St. Michael's season ends with shutout in 3A state championship game

Nov. 27—Timothy Sanchez and the Ruidoso Warriors saw it before it happened.

The rest was academic.

The key to Ruidoso's stifling defense, which fueled the Warriors' 12-0 win over St. Michael's in the Class 3A championship game, wasn't just an almost impenetrable defensive front that created havoc for 48 minutes. That performance was married to preparation and practice in the days preceding one of the most dominant defensive performances in 3A championship history.

The title was the second for the Warriors (12-1) in the past six seasons and their first in their return to the 3A ranks after two seasons in 4A.

The Warriors made two big first-quarter plays — touchdown catches of 56 and 49 yards by junior wideout Logan Sandoval — stand up over the last three quarters, but it was the defense that truly shined.

St. Michael's (11-2) managed just 65 yards of offense, and quarterback Zach Martinez struggled against a relentless pass rush that came from just three Warriors linemen for most of the day. He connected on nine of 28 passes for a paltry 65 yards and two interceptions.

Sanchez, a junior lineman, said the team pored over game film of the Horsemen and found important tells that helped them when they went face-to-face at Santa Fe High's Ivan Head Stadium.

"We were digging on cues," Sanchez said. "Looking where their running backs lined up and seeing where they stand. And looking at the fronts, a lot of their line liked to give away where they were going.

"Say one guy was a step off [at the line of scrimmage], we knew their play was going to be a pull. We had to key in on those little things that can stop an offense."

Stop was putting it kindly. The Horsemen engine that came in averaging 47.8 points per game was stripped completely by the end of the day.

A rushing attack that averaged 161 yards per game managed just eight on 19 attempts. That left Martinez to shoulder the burden, and he struggled to find holes in Ruidoso's zone defense.

The Warriors relied primarily on their three-man front to apply pressure on Martinez, as he was often hit just after releasing a pass. What's more, he managed just minus-3 yards rushing as he was sacked five times.

The St. Michael's offense was so stymied that its first play from scrimmage that gained more than six yards came with less than

2 minutes left in the third quarter — a 14-yard Martinez completion to Reyes Baros for 14 yards.

Horsemen head coach Joey Fernandez said Ruidoso left his team with few options.

"We just couldn't get anything going offensively," Fernandez said. "They came in with a great gameplan and took away everything we're good at. We just couldn't find a hole, and when we did, we just couldn't get it done."

That was never more evident than in the second quarter. St. Michael's was down 12-0 by that point, thanks to the quick-strike Ruidoso attack.

The Warriors needed just one play to break the scoreless tie when quarterback Cooper Pritchett hit Sandoval for a 56-yard touchdown pass at 4:32 of the first quarter as Sandoval streaked past Baros, who was defending him.

Sandoval and Pritchett hooked up again on Ruidoso's next possession, as Baros fell down on the play to leave Sandoval unmolested for a 49-yard touchdown and a 12-point lead with 3:08 left in the quarter.

The Horsemen had consecutive possessions in which they inched into Ruidoso's side of the field, but the offense short-circuited.

Martinez tried to connect with his favorite target, Creed Chavez, on a deep pass on third-and-12 play, but Chavez dropped the wobbly ball.

On the next possession, St. Michael's reached the Ruidoso 33, but running back Marcus Leyba lost three yards on a run up the middle. Then, Sanchez sacked Martinez for a 4-yard loss to force a punt with 3:15 left in the first half.

Because the Warriors got a consistent pass rush with as few as three linemen, they could flood the field with linebackers and defensive backs to make openings for Martinez had to find.

At the half, Martinez completed just four of 11 passes for 13 yards and the St. Michael's offense had 18 yards of total offense by that point.

"That's what we had to work with," Chavez said. Whether they're flooding the field with DBs, and getting pressure on the quarterback. We got to learn to adapt so that we get the better of the situation they have given us."

St. Michael's had one last chance to make the Ruidoso faithful nervous late in the third quarter. After the Horsemen defense stopped the Warriors at the St. Michael's 12-yard line, Martinez found his rhythm — for a minute.

He hit Baros for 14 yards and tight end Taven Lozada for 17 to reach the Horsemen 43, then Martinez was hit by a Warriors defender after he stepped out of bounds on a six-yard scramble, drawing a 15-yard penalty. That set St. Michael's up at the Ruidoso 34, but it was as close as it came to a score.

A penalty and three incomplete passes ensued to give the Warriors the ball back with :07 left in the quarter.

When the game ended and the championship ceremony broke up, Martinez stood walked around the field dejected after losing in the state title game for the second straight year.

Fernandez said Martinez's performance during the season was remarkable, passing for 2024 yards with 22 touchdowns and the team couldn't have reached the 3A championship two years in a row without him.

"Zach has had a great season," Fernandez said. "What he had to go through this season, was always tough. But he always stepped up to the plate. He competed today. They just didn't give him the seams he was looking for.

"I'm just proud of him. He gave everything he could today."

But the Ruidoso defense always seemed a step ahead of Martinez and the Horsemen.

It was as if they saw what was coming.