Chinle’s defense gets the job done to beat Red Mesa

CHINLE

It took a while for the Chinle football team to find any traction.

And when they did it gave the Wildcats plenty of breathing room as they posted a 36-0 shutout win over Red Mesa last Friday night.

In the opening half, Chinle built a 14-0 lead but it was not their prettiest performance as the Wildcats committed three turnovers.

“This is what we’ve been doing all season but we made some adjustments,” Chinle coach Tim Su’e Su’e Liufau said. “We might not have the strongest line like we used to but we have different strategies for that.”

And while Liufau lamented on their first half struggles he gave credit where it was due.

“My hat’s off to Red Mesa,” Liufau said. “I told my team that they were going to come out physical. They were going to smash us in the mouth and my hat’s off to Red Mesa coach Pita Olomua. They are a well-disciplined team.”

Though they displayed some lapses on the offensive end, the Wildcats played marvelously on defense in the opening half by holding Red Mesa to only one first down. For the first 16 minutes, Red Mesa’s vaunted running game never completely got on track in that first half as their longest drive went for 15 yards.

“We are striving our best to find which athlete can do the job,” said Liufau, who commended freshman defensive tackle Jaron Segay and senior guard Eric Tsosie for covering their gaps.

“We’ve been inconsistent in the two-technique area and we’re doing our best in who can take care of that dirty diaper area,” Liufau said. “Jaron and Eric did a fabulous job in covering that area.”

After failing to convert on its first three possessions, Chinle mounted a 48-yard drive that included a fourth-and-inches conversion near the 2-yard line. On that play, senior running back Isaiah Towne sidestepped a tackle by spinning into the end zone for a 6-0 lead with 8:29 left in the second quarter.

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