Three outfielders converged on the incoming deep ball.
Seeing an accidental, yet potentially problematic convergence – in which all would collide and none would make the grab – materializing, Ignacio’s fans held their breath. To their relief, the speedster manning the middle made a fine running catch.
But this wasn’t Bobcat baseball; this was how IHS Football at last secured its first victory in the 2025 campaign. Three ’Cats, knowing visiting Trinidad junior quarterback Isaiah Moreno had no choice but throw long in the waning minute, dropped back into coverage and effectively surrounded Moreno’s intended receiver. The throw sailed long, and right to Ignacio senior Aven Bourriague as the Bobcats won 14-0 on Friday.
“Man, that was my last play on that field ever!” he said. “That moment …. I’m really, truly grateful and blessed to be able to play. Everybody knew this was really important to us to get a win on our field for the last time.”
Following Bourriague’s short return farther away from his own end zone, senior quarterback Zane Pontine was able to take a victory-formation knee from IHS’ 23-yard line, burn off the remaining 9.1 seconds, and lock up a win less than a week after beginning 1A South Central League play losing 48-13 to Centauri.
“We were kind of down,” Pontine said, recalling the prevailing vibe as preparations for THS began Monday. “But we came into homecoming (week) and knew we had to show out. I knew from practice that we had to throw the ball. That’s what we did in the second half and it worked out for us.”
Second half, but first the second quarter. After neither side managed to break through during a ball-control first quarter, which was preceded by IHS’ senior night player recognitions, the Bobcats (1-5 overall, 1-1 SCL) at last struck not long before intermission.
Pinned back at their own 19 with 7:26 left in the second quarter by Miner senior Dominic Edwards’ 40-yard punt, Ignacio covered the 81 yards in 13 plays, including two Pontine completions to Bourriague for 24 yards, one to senior Lincoln deKay for 21 and ultimately a 26-yarder up the near sideline hitting junior Shaun Sanderson in stride for the score.
“It was my first touchdown ever – I was pretty anxious,” said Sanderson. “I just tried to do my job and keep as active as possible … then I finally saw the ball coming to me. I opened my hands, and thanks to my QB it was in the right spot at the right time.”
Junior William Mendoza-Lechuga kicked the extra point, putting the ’Cats up 7-0 with 1:54 to go in the first half. Trinidad (1-5, 1-1 SCC) then dodged disaster when Edwards fumbled Mendoza-Lechuga’s kickoff, but recovered at THS’ 22 just before Bourriague could do so. The relieved Miners worked quickly, but not quickly enough as, on the sixth play of the drive, time expired following senior Xavier Garcia’s 17-yard dash around right end down to Ignacio’s 25.
Wary of any possible Trinidad trickery greeting them to start the third quarter, the ’Cats correctly anticipated an onside kick by Edwards and sophomore Jayden Scott smothered it at IHS’ 49 with 11:57 left in the third. Helped by an 8-yard Bourriague carry on a wide-receiver reverse handoff from Sanderson, Ignacio began another push to pay dirt and, aided by a pass-interference infraction preventing Pontine from hitting sophomore Max Mendoza, plus a roughing-the-passer call on a Pontine incompletion three snaps later, penetrated the ‘red zone’ at THS’ 15.
After two deKay carries, plus a six-yard pass to Bourriague, Pontine completed the drive with a 3-yard keeper and 7:20 left in the third. Mendoza-Lechuga’s PAT, lower than the first and luckily not blocked, was good and doubled IHS’ earlier advantage.
Two subsequent Trinidad drives, both during the fourth quarter, would also die on downs as the Miners became less reliant on Garcia’s and sophomore C.J. Sandoval’s backfield legs and more so on Moreno’s right arm.
Including a clutch 42-yard reception beginning Ignacio’s last third-quarter possession, Bourriague finished with five catches for 84 yards. Sanderson finished with two grabs for 38 yards and deKay two for 31 as Pontine totaled 153 yards on nine completions. deKay rushed for 87 yards on 17 carries.
Sandoval racked up 73 yards in defeat on 15 carries, and Garcia gained 77 on nine, but Moreno ended up with just 58 yards passing on 4-of-17 (he threw only twice before halftime, completing neither) accuracy.
“We knew that whenever they had two backs in the backfield they were 95% run. So we’d try to load up the box,” explained homecoming king deKay. “Our 4-front/linebackers (defensive scheme) wasn’t working too hot, so we had to move to a 5-front on the d-line.”
Looking ahead, the Bobcats will next begin a season-ending three-game away stretch on next Friday night at Center (0-6, 0-2 SCC). Shut out for a fifth consecutive game, the Vikings fell 56-0 on the Friday at Centauri (5-1, 2-0).
“Our team morale’s definitely high,” Sanderson said. “So coming off a win and a weekend with the (homecoming) dance and everything, we’re going to be pretty hyped.”
