MONARCHS RULE
Manzano dominates Atrisco Heritage in all facets of the game
It was a shutout. Only, not. Either way, it certainly felt like one Thursday night for the Manzano Monarchs.
Yes, Atrisco Heritage got a back-door touchdown in the game’s final 25 seconds against Manzano’s secondteam defense, but that was small consolation for the Jaguars, who got pulverized 40-6 by Manzano at Nusenda Community Stadium.
And frankly, Manzano coach Chad Adcox said afterward, his team was not even all that sharp offensively.
“I would like to have been more solid in the running game,” he said after this season-opening win. “But they had so many guys in the box.”
Perhaps that was for junior tailback Jordan Byrd, and it was an effective strategy for a while.
Manzano had only 11 rushing yards in the first quarter, but had 97 in the pivotal second quarter as sophomore Xavier Ivey-Saud — who was
the primary ballcarrier for the Monarchs instead of Byrd — worked effectively between the tackles.
“The line blocked well and picked up their assignments,” said Ivey-Saud, who finished with 81 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. “And I just followed their lead.”
Manzano, which had an early 7-0 lead on a 46-yard strike from quarterback Michael Roybal to Andrew Erickson on the game’s opening drive, scored touchdowns on each of its three, second-quarter possessions.
The first was set up by a punt deflection, and ended with Roybal scoring from the 4 for a 14-0 lead. The second went 58 yards, and Roybal capped it with a 5-yard scamper.
The third drive only required 40 yards, after Jace Torrez’s interception gave the Monarchs a short field. On a fourth down from the Atrisco 1, Alejandro Vallejos scored inside the final minute of the half, and Manzano led 28-0.
Byrd, meanwhile, was in and out of the game Thursday night, either because of helmet issues or because of cramps, Adcox said.
He finished with 48 yards on six carries. But he was not much of a factor, as the Monarchs chose to go with Ivey-Saud.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s coach’s motto,” Ivey-Saud said. “The middle was too open, and we just had to keep going.”
On the other side, Manzano’s defense allowed the Jaguars precious little.
Atrisco Heritage is a groundbased offense that cannot afford to get into third-and-long situations, but that is precisely where the Jaguars were pretty much the entire night.
“We had to win the first two downs,” Adcox said. “And keep them in third-and-long.”
Atrisco was forced into 11 third downs on Thursday. In the first half, the average distance the Jags needed to cover was 8.6 yards. In the second half, the average was 8.2 yards.
There was no passing game to bail them out, either; in fact, Atrisco QB Michael Alvidrez completed more passes to Manzano (two) than his own team (one).
“Our defensive line penetrated, and they were forced to go outside, but our linebackers kept containment, and our secondary kept containment,” Ivey-Saud said. “They had nowhere to go.”
Roybal was making his first varsity start. He threw for 158 yards, but was only 7-of-17 and was picked off twice.
“I just need to pass the ball better. That’s it,” he said.
But the Monarchs did demonstrate that they have talents other than Byrd, a point Manzano was intent on making.
“We have a lot of weapons,” Roybal said. “Anyone on this team can score and everybody’s a threat.”
Said Adcox, who next meets one of his best friends in Centennial coach, and former Manzano coach, Aaron Ocampo: “We definitely were not very effective on offense tonight. But we were able to put up some points.”