No. 3 Los Lunas rips Goddard to reach final vs. Roswell
Tigers’ Benavidez leads the way with three early touchdown passes
LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas football team lost only two games during the regular season. The Tigers avenged one of those losses Saturday.
Next week, they will have a chance to avenge the other.
Third-seeded Los Lunas advanced into the Class 5A championship game after whipping visiting Goddard 41-20 in the semifinals. That sent the Tigers into the 5A final next Saturday at the Wool Bowl against No. 1 Roswell, a team that beat Los Lunas 42-20 back in mid-September.
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Los Lunas head coach Jeremy Maupin. “Our defense played so well. Our offense came out on fire. It was a whole team effort. I’m really proud to be a part of this.”
The Tigers were the first to get on the board in the first quarter, via a 76-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kade Benavidez to junior wide receiver Andrue Garcia. Goddard answered with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from junior Robert Aragon.
Benavidez threw for two more touchdowns — a 30-yarder to senior wide receiver Cody Vocu and a 54-yard pass to sophomore running back Derek Chavez — to put the Tigers up 21-6.
For Goddard (9-2-1), senior quarterback Dalton Bowles threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Nate Stone to make it 21-12, but that was the last touchdown for the Rockets until late in the fourth quarter.
Los Lunas added two more touchdowns before the end of the first half, giving the Tigers a 35-12 lead heading into the third quarter. Senior Garrett Lucero rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give Los Lunas a 41-12 lead in the third.
“We just got outplayed and outcoached,” said Goddard coach Chris White. “Coach Maupin is a quality coach and a really good guy. Hats off to them.”
Los Lunas’ defense made a huge difference, including three interceptions by the secondary — two by senior safety Michael Montoya.
“I’m just happy that everybody did their jobs,” said Montoya. “We’ve been waiting for this since we were little kids.”
Maupin also gave credit to the defense as a whole.
“Mikey (Montoya) was in the right place at the right time,” said Maupin. “He made a heck of a play on that last interception. It’s the preparation and the attitude they bring every day.”
This is Los Lunas’ first appearance in a state championship since 2012. If the Tigers beat Roswell (10-2), they would earn the school’s first blue trophy in football.
And the Tigers look forward for an opportunity to redeem themselves.
“They’re fast and they’re well-coached,” said Maupin of Roswell. “They’re a confident team. But our goal every week is to be the best version of us. I thought today was the best version, but I think we got a little more.”
ALSO SATURDAY: Eunice (2A) and Tatum (8-Man) became state champions. The Cardinals ripped visiting Santa Rosa 35-6 in the 2A final, while the Coyotes, at home, upset No. 1 Gateway Christian 28-20. … In Dexter, the Demons beat West Las Vegas 35-6 in the 3A semifinals, and they’ll face Robertson next week in the championship game.