Top-ranked St. Pius mauls Grants
West Mesa, Menaul also earn victories
When it was over, St. Pius football coach Dave Montoya gathered his football team around and he talked about their upcoming schedule.
One of the options was this: If the Sartans somehow don’t get a firstround playoff bye, they’ll practice on Monday.
He and his team needn’t worry. With another stellar defensive performance, No. 1-ranked St. Pius clinched the District 2/5-4A championship — and perhaps even the top seed for the postseason — with a 42-7 dismantling of Grants on Thursday night at Milne Stadium.
“We’re on a roll,” Montoya said. “We’re where we wanted to be.”
St. Pius (7-3, 5-0 in 2/5-4A) has this season knocked off the teams currently ranked No. 2 (Taos), No. 3 (Portales), No. 4 (Kirtland Central) and No. 6 (Grants) in the latest coaches’ poll.
In the MaxPreps.com poll, which is part of the seeding criteria — the coaches’ poll is not — Portales started Thursday at No. 1, followed by Taos, St. Pius and Kirtland Central.
The 4A bracket will be announced on Saturday night. St. Pius won its five district games by a combined score of 214-9.
“That was one of our goals,” junior quarterback Derek Rivera said. “To sweep district and win district.”
The Sartans’ defense yielded just 112 total yards to Grants, and also just one touchdown — points that really weren’t their fault since a Grants player scooped up a fumble and the Pirates started that drive from the St. Pius 3.
But when Isaiah Johnson of the Pirates scored, briefly tying the game 7-7 early in the second quarter, it was the first touchdown given up by St. Pius since Sept. 28 at Aztec.
And that left a sour taste in the mouths of this ferocious defense.
“We were determined not to allow another point,” said Sartans senior outside linebacker Donovahn Wyatt, who spent a great deal of time in the Grants backfield on Thursday night. “But we had to just grit our teeth and make sure it didn’t happen again.”
Grants had 65 rushing yards in the first quarter, largely because of a 58-yard run. The Pirates had 20 carries for minus-19 yards over the final three quarters.
Rivera, meanwhile, was outstanding. He rushed 27 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns. He also was 14-of-25 passing for 243 yards and a score.
“I think it was the best night throwing it (this season),” Rivera said.
Isaiah Griffin ran for two touchdowns for St. Pius, and also was prominently featured in the passing game, catching six Rivera balls for 149 yards. Jacob McCoy had seven grabs for 84 yards and a TD.
WEST MESA 24, ATRISCO HERITAGE 7: At Nusenda Community Stadium, Mustangs sophomore running back Ja’Calvin Newsom ripped off a long touchdown run as an answer to an Atrisco Heritage touchdown in the third quarter, and that proved to be crucial as West Mesa (2-8, 1-4 in 1-6A) closed out a tough season.
The Mustangs led 3-0 halftime and were up 10-0 in the third quarter when the Jaguars (1-9, 0-5) cut the deficit to 10-7. Newsom’s TD occurred on the next drive.
An interception by Mark Gutierrez set up an insurance score in the fourth quarter for West Mesa.
MENAUL 56, ALAMO NAVAJO 6:
At Menaul, the Panthers (5-4) put up 50 points in the first half and routed the Cougars in the first round of the 8-Man playoffs.
Senior running back Jonathan Chambers rushed for four touchdowns, and Sammy Calderon returned a punt for a TD.
The Panthers will visit No. 2 seed Tatum in the quarterfinals, at 6 p.m. next Friday.