If there was a Monte Vista player fully aware Friday night that the Pirates could ill-afford to regard underdog Ignacio lightly, one could have guessed senior running back Jacob Pacheco or senior quarterback Kaden Madrid.
But when the visitors – who arrived at IHS Field having not faced opposition since crushing Center 79-0 on Oct. 4 – needed a supreme lift in a key 1A Southern Peaks clash, they sought out Azariah Hurtado.
Directly responsible for 22 of MVHS’ 32 points, Hurtado hauled in touchdown receptions of 49 (with 7:47 left in the first quarter), 42 (7:32 left in the third) and 50 (2:19 left in the third) yards, caught a two-point conversion and carried in another, and also intercepted Bobcat junior QB Zane Pontine three times as Monte Vista won 32-8.
The last pick came with 0:02.7 remaining and for all practical purposes ended not only IHS’ 2024 season, but Alfonso ‘Ponch’ Garcia’s last game after being named head coach in 2015.
“I only even played football because he was the coach; that was the only reason I really started playing – I wanted to play for him,” said D.J. Hendren, who played much of the third quarter with an injured right forearm but who still wanted to fight to the finish (though insisting, he was denied). “So him leaving … it’s kind of sad.”
Senior Kendrick Nossaman credited Garcia with nurturing him and helping him grow.
Good on-field running ultimately produced IHS’ shutout-snapping score early in the fourth quarter. Beginning the drive – which followed Hurtado’s longest TD catch and subsequent two-point tote, increasing Monte Vista’s lead to 32-0 – at their own 41-yard line after junior Gabe Archuleta returned Madrid’s kickoff 23 yards, Garcia and the Bobcat staff called Lincoln deKay’s number five times (four runs, one reception) in six plays, and the junior fullback followed sophomore lineman Tyce Nossaman’s blocking for a 7-yard score.
Pontine – whose 19-yard scamper and rhino-like placement of his helmet into his trampled tackler’s midsection highlighted the possession, which consumed just 2:34 worth of clock – then threw to Archuleta for the two-point bonus, cutting the Pirates’ lead down to 24 points with 11:45 left in regulation.
“I thought we probably could have executed a lot better; some things weren’t really clicking. I mean, Monte Vista was a tough team but we were up for the challenge,” Archuleta said. “It’s Ponch’s last season at the high school and all of us are pretty sad about it, but we still tried to … ball out for the seniors’ last game.”
All four saluted seniors – Charley Pargin, Kendrick Nossaman, Marquis Cibrian and ’24 addition Cole Wagner – anchored Ignacio’s offensive line and helped deKay rush for 103 yards on 18 no-frills carries.
Aerially, sophomore Cayson Burcham caught four passes for 75 yards. Intercepted by Hurtado on his very first throw, Pontine finished – unofficially – with six completions in 25 attempts. He also intercepted Madrid once, with 3:46 left in the first quarter and the ’Cats trailing by an 8-0 margin.
Pacheco, who rumbled for a 17-yard touchdown with 9:50 left in the second, had already exceeded 100 yards rushing by halftime and ended up with game-highs of 19 carries and 148 yards for MVHS (6-2 overall, 4-0 conference). Madrid completed nine passes for a devastating 259 yards.
Ignacio dipped to 3-5 overall, 2-2 SPC, but those figures will improve to and be finalized at 4-5 and 3-2, respectively, when next weekend’s forfeit win over Del Norte becomes official.
“Could have done a little better but we all tried the hardest we could. It didn’t end in our favor but we’re going to keep our heads up,” said Pargin. “The boys will do good next year; I’ve got faith in them.”