Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Tigers are 'ravin' about arrival of 5-5A play

LLHS beat Rio Grande in OT last season

Jason W. Brooks News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jbrooks@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas Having just completed their most complete game of the season, the Los Lunas Tiger football team will probably need to put together another solid four quarters together when the Rio Grande Ravens come to Willie Chavez Field for a 7 p.m. game.

Coming off an impressive 28-6 win in Albuquerque over Del Norte last week, the Tigers (4-2) will host a Rio Grande team that dominated in its 38-7 win Friday over Volcano Vista. Los Lunas beat the Ravens 30-27 in overtime in Albuquerque last season, and this week's matchup shows signs it could be just as hotly contested.

Friday's game will be the District 5-5A opener for both teams. Only the district champion automatically advances to the state playoffs this season, so 5-5A games will be even more important than before.

"Los Lunas is an extremely well-disciplined team," said Rio Grande coach Randy Gutierrez, who watched the Del Norte game along with much of his staff. "If we're not on top of our game, it's going to be very tough for us."

The Ravens (4-2) did three things very well against Volcano Vista: run the ball, run the ball and run the ball. Facing the Hawks' first-year varsity that has no seniors, the Ravens ran 45 times for 269 yards and attempted only five passes. Rio Grande running back Matt Apodaca had 166 of those rushing yards and three short touchdown runs, and kicker Melchor Quezada, one of the top players on the Raven boys soccer team, made a 49-yard field goal late in the contest.

Perhaps more importantly, the Raven defense held Hawk running back Matt Sandoval to 54 yards on 18 carries, a week after he had gone for 379 yards.

"I don't know how we're going to stop him," Gutierrez had said before Friday.

The Tigers' "Ray-Gun" offense, with quarterback Ray Contreras using a variety of shotgun formations, may find it tough to run against a Raven defense that has stopped rushing attacks at times.

In addition to a tough defensive front, the Ravens can move the ball on nearly anyone.

"They played Mayfield tough," said Los Lunas coach Denvis Manns, referring to Rio Grande's loss to the Trojans two weeks ago. "They always play four quarters, and they do a good job of playing fired up and playing aggressive."

Gutierrez says he admires what Manns has done with the Tigers, who have already equaled their 2007 win total.

"Denvis got kind of a raw deal from the school system (in being named head coach shortly before the first game of the 2007 season)," said Gutierrez. "But he's done a great job with those guys."

The Tigers had no penalties in the second half of the Del Norte win. Los Lunas rushed for 209 yards, and its defense forced five punts and held the Knights to one score despite Del Norte committing no turnovers.

That's the type of play Manns says the Tigers need Friday.

"We've got to come at them like we did (against Del Norte)," said Manns. "We've got to play smart football."

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