Armijo proves a tough opponent

JV score: Armijo 7, Dixon 0

In a defensive battle, Armijo scored on a 4-yard, 2nd quarter touchdown by Camarri Hayes. Neither team completed a pass, but Armijo mustered up 37 yards on the ground, highlighted by 52 yards on seven carries by Kimani Dokes. Dixon gained 93 yards on the ground, but stalled inside the red zone on three separate drives. Armijo’s defense had 12 different players register tackles. Lineman Gabe Burciaga and linebacker Hayes tallied identical stat lines of five tackles, including two for loss. Dokes tackled four Rams; linebacker Malakai Lee four tackles, including one sack and three tackles for a loss. Toa Atuatasi was a standout performer on the line, getting three tackles, all for loss, and recovering a fumble.

Varsity score: Dixon: 28, Armijo 26

In a hard fought battle that featured four touchdowns in the 4th quarter and two lead changes in the last two minutes, Dixon ended up on top, 28-26.

On Armijo’s first drive of the game, the Royals stormed 75 yards and capped it off with a 1-yard score by running back Ryan Lee. Following the successful 2-point conversion, their only of the game, Armijo went up 8-0.

Following a few drives exchanging field position, Dixon capitalized on a poor Royal punt by punching in a 1-yard score on a short, 36 yard drive, leaving the score at 8-6. The Royals bounced back by immediately returning the favor and extending their lead. A quick, 3-play 43-yard drive ended in a 25-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Willie Nickson to Michael Ferro.

A turning point in the game came on Dixon’s next drive, which featured their only punt. A combination of poor fielding of the punt and an effective bounce pinned the Royals back on their own 1 yard line. A safety followed, bringing the score to Dixon 8, Armijo 14. Following a safety punt and favorable field position, Dixon scored again, this time on a 19-yard TD pass, taking the lead 15 to 14. This is a lead they would hold from the middle of the 2nd quarter until late into the 4th quarter.

The first play of the 4th quarter was a 2-yard Dixon TD run that pushed their lead to 22 to 14, seemingly putting the game out of reach. Two possessions later, the Royals showed they were not finished, driving 14 plays and 74 yards to scratch across a TD on a 5-yard pass to tight end Jordan Brown.

However, following the missed 2-point conversion, Armijo still trailed 22 to 20 and had under three minutes remaining, leaving them with no choice but to onside kick, which they successfully recovered. After starting the drive with a holding penalty, the Royals seemed written off, facing a 4th and 22 from their own 36 and time ticking quickly. Receiver Deonte White sprung free past the Dixon safety for a 60-yard catch and run that kept the scoring drive alive, eventually ending in a 2-yard run by Nickson. This gave the Royals a 26-22 lead with about a minute left.

As much good fortune as Armijo received with the recovery of the onside kick, they received the opposite on the ensuing kickoff when the ball flew sideways off the foot of the kicker and gifted the Rams ideal field position for a potential scoring drive, which they eventually did with 12 seconds remaining.

Somehow, the Royals still had a chance before the game ended with a 35-yard catch by Brown, but before he could run out of bounds or get down to stop the clock, he fumbled, effectively giving the Rams the victory.

Quarterback Willie Nickson finished 8 for 23 for 180 yards and two passing TDs. On the ground, Markel Hazzard rushed 14 times for 105 yards; Nickson rushed nine times for 73 yards and one TD; and Lee rushed nine times for 19 yards and one TD.

Defensively, 19 different players registered a tackle; Jericho Johnson had six tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss; Julian Soto had six tackles, two for loss; Elijah Thompson had five tackles and one INT; Jeremiah Oliver had four tackles; Jesse Reid had four tackles and one INT; and Dae Sparks had three tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery.

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