Rams make the right call
Late touchdown gives win to Rio Rancho vs. Cibola
Chalk this one up to the beauty of the superior play design.
With Rio Rancho staked out at the Cibola 2-yard line and just 11 seconds to go and with no timeouts remaining, and trailing by two, Rio Rancho had several third-down options. The Rams’ choice was to throw.
On the game’s deciding play, freshman Zach Vigil lined up in the backfield. As the snap went to quarterback Isaiah Chavez, Vigil drifted off to his right, largely unnoticed, as Chavez eyeballed other targets.
Vigil eventually sped up, raced unguarded toward the far side, and found himself wide open in the end zone when Chavez delivered a touchdown pass to him with 5 seconds left. And Rio Rancho, down two touchdowns early, captured a thrilling, 34-28 decision on Saturday afternoon at Nusenda Community Stadium.
“They (Cibola) lost Zach,” Rams coach David Howes said of Vigil.
“That’s exactly what that play is supposed to do,” said a smiling Chavez.
The TD pass capped a terrific, back-andforth encounter between the rivals, meeting in a District 1-6A opener. Vigil’s catch marked the fifth and final lead change.
Rio Rancho (2-4) earned a much-needed win after a tough first half to the season.
And on the game-winning drive, the Rams — sparked by Chavez, a junior who finished 27-of-38 passing for 326 yards and five touchdowns — marched 92 yards in under two minutes for those vital points.
“Playing those (tough) teams we played helped us get to that drive, if that makes sense,” Howes said.
Cibola (3-3) raced to a 14-0 lead, but the Rams scored 20 straight in the second quarter. The Cougars answered with a score just before halftime for a 21-20 lead.
Cibola seized a 28-26 lead with 8:41 to go on a 9-yard TD pass from Marcus Steele to Seth Vigil. Steele threw for 276 yards and four scores.
At the end, the Rams, who couldn’t generate any ground game almost all afternoon, fashioned a pair of 23-yard runs, one from Jaylen Morgan, the other by Chavez.
“It’s a very important win,” Chavez said.