Trailing 40-20, the Tucumcari Rattlers called the game early in the fourth quarter after a Rattler went down with an injury.

"I spoke with the coaching staff and we felt that it was the right call," Tucumcari coach Daniel Hutchins said after the game against the Capitan Tigers.

Hutchins would not release the name of the player, injured with 9:27 remaining, because of privacy issues.

"He is a minor and I feel that I need the parents’ permission to give out that information," Hutchins said.

Hutchins said the player had been transported to a hospital in Ruidoso and he was responsive and had movement in his extremities.
The injury occurred on a Tigers' pass play on second and 15.

The game was decided in the second quarter, a 26-6 advantage thanks to the rushing of Christian Quiroz and the arm of Caleb Wilcox.

Wilcox found Jackie Eldridge for a 23-yard score to snap a 14-14 tie, then Quiroz scored on runs of 24 and 17 yards — the second set up by a fumbled punt return.

Lucas Benavidez answered Quiroz’ second score with a 95-yard kickoff return, but the Tigers answerd as Wilcox hit Tyler Neill for a 40-yard score.

In a physical third quarter, Rattler offensive drives ended in two punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble, while the Tigers’ offense ended with one punt, two turnovers on down and a lost fumble.

"We are a young team, and we will make errors," Coach Hutchins said. "There will be less mistakes as  the team matures, it is just a matter of time.

The Rattler defense, led by Benavidez and senior Adrian Prieto, kept the Tigers at bay.

Tucumcari’s next game will be homecoming, 7 p.m. Friday against the Loving Falcons.