Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari Rattlers took advantage of Don miscues throughout Friday night, including two defensive touchdowns in a 55-6 rout Friday night in Las Vegas.
Tucumcari (3-0) posted 288 yards of offense, 230 on the ground, in a contest that gave Tucumcari plenty to cheer about but a few things to learn from as well.
"We won the turnover battle tonight," Tucumcari coach Wayne Ferguson said, "though we'd prefer not to have any turnovers."
In addition to the defensive scores, the Rattlers also scored four other touchdowns indirectly off of turnovers, beginning with Zach Hurd's 9-yard run to cap of a 35-yard drive — set up by a Dillon Wood interception.
Mark Preciado scored twice on passes — an 18-yard pass from teammate Luke Smith, and a 6-yard return of an interception off Nathan Vigil.
Wood forced a fumble on a Rattler kickoff late in the third, just after Michael Olivas recovered a bad pitch in the end zone. The Rattlers recovered the fumble off the kickoff and Jeffrey Cordova scored on an 8-yard run in the ensuing drive.
Jordan Walker scored on a 19-yard run in the first quarter, set up by a bad snap on a Dons punt, and freshman Daniel Lopez ended the scoring in the fourth with a 24-yard run. That was set up by a Dimitri Chappell interception.
West Las Vegas (0-3) got its lone score late in the second uarter, on a pass from Vigil to junior Stephen Urioste.