Demons down banged-up Rattlers

Both Tucumcari and Dexter were walking wounded during their district game at Rattler Stadium on Friday, but the Demons showed how strong their depth was during a 62-7 victory.

Tucumcari (3-5, 1-2) lost starting safety and slotback Kamren Apodaca due to a concussion during the previous week's Hope Christian game.

That forced coach Tarik Embrack to start a freshman or eighth-grader in the secondary. Dexter exploited that repeatedly during the game.

"I wasn't surprised" by the outcome, Embrack said. "They're a great team. There's a reason they're ranked in the top four."

Tucumcari lost quarterback Nick Romero to an injury in the second half, forcing receiver and slotback Daymion Urioste to take on the role for the first time since middle school.

The Rattlers lost lineman Omar Gardea in the second quarter after he was hit in the chest on a blind-side hit that drew a penalty. He was taken away in a stretcher but returned to the sidelines in the third quarter.

Other THS players also were banged up during the game.

Meanwhile, Dexter (7-2) had five starters sidelined due to injuries but still racked up 502 yards of offense, thanks to the superb play of its skill players.

Kaesen George totaled 147 yards rushing - including a 97-yarder - and two touchdowns on eight carries. Freshman quarterback C.J. Granados went 7-for-16 passing for 213 yards and three TDs. Kevin Villalobos amassed 111 yards receiving.

"One thing we do pride ourselves upon is our skill guys are getting there, and they are the backbone of our team right now," Dexter coach Sonny Duran said.

Duran admitted his team needed a lift after a 22-8 loss to New Mexico Military Institute the previous week.

"Hat's off to NMMI," he said. "They came to our place and punched us in the mouth. No excuses there.

"I'm not going to lie to you; we are banged up," Duran added. "But a win like this always helps our morale and to get our confidence back after a loss."

It seemed it would be a more competitive game early.

After Dexter scored in its first possession on George's 97-yard touchdown run, Tucumcari running back Antonio Gonzales burst through the middle and ran 54 yards until he was tackled at the 4-yard line.

That set up a 7-yard TD pass from Romero to Jordan Rincones. Romero's point-after kick was partially blocked, but it barely cleared the crossbar. Tucumcari trailed just 8-7.

"We started to see that we had the ability to play with them," Embrack said. "Then people started dropping like flies."

That drive was one of the few bright spots for the Rattlers. They totaled just 35 yards of offense and were tackled for a loss 10 times.

The Demons led 36-7 at halftime. It might have been worse for the Rattlers except Julian Griego made a interception near the end zone and returned it to Tucumcari's 43 late in the second quarter.

With Romero out in the third quarter and Urioste at quarterback, he was forced to throw the ball on third-and-19 from his end zone. Dexter's Alexis Castro intercepted the throw and returned it 5 yards for a pick-six and a 56-7 lead.

Dexter's Jason Richards scored the final touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to surpass a 50-point margin and end the game by the mercy rule.

Tucumcari next travels to Roswell for a 7 p.m. Friday district game against NMMI (7-2). The Colts, which are undefeated in district play, had a bye week Friday.

Embrack said his team still can qualify for the Class 3A playoffs if it notches another district win. But those chances will be slimmer if his team's injuries persist.

"I'm hoping we can get these kids healthy," he said.

Before the game, the school honored senior athletes for the fall season and their parents. The football team has only two seniors - Gonzales and lineman Erick Perez.

The other seniors honored were Haisley Huffman, Alexis Ramirez, Harley McKinney, Kylie'Ann Rincones, Kirksey Smith, Aleejah Salvador, Amaya Roybal-Infante, Sariah Mardo and Alayna Sena.