Eagles throttle Roadrunners

CLOVIS - How much help Clovis Christian got towards a potential 6-man playoff run with Thursday's 62-6 thrashing of previously unbeaten New Mexico School for the Deaf is up in the air.

As far as CCS quarterback/linebacker Jaden Martinez was concerned, though, it was just fun to have another game at Jim Hill Field.

"It was good to play at home again, and show what we can do," said Martinez after the Eagles (3-2) played just their second home contest of the season. "It was good to see guys who don't get in there as much, and see how we can use them."

It was the regular-season finale for the Eagles, who await their fate in the upcoming 6-team postseason. CCS is probably looking at a No. 4 or 5 seed, coach Trent McKay said.

"It's one of those games I don't know if it's good for anybody," he said of the lopsided matchup. "But it was nice to see some of our younger guys get in and score a couple of touchdowns. They (Eagles) came out and did what they had to do."

NMSD (6-1), an independent program, had outscored four opponents coming in 231-68, and won two other tilts by forfeit.

In fairness, the Santa Fe-based Roadrunners were missing probably their best player in Bruce Brewer Jr., one of only two seniors on the 12-man roster. Still, it was clear from the get-go they were overmatched.

CCS forced a three-and-out following the opening kickoff, and junior Noah Gershon returned Alex Wilding's short punt 38 yards for a score. The Eagles led 24-0 less than three minutes in, and 38-6 by quarter's end in a game called at halftime on the 50-point mercy rule.

Gershon later scored on a 27-yard pass from Martinez. Six other Eagles tallied a touchdown apiece, including a 20-yard interception return by junior Carter Teune for the game's final score late in the half.

Also, freshman Manu Garbarino went 7-for-8 on 2-point conversion kicks.

NMSD pulled to 24-6 with just over five minutes left in the quarter on a 4-yard pass from eighth-grader Alex Gonzalez-Lopez to sophomore Adrien Ercolino, capping a five-play, 65-yard drive.

Gateway Christian, Ramah and Animas are likely to be the top three seeds come next week. CCS lost to Ramah 58-8 on Aug. 20 in its opener and only previous home outing, and 69-22 at Gateway last week.

"We got to see what the top (of 6-man) is like," Martinez said. "Like coach said, if we don't have those mistakes, we can give them a game."

McKay said he'd be intrigued by a rematch against Ramah.

"If we get a chance to get back at them, we'd give it all we've got," he said. "We've come a long ways. Back then, we hardly knew what the line of scrimmage was."

Gateway Christian 58, Floyd 6 (Friday) - At Floyd, the 6-man District 2 champion and top-ranked Warriors wasted little time, scoring on the game's second play from scrimmage on a 60-yard run by senior quarterback Hurley Breedyk and cruising from there against the outmanned Broncos.

Breedyk went 8-of-13 through the air for 133 yards and five touchdowns. Leading 52-6, Gateway (7-0, 4-0) forced a punt on the first possession of the second half and quickly ended the game on the 50-point rule when freshman Ethaniel Wigley tossed a 10-yard TD pass to sophomore Eli Leonard.

Floyd (1-3, 1-3) finished out a campaign shortened by a couple of cancellations. The Broncos were without a number of key players due to injury and lost two more in this one, including senior Ricky Ramirez.

"We had eight kids injured, including four starters, but I can't take anything away from Gateway," Broncos coach Gabe Montoya said. "They've got all those state championships, and they've got good kids and they're well-coached."

Ramirez rushed for 36 yards and caught five passes for 72, scoring Floyd's only TD on a 16-yard pass from sophomore QB Daegan East early in the second stanza, capping a four-play, 65-yard drive which begin with a 37-yard East-to-Ramirez hookup.

On the final play of the half, Ramirez intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone and returned it about 80 yards to the Gateway 5. But while trying to stretch for the goalline, he fumbled the ball away and suffered a leg injury which ended his day a bit early.

"He played a heck of a game," Montoya said. "He's just a special kid.

"I think my boys played hard and never quit. Our goal this year was trying to change the culture of the program."