With the playoffs approaching and a tough three-game stretch ahead, Goddard isn’t backing down.
Coming off a win over Deming (1-6, 0-4) last Saturday, the Rockets (4-3, 2-2) now face Mayfield (2-5, 2-2) with a chance to strengthen their playoff position. Head coach Art Bolaños believes his team’s persistence will serve it well down the stretch.
“We’re still pretty competitive, and I feel really good about where we are,” Bolaños said. “We’re gonna be hard to freaking kill.”
Bolaños sees an evenly matched contest against the Trojans and an opportunity to improve Goddard’s postseason standing.
“Another win definitely puts us up there,” he said.
Bolaños pointed to Los Lunas (4-2, 3-0), which Goddard beat earlier this season but which he said has moved ahead of the Rockets in the 5A state rankings. A win over Mayfield could put Goddard in a better position to overtake the Tigers in playoff seeding when its all said and done.
“Because of their record, they’re probably going to get a higher seeding than us,” Bolaños said. “So it’s important that we try to get a win here.”
For Bolaños, a former Rocket himself, the team’s mentality is rooted in his own playing days.
“I played here at Goddard a long time ago under a guy named Coach Jernigan, and from the time I walked into these doors as a freshman I understood what ‘never give up’ means,” head coach Art Bolaños said.
The Rockets and Trojans kick off October 16 at 7 p.m. at the Wool Bowl.
