Chinle’s strong effort not enough to overcome Winslow’s late surge

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

WINSLOW – Following a disappointing performance the previous week, the Chinle Wildcats faced off against the Winslow Bulldogs in a thrilling Friday night showdown that came down to the wire.

After a tough 33-0 loss to Monument Valley, Chinle demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, coming up just four points short in a potential upset against the 3A North title contender, ultimately falling to Winslow 40-36.

Winslow senior running back Michael Romero-Cortez showcased a dominating second half, helping the Bulldogs score 28 points, including 14 unanswered points in the final quarter.

Chinle struck first when senior quarterback Ryan Brown connected with senior running back Askii Begay for a 5-yard touchdown pass, putting the Wildcats on the board at 6-0. However, their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score unchanged as Winslow prepared to take possession.

On that drive, Romero-Cortez rushed to the left hash mark, cut back to the right, and charged down the sideline for a 36-yard touchdown, evening the score at 6-6. The extra point attempt, however, was unsuccessful to end the first quarter tied at 6-6.

In the second quarter, Chinle capitalized on key defensive plays and turnovers, scoring 22 points to take a significant halftime lead. With nine minutes remaining, Winslow started a drive after Chinle turned the ball over on downs.

Junior Bryce Williams lost control of the football, and Chinle senior linebacker Emery Lee recovered it at the Chinle 32-yard line. Chinle’s senior fullback Shane Jones pounded the ball up the middle, setting up a 2-yard rushing touchdown by senior quarterback Ryan Brown, who then completed a pass to senior wide receiver Trevor Francis for a successful two-point conversion, bringing the score to 14-6 with seven minutes left.

Later in the quarter, Brown connected with sophomore wide receiver Dechelly Nalwood for a 7-yard touchdown pass and a two-point conversion, extending Chinle’s lead to 22-6 with 3:06 left in the second quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Winslow’s Romero-Cortez answered with a 25-yard rushing touchdown, narrowing the gap to 22-12, though their two-point conversion attempt failed.

Chinle regained possession with just under a minute remaining, and Ryan Brown dropped back for a pass, scanning the field for a striding receiver Francis. Brown found Francis, who eluded two Bulldog defenders for a spectacular 48-yard touchdown pass, ending the half with a commanding 28-12 lead after another failed two-point conversion.

At halftime, Winslow head coach Jordan Payne reflected on the first half, stating, “They are outplaying us. They want to be here, and they are taking it to us.” He emphasized the need to find eleven players ready to play and to get back to Winslow football in the second half.

Coach Payne didn’t have to look far for a catalyst, as Romero-Cortez sparked Winslow early in the third quarter. Starting their drive from their own 22-yard line after the kickoff, Winslow’s rushing attack culminated in a touchdown by Romero-Cortez from around the 5-yard line, narrowing the gap to 28-18. Though the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, it renewed life in the Winslow football team.

Chinle regained the momentum on their next drive, with the dynamic duo of freshman running back Cody Curley and senior Trevor Francis executing long runs that pushed the ball deep into Winslow territory. Francis showcased his speed and agility, bringing the team to the 1-yard line, where Ryan Brown connected with Nalwood for another touchdown, extending the lead to 34-18.

A successful two-point conversion pass from Brown to junior running back De’Quan Nelson further solidified Chinle’s advantage, making it 36-18.

Just when it seemed Chinle had regained control, Winslow stunned them with a spectacular 70-yard kickoff return touchdown by Joseph Guerrero, quickly closing the gap to 36-24. Guerrero stepped right and then ran left toward the Bulldog sideline, finding daylight for the score. Winslow capitalized on the momentum with a successful two-point conversion by Gino Quinones, making the score 36-26.

As the fourth quarter began, the Wildcats held a narrow lead and swiftly advanced down the field, with Curley executing a series of impressive runs that brought the team to Winslow’s 5-yard line. However, just as victory seemed within reach, a fumble during the exchange between Brown and Curley was recovered by Winslow junior defensive back Jonathan Perdue at their own 2-yard line, turning the tide of the game.

Taking full advantage of this momentum shift, Winslow drove 98 yards down the field, culminating in a breathtaking 79-yard rushing touchdown by Romero-Cortez, narrowing the score to 36-32. He sidestepped defenders, breaking four tackles on his way to the end zone.

Riding the momentum of Romero-Cortez, Winslow kicked off to Chinle, who started their drive from the 39-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Curley rushed right but was met by Winslow defenders, including Romero-Cortez, who stripped the football from Curley and took it down to the Chinle 25-yard line, deflating Chinle’s momentum.

The drive culminated in a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Williams, bringing the Bulldogs ahead 40-36 after a successful two-point conversion pass from Quinones to Guerrero. With just under six minutes left, Chinle attempted to return to their early success with passing plays but came up empty as their receivers couldn’t reel in passes. Winslow regained possession with five minutes remaining and ran down the clock on a drive to the Chinle 4-yard line.

After the game, Romero-Cortez spoke about the victory and his contribution, stating, “I just put my heart into the game. I did this for my football family because I know they do the same for me. I love this game, and nobody can hold me back from doing my best.” He added, “Football is a hard contact sport, and the winners are determined by the players who have the heart to win and know they can win.”

Coach Payne praised Romero-Cortez’s efforts, saying, “Michael had a terrific game, and he kept us in the game and carried us home for the victory.” He also commented on the team’s performance: “We dug deep to get this win. Our guys showed up in the second half.”

With the win, Winslow is tied for the 3A North lead with Page at 3-0 and stands at 4-3 overall, while Chinle falls to 3-4 and 1-2 in the 3A North. Coach Payne expressed concern about the rest of the season, as Winslow still faces Page and second-place Monument Valley on their schedule: “We can’t dig ourselves a hole when we face the good teams—not to say Chinle isn’t a good team. Page and MV have had our number and beaten us in previous years. We have a lot to clean up, but also, we haven’t come back from being down so far; to win says a lot about our team, and we just need to get in the games early.”

As Chinle coach Pita Olomua exited the field, he spoke about Romero-Cortez’s efforts and the team’s performance: “Michael is a beast; he was a one-man show in the second half. He got a touchdown and recovered a fumble. It was too much for us.”

Olomua added, “We did this last year; we came up short at Page. Compared to last week, we should be riding the momentum of those types of close games. But the main guys who don’t show up for practice are the ones that seem to have issues in the game: turnovers, penalties, missed tackles. It comes down to their team commitment; they need to show up to practice and pass grade checks.”

He concluded with a smile, acknowledging the game’s intensity: “You know, Michael wanted it, and his team rallied behind him. I asked our players, ‘Who wants it? Who is going to lead us?’ We need leadership on our team, and that’s the difference between us and them.”

Chinle travels to St. Johns to face a tough non-conference opponent Friday night, while Winslow will visit Kingman, who is coming off a loss to Monument Valley two weeks prior.

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