The No. 7-seeded Goddard Rockets football team defeated the No. 10-seeded Highland Hornets 35-22 in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs on Saturday at the Wool Bowl.
With running back Isaiah Montoya sidelined by an ankle injury, other Rockets stepped into larger roles. Quarterback Nate Vazquez threw two touchdown passes to lead the Rockets. Wide receiver Noah Lujan found the end zone twice, once on the ground and once through the air. Safety Romeo Paiz scored two rushing touchdowns and receiver Bryant O’Mera added a receiving touchdown.
“Nate always does a pretty good job for us at quarterback,” Goddard head coach Art Bolaños said. “Noah, Romeo and Bryant have done a great job for us as well.”
Paiz set the tone early, scoring on a 7-yard run with 9:42 remaining in the first quarter to give Goddard a 7-0 lead.
Highland answered at the beginning of the second quarter when middle linebacker Andres Acosta broke free for a 43-yard rushing touchdown. Acosta followed with a successful two-point run to put the Hornets ahead 8-7.
It did not take long for the Rockets to respond. Lujan powered across the goal line from 3 yards out with 6:41 remaining in the first half, putting Goddard back in front 14-8.
After the defense forced a Highland stop, Goddard had one more opportunity to score before halftime. Vazquez led the Rockets downfield, setting them up at the Highland 20-yard line. With 0.7 seconds remaining, he connected with Lujan for a touchdown to give Goddard a 21-8 halftime lead.
The Rockets continued their momentum after the break. Midway through the third quarter, Vazquez found O’Mera for a 7-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 28-8.
But the Hornets were not ready to fold. Quarterback Jorge Salzano helped spark Highland’s offense to open the fourth quarter, orchestrating a scoring drive that ended with running back William Anchondo powering in from 16 yards out. Anchondo added a two-point conversion run, trimming Goddard’s lead to 28-16.
The Rockets fought back. Vazquez directed Goddard downfield before turning to Paiz, who finished the possession with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to restore the Rockets’ 19-point advantage.
Highland delivered one last highlight with 2:19 remaining. The Hornets pulled out a trick play that produced a 91-yard touchdown pass from Anchondo to receiver Curtis Ryan. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Goddard with a 35-22 lead that ended up being the final score.
Despite the win, Bolaños said his team must improve on defense going forward.
“Defensively, we struggled a lot,” Bolaños said. “It was tough to prepare for Highland because it’s not a traditional offense, but we still have to tackle and do certain things right.”
Goddard will travel to face the No. 2-seeded Piedra Vista Panthers (9-1, 7-0 District 1-5A) in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
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.
