LAS CRUCES – The rivalry between Las Cruces and Mayfield High Schools may not be as powerful as it used to be, but the atmosphere on Friday night at the Field of Dreams was more electrifying than ever.
The queues for boarding were extended 30 minutes before kick-off through the entrance gates and into the parking lots. Student departments flirted with capacity. The schools’ brass bands were placed along the route to make room for additional fans. And Field of Dreams welcomed the season’s biggest crowd for one of the most famous high school soccer rivalries in the country.
The fans got far more than the entrance fee.
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How it happened
Mayfield opened the game like hungry to miss his five-game losing streak on his arch-rival. The Trojans didn’t hesitate to get aggressive early on, scoring their first possession of the evening in less than four minutes, led by senior running back Calvin Cox’s 41-yard run. Junior quarterback Anthony Carrillo found Cox in the next game for a 5-yard touchdown pass to give Mayfield an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulldawgs weren’t graduated.
Las Cruces first found the end zone two drives later – after a missed field goal and a defensive stop – to tie the game at 7 at the end of the first period. The Bulldawgs took the lead for the first time in their next offensive possession after another defensive stop and returned the ball to Mayfield just over seven minutes from time in the second quarter.
The Trojans didn’t want Las Cruces to have the ball again in the first half.
Mayfield put down a seven-minute touchdown drive to close the first half and tie the game 14 seconds before break. The Bulldawgs played two games before going into the locker room.
Las Cruces head coach Mark Lopez did not panic, however. He knew the Bulldawgs were inches away from closing the door on Mayfield’s stormy attack, and a communication or two away from bombarding his passing game.
Your adjustments quickly became apparent after half-time.
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Senior running back Elijah Ogas, who finished with 145 rushing yards and four touchdowns, hit his second score of the evening after the Bulldawgs first possession in the second half and took the lead 21:14. Mayfield fiddled with her subsequent possession, and Ogas scored his third touchdown two games later.
His fourth touchdown, at 8:15 in the fourth quarter, closed the door to Mayfield’s comeback hopes. The Trojans went goalless in the second half, penetrating the red zone only once.
The stars of Friday
Las Cruces’ roaring attack, led by a massive offensive aiming for breakout performance, propelled over 250 yards, most of it by Ogas and senior quarterback Dallas Boyd. Senior receiver Richard Madrid returned three kicks to at least the 40-yard line, and second linebacker Ricardo Andrade returned a fumble that put the Bulldawgs in the red zone.
For Mayfield, Cox finished with a touchdown reception and a 41-yard run, and senior receiver and punter Cameron Sowards had another 50-yard punt. Carrillo ended the defeat with two touchdown passes.
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What would be said
Lopez on how the team’s head-heavy schedule prepared her for tonight: “It helps you a lot when you get it right. I think that’s the key, it’s the right way and learning from the mistakes you make and fixing them. Not to be demoralized by them, not to take the children every week to where they feel they have been defeated, it is just (it) a learning process. We faced a variety of teams, attacks and defenses, and specialty teams, in the first four weeks. It really helps you get in at halftime in those moments, feel comfortable, make your adjustments and get the kids to understand what to commit to in the second half, so it’s great. “
Lopez on the offensive performance: “They played really, really well. I think the second half of Cleveland last week was great because we established ourselves in the second half against a team that are very, very good defensively. They won in the second half. We ran the ball very effectively, we threw the ball very effectively and our line kind of established itself in this game. I felt like we were taking that and bringing that into this week and rolling on can (that) we wanted to do good things and they did a great job. And Dallas (Boyd) and Eli (Ogas) did a great job playing the ball too. “
Lopez on Elijah Ogas’ breakout game: “It’s huge. It’s always huge. This child has a heart of gold. He’s a great leader for us. He was beaten up. He’s been beaten up another year round, but he’s been every game out there. He didn’t miss a snap, he didn’t complain, he goes for treatment and he gets his butt in and he fights his way through. Tonight was probably the healthiest night he’s been awhile and I think it showed up. I know he really wanted to and we gave him more options tonight too, which is great. He must have the opportunity to establish himself somehow, and so we could ride him a little more tonight. “
What’s next
Las Cruces will have a bye next week before the district game against Carlsbad opens on September 30th. Mayfield travels to Roswell next week and will resume the following week.
Stephen Wagner is a sports reporter for Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be found on Twitter at @ stephenwag22 and can be reached at [email protected].
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