The Goddard Rockets football team dominated the Chaparral Lobos 47-0 in their district opener Friday, Sept. 11, at the Wool Bowl.
Quarterback Nate Vazquez orchestrated the Rockets’ attack, setting up Jose Porras, Kenyon Reese and Isaiah Montoya for a series of big plays and touchdowns.
“Vazquez does a pretty good job in directing our offense,” Goddard head coach Art Bolaños said. “Porras, Reese and Montoya all had big games for us as well.”
The Rockets (2-2, 1-0) opened the game with a three-and-out, but their defense immediately handed the offense another opportunity. Linebacker Alijah Sanchez intercepted a pass thrown by Chaparral quarterback Saul Contreras, giving Goddard the ball back in a favorable position.
The Rockets capitalized, as Porras broke through for a 15-yard rushing touchdown with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter, putting Goddard ahead 7-0.
Chaparral’s (3-1, 0-1) defense kept the Rockets off the scoreboard for the remainder of the period while forcing Vazquez to throw an interception late in the first quarter.
But the Rockets found another gear in the second quarter. Vazquez responded by striking Reese for a 50-yard touchdown with 9:07 left in the half. Braden McDaniel’s extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, leaving Goddard with a 13-0 advantage.
Later in the quarter, Vazquez went deep again, connecting with Bryant O’Mera for a 44-yard touchdown with 3:29 remaining to give the Rockets a 20-point cushion.
Goddard wasn’t finished, as McDaniel recovered his own onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, giving the Rockets another possession. Montoya finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:05 left before halftime.
Goddard went for two but failed to convert, heading into the locker room with a 26-0 lead.
Chaparral turned to backup quarterback Adam Ibarra to open the second half, but his night ended early because of an injury. Running back Raul Lopez took over at quarterback, and the Lobos put together a nearly eight-minute drive. The drive ended with Goddard defensive lineman Alex Benavidez intercepting Lopez’s pass in the end zone.
Defensive back Aziah Hunter then ripped off a 93-yard rushing touchdown, stretching Goddard’s lead to 33-0. Porras added another long run later in the quarter, racing 55 yards to the end zone with a minute remaining and pushing the margin to 40-0.
Goddard saved one more punch for the fourth quarter, as backup quarterback Nathaniel Tubbs capped the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:46 remaining, putting the Rockets ahead 47-0 and sealing the shutout.
For Bolaños, the most encouraging part of the night was the way his team continues to improve.
“I was super excited for the boys,” Bolaños said. “Anytime you can hold a team to zero points means that the defense is playing pretty good. Every week, I feel like our boys are just getting better.”
The Rockets return to action against the Alamogordo Tigers (1-3, 0-1) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at the Wool Bowl.
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.
