: Aztec remains at No. 5 in the 4A Coaches' Poll, while Kirtland Central climbed two spots.
4A
1. Belen (14) 140 points
2. Goddard 119
3. Artesia 115
4. Volcano Vista 85
5. Aztec 83
6. Silver 78
7. St. Pius 57
8. Kirtland Central 27
9. Valencia 17
10. Del Norte 14
3A
1. Lovington (8) 98
2. Raton (1) 87
3. St. Michael's (1) 79
4. Albuquerque Academy 55
5. Socorro 55
6. Bloomfield 46
7. Cobre 39
8. Portales 37
9. Hatch Valley 20
10. Ruidoso 20
*****
Soccer chaos: Farmington and Piedra Vista topped our girls soccer power poll since the beginning of the season. That'll get re-examined after this week.
Aztec slipped past Farmington 2-1 on Tuesday, the same day Kirtland Central shocked Bloomfield 3-0. Aztec beat Kirtland 4-1 earlier in the season.
There are plenty of district games remaining and nothing gets decided Week 1. But the Lady Tigers and Lady Broncos just served notice that this could be one of the wildest district races I've witnessed since moving to the Four Corners in mid-January.
Here's the latest 4A poll:
1. Los Alamos
2. Volcano Vista
3. Albuquerque Academy
6. Farmington
7. Piedra Vista
8. Kirtland Central
9. Aztec
The FHS and PV boys' teams still look dominant, but we'll see if that continues to hold true as Aztec visits FHS on Saturday at 11 a.m.
*****
Links of the week: If you want a reminder of how good we have it in the United States, check out this man, who won a tiny color TV because he killed 83,450 rats in Bangladesh.
Then there's this woman. She's insane.
Three questions. 1) I doubt the guy cleaned out the tank every day. How unhealthy is this? 2) Wouldn't it be easier to flush them down the toilet? 3) Really?
Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher
