When Ignacio’s regular-season finale kicked off at 7 p.m. Friday, the Bobcats stood 17th in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index – knowing two things: One, only 16 teams make it into the Class 1A state playoffs. Two, they’d have to defeat Del Norte to even have an outside shot at getting the lowest possible seed.
Giving way to freshman Zane Pontine under center, senior John Riepel operated out of the backfield and racked up 146 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Junior Devante Montoya grabbed 10 receptions for 150 yards, and the ’Cats allowed no points until the game was all but over in prevailing 26-6.
Despite improving to a third-place 3-2 in 1A Southern Peaks Conference play and 5-3 overall, it wasn’t enough.
Ignacio actually slipped one notch in the seeding index, and when the state bracket was seeded the following day, Ignacio was excluded.
“I’m just so proud of our kids for what they have accomplished. They’ve worked so hard,” IHS head coach Alfonso ‘Ponch’ Garcia said. “We started with 20, and we finished … well, almost with 20 – ended up with 14. But they all worked hard. Hopefully our junior class – nine of them – can pick up the pace and become leaders next year as we start looking to the future.”
Set up at their own 7 after a penalty, following D.J. Hendren’s incredible goal-line strip and recovery of DNHS quarterback Jace Pacheco, the Bobcats all but put the game – the last for active-roster seniors Riepel, Zane Ross and Lane Johnson – away with an 11-play, 93-yard drive that used the third quarter’s last 5:01 and ended with a 17-yard Riepel run.
Freshman Lincoln deKay was stopped on the two-point conversion carry, but Ignacio still led by four scores entering the final frame.
IHS’ Rylan Maez would intercept Pacheco, but Del Norte (3-6, 1-4 SPC), recovered a fumble two plays later and avoided being blanked when Cody Worz hauled in a 50-yard TD from Pacheco with 3:07 remaining.
Maez, however, deflected away Pacheco’s attempted conversion pass. After setting up shop at their own 44 following DNHS’ failed onside-kick, the ’Cats ran out the last 3:05 – gaining a needed first down via a 4-yard Nate Hendren carry, and then following it up with two Pontine knees.
“We were all straight-up animals out there; we were all locked in,” said Riepel. “We were telling ourselves to hit them every single play and give them all we’ve got on defense.”
Pontine ended up throwing for 139 yards on 9-of-14 accuracy and was intercepted twice. Pacheco went 12-of-21 for 146.
Slowed by a third-quarter hip injury, Hendren netted 38 yards on six carries, deKay 11 on two, and Pontine zero on five. Pontine, however, capped a momentum-stealing 14-play, 87-yard drive that devoured 7:04 worth of clock with a 2-yard TD plunge. The score increased IHS’ lead to 14-0 (after Riepel’s conversion carry) with 1:08 left in the second quarter.
