Silence of the fans
St. Pius rolls to ‘strange’ district victory in nearly empty Española Valley High School football stadium
ESPAÑOLA — The game? That went exactly as scripted. It was the periphery elements that had the participants searching for the right words to articulate their thoughts on a bizarre Friday evening.
“It was … just strange,” said David Montoya, the head football coach at St. Pius. His Sartans, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A, blew out Española Valley 49-0 in a District 2/5-4A matchup. “It just didn’t have that feel of a football game. The kids all said it felt like a scrimmage to them, or that they were playing YAFL again.”
Friday night’s game was unlike any other contested in New Mexico this year, maybe any year.
The home bleachers at Española Valley High School were completely empty, an arrangement made two weeks ago between school officials and the New Mexico Activities Association. Their joint
decision was to bar Sundevil fans from attending this, the final home game of the 2018 season.
The visiting bleachers contained about 45 fans, parents of St. Pius seniors, none of whom had to pay to attend and arrived five minutes before kickoff in a pair of buses. And they were allowed in only because they appealed to the NMAA after it was first announced that no fans from either school would be let in.
There were no bands, no cheerleaders. And, consequently, virtually no atmosphere.
“It was … different,” said Española Valley senior linebacker Isaac Baca, one of five 12thgraders on the Sundevil roster for whom Friday was their final home game. “We’re not used to coming out and not seeing our fans, and not hearing the roar of the crowd.”
Friday’s scenario traces back to the first Friday night of this month, on this same field. A few Sundevil players and a couple of Bernalillo Spartans were ejected after a fight. Some of the ugliness spilled over to the home fans.
“A couple of our kids became unhinged, and a couple of our parents became unhinged,” Española Valley coach Miguel Medina said.
The players’ fight, in the first quarter, led to the game being canceled and Bernalillo being given an official 1-0 forfeit victory.
But in light of the NMAA’s new initiative about sportsmanship and punishing schools for incidents of poor fan behavior, a decision was made to keep all Sundevil fans out of the stadium Friday night. This, said NMAA associate director Dusty Young, who was onsite for the game, was the recommendation from the board of directors.
“(My parents) were upset,” said Baca. “My mom was very sad when I left the house this morning.”
Medina said the school will have a more intimate ceremony next week for the five seniors in lieu of missing out on being presented on the field Friday night.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Young said. “But it’s something we felt was necessary in order to implement our new sportsmanship bylaw.”
The fans from St. Pius (6-3, 4-0 in 2/5-4A) wore around their neck a name tag, handed out in Albuquerque before they boarded their bus.
“I’ve been very proud of our community,” Española Valley athletic director Ruben Salazar said. “There were a few that didn’t agree, and some that do. There are repercussions for behavior, and this is what we have to deal with.”
What security there was Friday stood out, but only because of how few issues there were. Only those on a pre-approved list could gain entry through the main gate.
The football itself provided little in the way of entertainment. Junior quarterback Derek Rivera threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and Jason Arnett had a pick-six for the Sartans, which registered its second consecutive shutout and third in four games.
“It was very weird,” Rivera said of the environment.
“I think as soon as the game started, it felt normal to me,” Arnett said.
Still, both teams were left in the unusual position of largely having to manufacture their own emotions.
But despite what happened, Baca said the team has deep affection for their passionate fans.
“They’re great,” he said. “I love them. They’re emotional, just as we are. They get into it, and there’s nothing like them.”
Medina said the NMAA offered two options after the Bernalillo game: one was to shut down the season. “And this,” he said.
“I explained to the parents that you have to come and support and be positive,” he added. “Anything that happens in the stands will affect the players on the field.”
The officiating crew, headed by veteran referee Danny Lujan, did eject one Sundevil player in the third quarter. But there were no on-field scuffles to speak of.
Instead, the lasting image Friday was empty row after empty row underneath the press box.
“Isn’t that the weirdest thing ever?” St. Pius parent John Arnett said.