Serving the High Plains
Seth Martinez rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and added another TD on a 72-yard kickoff return Friday as Tucumcari fended off a fourth-quarter rally by Texico to win the Rattlers' Homecoming game 39-22.
Quarterback Alijah Jimenez went 3-for-7 passing for 75 yards and two touchdowns for the Rattlers (2-5). Robbie Hartmann also rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Tucumcari's defense allowed just 68 yards rushing by Texico (2-5) and made life miserable for starting quarterback Ben Loewen, who went 4-for-9 passing for 54 yards and was sacked six times. The Rattlers led 25-0 in the third quarter.
Texico coach Patrick Crowley switched quarterbacks at halftime, and the game went from being lopsided to suddenly competitive. Gabe Dickerson went 10-for-12 passing for 196 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns, rallying the Wolverines to 32-22 with five minutes left.
"We'd been looking at Gabe Dickerson as QB and thought now would be the time to see what he could do," Crowley said. "Up front, we made some adjustments. We also had a come-to-Jesus meeting at halftime with the whole bunch. I was pleased with the way we responded in the second half."
Tucumcari's offensive line and running backs came to the rescue after Texico's big rally. They embarked on a 52-yard scoring drive that chewed up 2 1/2 minutes of clock, punctuated by a 34-yard touchdown run by Martinez. Jesus Ramos' kick made the score 39-22. The Wolverines didn't threaten again.
Tucumcari coach Wayne Ferguson said his team became complacent when it forged a big lead.
"We relaxed a little bit and lost our containment," he said. "You can't relax when you build up a big lead like that against a team we were handling. It can come back and bite you. The other team also made some good plays. Sometimes you have to give credit to them."
The Rattlers began the game with an eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive. Stout running by Martinez and Hartmann set up a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jimenez to Gerardo Villa. Ramos' kick made it 7-0.
Tucumcari didn't score again until late in the second quarter. But it didn't matter, as the Ratters' defense bottled up Texico's running game and harassed Loewen when he went back to pass.
"We had a great defensive first half," Ferguson said.
The Rattlers embarked on a seven-play, 42-yard scoring drive late in the period. Martinez caught a 17-yard pass to keep the drive going, and he scored on an 8-yard run for put Tucumcari up 13-0 with 2:17 left in the half.
Two Tucumcari sacks kept the Wolverines from moving the ball, and the Rattlers used two timeouts to conserve the clock. Texico punted to its 42-yard line with 53 seconds left.
Martinez had a 15-yard run, setting up a Jimenez's 28-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Rod Dunlap with just three seconds left in the half. Tucumcari had a 19-0 lead.
Not much happened in the third quarter, except for an apparent 50-yard touchdown run by Texico nullified by a holding penalty.
In the fourth period, Hartmann bulled his way into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown run and a 25-0 lead with 10:16 left.
Everything suddenly came together for Dickerson. He completed a 43-yard pass, then a 14-yard touchdown reception to make it 25-6 with 9:25 left.
Martinez answered with a 72-yard kickoff return, plus Ramos' kick, to give Tucumcari a 32-6 lead with 9:12 remaining.
Dickerson then connected on passes of 23, 17 and 28 yards - the latter a touchdown - to make it a 32-14 game with 7:31 left.
A 39-yard connection by Dickerson set up his third touchdown pass - a 23-yarder - with five minutes left. He also converted on a two-point play to make it a 32-22 score. Tucumcari's lead suddenly looked as if it were in danger.
But hard running by Hartmann, punctuated by Martinez's 34-yard touchdown run with 2:34 left, chewed up valuable time for Texico.
The same essentially ended when the Wolverines fumbled Tucumcari's squib kickoff at Texico's 43-yard line. Jimenez scrambled for a valuable first down with a minute left, and all the Rattlers had to do was run out the clock.
Tucumcari has a bye this week before resuming play at home 7 p.m. Oct. 19 with a district matchup against Tularosa.