Roybal provides spark for St. Michael’s offense

No. 1 Horsemen hosting No. 8 Hatch Valley today

Joey Fernandez digs the big play. Shawn Roybal has definitely delivered on that.

The St. Michael’s senior wide receiver has more than done his part in providing the kind of jolt that electrifies a football team. It’s not just the 554 yards of total offense Roybal has accumulated so far this season catching and running the ball. It’s the fact that he averages just under 20 yards (19.8 to be exact) every time he touches the ball.

He will be one of the many weapons St. Michael’s turns to as the No. 1-seeded team in Class 4A begins its journey in the state playoffs against No. 8 Hatch Valley in a 4A quarterfinal at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Christian Brothers Athletic Complex.

On a team of talented, explosive players, Roybal has become especially dangerous in the open field — the kind Fernandez, the Horsemen head coach, loves to coach.

“I like the excitement of a big play,” Fernandez said. “It really turns the momentum around and gets the kids excited. They feed off of plays like that.”

Perhaps few plays were as momentous as his 73-yard touchdown run on a fly sweep on the first play from scrimmage against Las Vegas Robertson on Oct. 21, which help set the tone in a 33-27 win over the then-No. 1 team in the state. It wasn’t the first time Roybal had run the ball, but it was a wrinkle the Cardinals weren’t ready for in a big game.

“That run, as soon as I got around the corner, I said in my mind I wasn’t going to get caught,” Roybal said. “It was really exciting for me because it was such a big game and I know I wanted to do something to help the team.”

Roybal’s value goes beyond his big-play ability on offense — he has become a reliable part of the Horsemen defensive backfield. Roybal only has one interception (which he returned 77 yards for a touchdown to cap a 51-0 win over Santa Fe Indian School on Oct. 28)