The Raton Tigers will head out on the road to face off against the St. Michael's Horsemen at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Raton walked away with it. They claimed a resounding 35-8 victory over Thoreau on the road. The win was some much needed relief for Raton as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Raton can attribute much of their success to Joseph Saenz, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Cannon Walton, who rushed for 125 yards and four touchdowns on only 15 carries. Saenz was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 65 yards.
Meanwhile, St. Michael's entered their tilt with Santa Fe Indian with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. St. Michael's took their game on the road two weeks ago with ease, bagging a 54-0 victory over Santa Fe Indian. St. Michael's pushed the score to 48-0 by the end of the third, a deficit Santa Fe Indian had no chance of recovering from.
Soren Annon had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also caught a touchdown. Lucas Gurule was in the mix too, providing St. Michael's with two touchdowns.
Their wins bumped Raton to 5-6 and St. Michael's to 8-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's game: Raton has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 154.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Michael's struggles in that department as they've been even better at 167.3 per game. It's looking like Saturday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Raton couldn't quite finish off St. Michael's when the teams last played back in October and fell 27-24. Can Raton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
