The Goddard Rockets football team will face the Mayfield Trojans at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at the Wool Bowl.
Goddard (3-4, 2-2 District 2-5A) enters the matchup after a 54-0 shutout of the Deming Wildcats (1-6, 0-4) on Oct. 3 at Memorial Stadium. Mayfield (2-5, 2-2), meanwhile, is coming off a 24-19 loss to the Alamogordo (3-4, 2-2) on Oct. 2 at Tiger Stadium.
For the Rockets, establishing the run will be key to controlling the game and putting pressure on the Trojans.
“We always want to get the ball running,” Goddard head coach Bolaños said. “I feel like we got some playmakers that can do some things to help us in that regard.”
Running back Isaiah Montoya is a driving force behind Goddard’s ground attack. In the first seven games, he rushed for 527 yards and five touchdowns on 91 carries.
Goddard’s offense also features a dual-threat spark in quarterback Nate Vazquez. In the win over Deming, he completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored a rushing touchdown in each of the Rockets’ past two games.
“Nate’s always been a shifty kid,” Bolaños said. “I think he’s gotten comfortable in both passing and running the ball, which has been huge. He just keeps getting better every week.”
Mayfield, however, brings plenty of offensive power of its own. Wide receiver Israel Cabañas caught 37 passes for 518 yards and seven touchdowns through the first seven games. Nathaniel Gomez added 11 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
“Mayfield has some athletes,” Bolaños said. “They have some playmakers offensively and they are an aggressive football team.”
Both teams were off last week during the District 2-5A bye, giving them an opportunity to regroup and prepare for the final three games of the regular season.
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.
