Storm pulls away late to KO Hobbs
Cleveland advances to face Las Cruces in semis
RIO RANCHO — It took some time Saturday afternoon for the state’s No. 1 football team to resemble the state’s No. 1 football team.
But once the Cleveland Storm found its footing, Class 6A’s top seed pulled away from visiting Hobbs, beating the eighth-seeded Eagles (6-6) 42-14 in the quarterfinals.
“We had to feel our way around a little bit,” Cleveland coach Heath Ridenour said. “We had to figure out what was gonna work and how we were gonna attack. (Hobbs’) record doesn’t match their ability.”
Cleveland will play at the Field of Dreams on Friday night against No. 5 seed Las Cruces in the 6A semifinals. The Storm is the road team because the last time these two met in a semifinal round or later, in 2016, the game was in Rio Rancho.
Cleveland beat Las Cruces 42-7 in Rio Rancho on Sept. 10.
On Saturday, two sequences ultimately defined this win by the Storm (11-0).
The first came with Cleveland at its 27, third and 20 after a holding penalty.
Quarterback Evan Wysong faked a jet sweep handoff to Ethan Duran, kept it, and exploded into the secondary and past two Hobbs defensive backs for a 73-yard touchdown that broke a 7-7 tie midway through the second quarter.
“I knew my read was coming from the backside D-end,” Wysong said. “He shot at Ethan, so I had to take it. Nic (Trujillo) killed the safety, and I’m like, I gotta take this one if there’s green grass.”
Hobbs trailed by seven at halftime, but that deficit grew quickly in the third quarter.
The second important sequence was when the Storm went 65 yards in four plays to open the second half. It also added a new look with running back Jaiden Nuñez, who hadn’t touched the ball in the first half.
Nuñez, on his first carry, went 22 yards for a touchdown 66 seconds into the second half, and Cleveland’s lead swelled to 21-7.
“Anytime you can change running backs and change running styles, it affects the defense,” Ridenour said.
Said Wysong: “When we drove down the field and put it in, it was pretty much over from there.”
Wysong scored on an option keeper on Cleveland’s next possession for a 28-7 bulge.
Duran scored a pair of touchdowns for the Storm, on a 3-yard run and an 8-yard catch from Wysong.
Wysong rushed 13 times for 151 yards. Cleveland outgained the Eagles 305-34 on the ground.