Josh Franklin, The Roswell Daily Record — New Mexico playoff football is here for the Goddard Rockets. Saturday brings the Highland Hornets to the Wool Bowl for a 2 p.m. first-round showdown in the 5A state tournament.
The playoff will be the first time No. 10 seed Highland and No. 7 seed Goddard have met since 2001, according to Highland coach Philip Lovato Jr., with the Rockets’ balanced offense set to face a Highland team that can cause problems on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Here’s what to watch:
Highland’s wrecking crew
Highland (5-5, 3-4 District 1-5A) brings a physical brand of football, with a running game that does much of the heavy lifting.
In nine games with reported offensive statistics, the Hornets tallied 2,473 rushing yards. Running backs William Anchondo, Jasper Groves and Andres Acosta accounted for 2,031 of those yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. Lose track of that trio, and you might find one of them in the end zone.
Defensively, the Hornets have made themselves comfortable in opposing backfields. Defensive end Malachi Bouvia and guard/defensive lineman Tony Fisher combined for 18 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss across all 10 regular-season games. Simply put, Goddard will have plenty to contend with on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Goddard’s catalysts
Goddard (4-6, 3-4 District 2-5A) counters with an offense that has kept things nearly even between the ground and the air. The Rockets finished the regular season with 1,951 rushing yards and 2,033 passing yards.
Quarterback Nate Vazquez, running back Isaiah Montoya and wideout Bryant O’Mera give the Hornets plenty to account for.
Vazquez did most of his damage through the air during the regular season, throwing for 1,944 yards, but his 324 rushing yards show he can make opponents pay with his legs, too. Roswell corralled him last week for a modest 26 rushing yards, the only time in his last five games he didn’t run for a touchdown.
Against a Highland front that knows how to break into the backfield, Vazquez’s ability to escape pressure and extend plays could be especially important.
Montoya nearly broke the century mark for a fourth straight week against the Coyotes, finishing with 97 rushing yards and finding the end zone twice in short-yardage situations. Highland allowed Los Lunas to rush for 209 yards last week. If Goddard can find similar room on the ground, Montoya could have a busy afternoon.
Then there’s O’Mera.
If you think his signature highlighter-green accessories give away his position to opposing defenses, think again. The sophomore put up video game numbers during a career night against the Coyotes, finishing with 167 receiving yards and three touchdowns while averaging nearly 21 yards per catch.
O’Mera has been Vazquez’s go-to target, giving Goddard an aerial threat to complement Montoya’s work on the ground. And if the Hornets don’t see neon green in front of them, they’d better locate it.
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