Raton hasn't had much luck against Santa Rosa recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lions at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Raton had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 48-point drubbing they dealt Capitan on Friday. Raton breezed past Capitan to the tune of 54-6.
Cael Walton continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 206 yards and three TDs on only nine carries. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run. Another rusher making a difference was Harlem Coley, who rushed for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Raton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 389 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Raton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Cooper King and Cameron Mascarenas. King got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Santa Rosa strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They claimed a resounding 49-0 win over Tucumcari. Give the Lions' defense some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Raton better keep an eye on David Chavez. He was instrumental in Santa Rosa's win, rushing for 138 yards and three scores on only nine carries. Chavez's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 105 rushing yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Daryn Pacheco, who rushed for 42 yards and one TD.
Santa Rosa's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Raton, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Raton has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 158.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Santa Rosa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Raton couldn't quite finish off Santa Rosa when the teams last played back in November of 2024 and fell 14-12. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Lions' Josh Cordova, who rushed for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry. Now that the Tigers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
