Slowing down a Miyamura offense which produced 82 points in its first two outings, Bayfield may have made quite a statement in last Friday night's 34-20 win inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Matt Chavez was held to just 9-of-19 accuracy for a program with a propensity to pass, though he managed to gain the Gallup team 134 yards and two touchdowns aerially.
Senior Alias Starkovich-a 1,600-yard rusher last season-chewed up 99 yards on 16 carries, and had help imitating BHS senior Zane Phelps from Chavez's 89 on 17. But Phelps' 153 on 23 was most crippling to the 5A Patriots. His two touchdown runs spanned 57 and 15 yards, with the former getting the scoring underway less than a minute into the first quarter.
The latter six-pointer gave the Wolverines a three-score advantage, 34-13, with 8:35 remaining in the fourth, and MHS was unable to creep closer than what would be the final margin after Chavez connected with senior Alex Arreguin 44 seconds later and senior Kiona Lucio (2 FG) booted his second PAT kick.
For the victors, senior Brody McGhehey carried nine times for an impressive 125 yards, including a 75-yard TD late in the third. Earlier, classmate Wyatt Freier had added a five-yard TD on a clever end-around and David Hawkins - already quite a load as a freshman, listed at 6'1", 205 - bulled in for a three-yard score as Bayfield assertively controlled the trenches.
Both touchdowns came before and after some well-timed trickery, as Phelps successfully knocked an onside kick recovered by junior Brian Mashak in Miyamura territory.
Senior interior lineman Clyde Leonard and senior defensive back Cash Snooks also came up big defensively, with Leonard smothering a MHS fumble as the Pats threatened and Snooks picking off Chavez once. Kyle Killough and Sam Westbrook also played tough on defense.
The loss dropped Miyamura to 2-1 overall heading into tonight's home test versus non-district 5A Grants, N.M., with the Pirates coming in 3-0 and averaging over 37 points per game.
Set to host powerhouse Paonia next Friday, Sept. 25, for Homecoming, the fourth-ranked Wolverines (2-0) are idle tonight.
