The best sight a running back can see on a soccer field is the wide open spaces and grass in front of it.
On Saturday, St. Michael’s Horsemen’s running backs drowned in a sea of open running lanes and chewed up a lot of weed before a Capital defender could touch them. The normally passable Horsemen offensive turned into a lawnmower against the Jaguars, devouring 400 yards on the ground in an impressive feat that resulted in a 60-8 win at the Christian Brothers Athletic Complex.
It was St. Michael’s 22nd straight win (2-0) against city rivals Capital and Santa Fe High, a streak that began in 2009.
As impressive as the rushing total was, it was underscored by the means by which St. Michael got 400. Horsemen ball carriers made 23 carries averaging 17.4 yards per rush. Thirteen of those totes resulted in double-digit wins and 10 gained at least 20 yards.
St. Michael’s head coach Joey Fernandez said much of the credit went to the offensive, but he also nodded to his receivers, who did their part in extending the games down with their blocking. This could have been more important because the riders often ran towards the defenses of the capital rather than between duels.
“Our receivers and backs who were outside kept their blocks upright and just opened the holes so we had some room to run,” said Fernandez. “It’s a team effort, but it all started with the line and they came out to play.”
The first time the Horsemen ran the ball, Senior Daymon Lujan shot left with a swing, cut right back, breached an arm tackle, and raced off the Capital defense for an 85-yard touchdown run and a 14- 0 tour at 8:13 a.m. in the first quarter.
“The hole opened and in the open field you miss a man and you are gone,” said Lujan.
Lujan led the horsemen with 140 rushing yards for only four carries and two went for touchdowns. He was joined by Junior Marcus Leyba, who had 109 yards and a touchdown on six carries. Overall, St. Michael ran for five touchdowns and was complemented by Lucas Coriz’s 7-for-11 passing performance that scored 176 yards and two touchdowns. Coriz also had his hand in the game, racking up six carries for 53 yards.
Coriz almost had a touchdown in the second quarter but lost the ball amid a pack of Jaguars defenders on a 25-yard run to the Capital 2-yard line. Receiver Devin Flores fell on the loose pigskin in the end zone and gave him a 34-8 lead with 7:11 in the first half.
The final touchdown didn’t come from a back, but from a lineman – Jordan Bernal. The senior posed as the full-back and took three tries before scoring the final touchdown on a 1-yard jump to enforce the 50-point grace rule.
As much as the St. Michael blocking was on point, Capital withered in the midday sun as the defenders struggled to get out of the blocks and clog the running tracks. Jaguars head coach Joaquin Garcia said a young, inexperienced team tried to stay calm, but technical glitches aggravated their efforts to halt the run.
“It was one of those things where experience always wins,” said Garcia. “I am proud of our children. They didn’t give up, but at the same time we got better every week. It’s just one of those things. “
Even a ponderous offense did not help Capital’s plight. Last week, the Jaguars ran for more than 300 yards while quarterback Julian Muñoz passed for 224 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-20 win over Grants.
Against St. Michael’s the yields were much lower. Capital (1-1) only managed 81 rushing yards for 29 carries, while Muñoz only made four of 16 passes for 25 yards and two interceptions. The first came after Muñoz’s first throw, and Creed Chavez returned 26 yards to allow the Horsemen a touchdown to open the 61 seconds of play.
Garcia said it’s the process that young teams sometimes have to go through to get better, especially a team that only has two seniors on its list.
“You’re going to have to learn that we do different things for a reason,” said Garcia. “But it’s up to me. I’m not going to do it to the kids because we’re installing a new offensive and a new defensive. At the end of the day as head coach, I have to do it better. And we will.”
Fernandez and the riders want to do the same. The fact that they ran into so much natural light conveyed by their blockers could mean the path to a Class 3A title could be a lot brighter.
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