The Goddard Rockets football team have an opportunity to capture their first victory of the season against the Los Lunas Tigers at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Willie Chavez Athletic Field.
Goddard (0-2) is coming off a 35-19 loss to the Carlsbad Cavemen in its home opener on Aug. 28. Los Lunas (1-1) dropped its last game to the Rio Rancho Rams 48-20 on the road. This matchup will mark the Tigers’ home opener.
Rockets head coach Art Bolaños said Jose Porras, Noah Lujan, Bryant O’Mera and Isaiah Montoya performed well against Carlsbad and expects them to play vital roles Friday night.
“There’s a lot of confidence in those guys to use them and help the team out,” Bolaños said.
Porras hauled in several passes from quarterback Nate Vazquez in the loss to the Cavemen, including a touchdown reception early in the second quarter. Lujan added a 12-yard catch for Goddard’s final score, while O’Mera also came up with multiple receptions. Montoya provided the Rockets’ another touchdown, powering his way into the end zone from 1 yard out to close the first half.
The Rockets will have their hands full with a Los Lunas pass attack led by quarterback Luke Cieremans and wide receiver Tayson Gaxiola. Cieremans has thrown for 364 yards and two touchdowns through the Tigers’ first two games. Gaxiola has been productive as well, catching 13 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
For both teams, Friday represents a chance to reset. Goddard can secure a road win before two consecutive home games. Los Lunas, meanwhile, has an opportunity to bounce back from its 28-point loss to Rio Rancho.
Through two games, neither team has produced a dominant offensive performance. For Goddard, finishing drives could be the difference between another loss and the breakthrough win it has been chasing.
“We got to be consistent and we got to be able to finish drives on offense,” Bolaños said. “We have definitely improved significantly defensively, but we have to be able to not give up explosive plays.”
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
