Bloomfield holds off Bernalillo in district showdown

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – The race for the District 1-4A lead was on the line Friday night at Bloomfield High School as the undefeated Bobcats hosted the previously undefeated Bernalillo Spartans on a cold, rainy night.

Despite the weather, a few hundred dedicated fans stuck around to witness the action as Bloomfield remained undefeated with a 20-8 win.

Coming into this showdown, the top-ranked Bobcats had won six straight games, averaging 51 points per game. Defensively, Bloomfield hadn’t given up a touchdown in five straight games.

But this contest was its toughest challenge for the 2024 season.

With homecoming festivities at hand, Bernalillo (7-1) kicked off to Bloomfield, setting up a dramatic start.

The Bobcats (7-0) fumbled the ball at their own 34-yard line, giving Bernalillo an early opportunity. But Bloomfield’s stout defense, which had allowed an average of 5 points per game all season, held strong with a three-and-out, forcing the Spartans to punt.

Starting at their own 49-yard line, Bloomfield wasted little time to score. On their second possession, quarterback Blake Spencer connected with Kaleb Hutchens in the right corner of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown, capping a seven-play drive.

After a failed two-point conversion, Bloomfield led 6-0. Later in the first quarter, Bloomfield’s Eli Meador recovered a fumble at Bernalillo’s 25-yard line, setting up another Bobcat score. This time, Spencer found Kaden McCown in the end zone for a touchdown, extending the lead to 13-0 after a successful PAT.

Both teams struggled to find traction in the heavy rain that continued throughout the night as the score remained 13-0 at halftime.

Late in the third period, Bernalillo mounted a drive that finally broke through Bloomfield’s defense. Quarterback Uriel Castro lofted a pass to Joseph Duran at the 2-yard line. Despite seeing double coverage, Duran managed to dive into the end zone for the Spartans’ first touchdown. That score snapped a 22-quarter streak that Bloomfield had over its opponents.

After the successful two-point conversion, Bernalillo narrowed the gap to 13-8 with just 1:26 left in the third quarter.

As the momentum began to shift toward Bernalillo, Bloomfield responded. With 6:15 remaining in the game, junior running back Peyton Duncan broke six tackles during a 35-yard touchdown run, restoring the Bobcats’ lead to 20-8. Both defenses then dug in, preventing any further scoring.

“We tried to stay focused, knowing this weather was coming in, homecoming, and the importance of this game,” Bloomfield coach Mike Kovacs said. “We started out very well. Our running game kept us in it all night, and our defense played lights out.

“I thought we were losing momentum when they scored, but our guys are fighters, and we love playing games like this,” he added.

Looking ahead, Kovacs noted their upcoming opponents, which starts with Espanola Valley on Friday and then at Grants on Nov. 1.

“(It’s) going to be another challenge,” Kovacs said of playing fifth-ranked Espanola Valley at home. “We’ll let our guys celebrate homecoming, but come Sunday, we’re breaking down film and preparing for the next game.”

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