Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Trailing 36-28 with about five minutes left, Logan had a chance for a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion if it made a defensive stop on Mesilla Valley Christian and got the ball back.
That stop never came.
Instead, the SonBlazers marched down the field, milked the clock and completed a touchdown pass with less than a minute left to ice a 44-28 non-district win at Las Cruces on Saturday in eight-man football action.
Stratton Schoonover scored two touchdowns for the Longhorns, and Payson Nials and Devin Kotara each scored a TD.
“The difference was we had way too many missed tackles and turnovers at really bad times in the game,” Logan coach Dwayne Roberts said.
Logan, ranked fifth in the state by MaxPreps.com, fell to 3-2 overall.
Mesilla Valley, ranked third, improved to 3-1, with its only loss a 66-12 drubbing by defending state champion Fort Sumner on Sept. 1.
The turning point in the game probably happened late in the second quarter.
With the Longhorns trailing 22-6, they advanced the ball to the SonBlazers’ red zone with about 1:30 left but threw an interception near the goal line to end the threat.
On Mesilla Valley’s first possession after halftime, it cranked off an 80-yard touchdown run to make it 28-6.
The SonBlazers maintained at least a two-touchdown lead until late in the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns also lost a fumble and saw a touchdown called back due to a penalty. Mesilla Valley scored a safety in the second half when a Logan center's snap sailed over the quarterback’s head and through the end zone.
The Longhorns next host Dulce at 7 p.m. Friday. The Hawks (3-1) blasted Pine Hill 60-14 on Saturday.