Santa Rosa defeats Fort Sumner

Santa Rosa dashed Fort Sumner’s dreams for a second consecutive state title during a 24-13 loss Friday in the Class 2A semifinals at Santa Rosa.

The Lions (11-1) play at Eunice (11-0) for the Class 2A championship at 1 p.m. Saturday. Eunice, the No. 1 seed, crushed Estancia 56-14 on Saturday.

Fort Sumner, which had a cooperative agreement with House Municipal Schools and had three players from there on its roster, ended its season at 9-2 overall, with both losses against Santa Rosa.

The Lions again used another superb defensive effort to stymie the Foxes’ high-powered offense, allowing one touchdown through three quarters as Santa Rosa took control.

Running back Darren Chavez scored touchdowns on runs of 8 and 3 yards for the Lions. Quarterback Stephen Sanchez scored on a 69-yard TD early in the first quarter to get the Lions started. Naheim Chico also kicked a 20-yard field goal for the Lions.

Santa Rosa also defeated Fort Sumner/House 22-6 on Oct. 26, snapping the Foxes’ winning streak at 18 games. The Foxes had averaged more than 40 points a game before that regular-season finale.