Sandia’s football season has been full of turmoil
No prep football player has been playing with a heavier heart than Sandia’s Devin Woolsey.
His mother, Jo Ann Carle, died on Sept. 21. She was 41. Her memorial service was Saturday in Albuquerque, with Devin’s teammates and coaches at his side.
His mom was a student counselor for Albuquerque Public Schools. Devin played against Cibola, through his pain, two days after his mother’s passing. Remarkably, he summoned the courage to play on Friday night against Rio Rancho, the night before the service. That is unimaginable strength.
“It’s pretty amazing with him being able to go out there and do that,” Sandia coach Kevin Barker said. Barker was feeling the loss, too: Jo Ann was a senior cheerleader at Manzano in Barker’s first season as head coach of the Monarchs many years ago.
Devin is one of Jo Ann’s four sons. Sandia’s teammates have made a wonderful gesture by writing his No. 7 on their sleeves and shoes.
Carle’s death is yet another terrible blow to the Sandia football season, which has endured other types of hardships, as well.
Top tailback Ky’Dae Jones got hurt in the Cibola game and missed Friday’s contest with Rio Rancho.
In the Rio Rancho game, Ben Bertram, a standout senior defensive end, broke his leg, a season-ender that is crushing to the Matadors, who are, as a whole, being forced to tackle more adversity than most teenagers ever face. None more so than Woolsey. “He’s a great kid,” Barker said. “(Football) has been his release, and he’s played well. He’s done nothing but good things.”
It’s difficult to know what to say here. Injuries to Jones and Bertram are devastating, in and of themselves. But of course, they are completely secondary to the anguish Woolsey, a senior defensive back/wide receiver/punter for Sandia, must be feeling.
It is true what is often said: High school represents the most carefree time of your life.
But life can also beat you down, even in youth. Let’s hope Devin can find some solace and comfort in his friends and family, and team, as he copes with his loss.
COUNTDOWN IS ON: Sort of like the way you don’t really start putting up the Christmas lights until Thanksgiving is over, local prep football fans have permission — not to mention a full five days — to finally begin thinking about the savory delights of Friday night’s showdown between Rio Rancho and Cleveland.
Both are 6-0. After Piedra Vista’s 41-7 unraveling Saturday at Manzano, these are the last two unbeaten teams in Class 6A. The winner will be well on the way to the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
Yes, injured Cleveland running back Shawn Nieto might miss this game. However, his replacement, Niko Papadopoulos, a headline writer’s nightmare, has been terrific in wins vs. Artesia, where he scored six touchdowns, and Atrisco Heritage.
Among this game’s many great matchups, the one that interests me more than any other is Cleveland’s big offensive line against that tremendous Rio Rancho defensive front. From a skillposition standpoint, this game is overloaded with talent.
Intangibles? Chief among them must be Rio Rancho’s desire to be the alpha male inside its own city. All of the Rams-Storm games are hotly anticipated, but this is the first time they are meeting with both being undefeated. It’s unusual that they are facing each other as a District 1-6A opener.
Peripherally, if I were Rio Rancho, the only major concern is penalties. The Rams are heavily flagged for a team of their caliber, and just on Friday night they had multiple touchdowns erased by yellow laundry. They haven’t faced any repercussions for this, so far, but Cleveland is a different animal than most.
At any rate, Friday ought to be special, on many levels. In fact, there’s nothing about this game not to love — except Cleveland’s egregiously horrible parking situation.
GROWING UP: While Manzano deployed multiple quarterbacks (including Jordan Byrd) in its loss to Rio Rancho a week earlier, sophomore Dakota Powell had the keys to himself Saturday against Piedra Vista and excelled. He threw for 200-plus yards and a couple of TDs, and, for the first time, looked comfortable as a passer.
“He stepped up and took a step forward,” Manzano coach Chad Adcox said.
Said Manzano’s Byrd, in a vote of confidence: “He’s the man out here. We’re looking up to him.”