Bloomfield overwhelms Bernalillo, 65-14, in 4A state semifinals

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – Top-seeded Bloomfield Bobcats punched their ticket to the New Mexico Class 4A State Championship game with a commanding 65-14 victory over the No. 4 Bernalillo Spartans in one of two semifinals on Saturday.

The contest was a rematch from an earlier district game that Bloomfield won, 20-7, on Oct. 18. But Saturday’s 51-point triumph marked Bloomfield’s seventh mercy-rule win of the year, which solidifies their shot at a state title.

The Bobcats faces No. 2 seed St. Pius X on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bloomfield High School. The Sartans defeated No. 6 Espanola 31-22 to advance into Saturday’s title game.

Earlier this season, Bernalillo seemed to match the Bobcats stride for stride. In that fall afternoon game, Bloomfield senior quarterback Blake Spencer threw five touchdowns to four different receivers and orchestrating a relentless offensive performance.

On Saturday, though, the Spartans made an immediate statement on their opening drive. Senior quarterback Uriel Castro connected with junior wide receiver Kenneth Saiz for a 42-yard strike to the Bloomfield 38-yard line, setting up a 36-yard rushing touchdown by senior Nathan Encinias.

The visiting team took a surprising 7-0 lead after the PAT. Bloomfield, which was initially stunned, went three-and-out on their first possession. But they quickly regained their composure.

Bernalillo’s momentum faltered on a fumble recovered by senior linebacker Eli Snell-Martinez at the Spartans’ 28-yard line. Despite a penalty and a sack that pushed the Bobcats back near midfield, Spencer launched a 38-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Deasyl Priddy, tying the game at 7-7.

The Bobcats took control from there, with Spencer finding Peyton Duncan for two touchdowns—a 17-yarder and a 55-yarder—pushing Bloomfield ahead 21-7. The Spartans threatened with a deep drive to the Bloomfield 13-yard line, but a fumble recovered by junior defensive lineman Cole Gosnell ended their hopes.

Adding to Bernalillo’s frustration, a personal foul penalty advanced Bloomfield to midfield, and Spencer connected with Priddy again to set up the next score as the quarter ended.

Bloomfield opened the second quarter with a 15-yard field goal by Andrew Himes, extending the lead to 24-7. Bernalillo responded with another Castro-to-Saiz connection for 36 yards, but the drive ended with an interception by senior defensive back Elias Johnson at the 13-yard line.

Bernalillo briefly showed life with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Castro to Saiz, narrowing the score to 24-14. However, adjustments by Bloomfield’s defensive coaching staff, including the strategic move of junior punter Andrew Himes to safety, shut down Bernalillo’s deep passing threat for the remainder of the game.

Bloomfield head coach Mike Kovacs praised his team’s ability to adjust and execute, especially after an early scare from Bernalillo.

“We saw this combination early on to be successful, and our DB coach Fred Perez put our junior punter Andrew Himes in the backfield (safety) to help cover the deep ball threat,” Kovacs said. “And it shut down their go-to-play in the second half.”

Spencer and the Bloomfield offense didn’t let up, with two touchdown passes to junior receiver Gavin Pecotte—one for 15 yards and another for 19—followed by a two-point conversion to make it 39-14. Peyton Duncan added a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the final seconds of the half, sending the Bobcats into the locker room with a commanding 45-14 lead.

The second half saw Bloomfield further impose their will. Senior running back Miguel Hutchens scored two rushing touchdowns of 23 yards each, one following a controversial call that initially seemed to give Bernalillo possession on a fumble but instead resulted in a personal foul penalty, setting up the Bobcats for a score.

An interception by Himes deep in Bloomfield territory set up Hutchens’ second score, extending the lead to 59-14. Bernalillo managed a 66-yard punt to pin Bloomfield at their own 7-yard line, but the Bobcats’ depth was on full display. Senior Tyler Reinhardt powered the offense downfield, setting the stage for Hutchens’ second touchdown.

With the game well in hand and the clock running, junior quarterback “Peanut” Chavarria led the offense into Bernalillo territory. A 40-yard keeper set up senior linebacker Logan Gosnell, who lined up in the wildcat formation and capped the afternoon with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, sealing the 65-14 victory.

“They had a lot of fight in them,” Kovacs said of Bernalillo’s early success. “But once we settled down, we got to play Bobcat football. We needed to play a full game and see how we respond, and tonight we saw our depth and execution shine.”

Looking ahead to the championship game against St. Pius X, Kovacs said, “They’re the second seed for a reason. We’ll review the film and get ready to play the final game of the season.”

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