Crownpoint stuns Navajo Prep with last-minute touchdown

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

FARMINGTON

The Crownpoint Eagles completed a two-minute drill in the final moments Thursday night to hand previously unbeaten Navajo Prep a 14-8 loss. The victory gives Crownpoint (2-2) its second straight win after opening the season with back-to-back shutout losses to Pojoaque Valley and Montezuma-Cortez by a combined score of 102-0.

“We play a very tough opening schedule — lots of speed and size — and we figured out in the third game at Socorro that we just needed to play smash-mouth football,” Crownpoint head coach Chris Murphy said. “It paid off tonight.”

Navajo Prep (3-1) had rolled through its first three opponents, winning by an average of 43 points per game, before running into 6-foot junior quarterback Kory Harvey. Harvey threw for 127 yards on 10-of-17 passing with a touchdown and ran for the game-winning score.

Trailing 8-6 late in the fourth quarter, Crownpoint mounted the game-winning drive, starting from its own 37-yard line with under two minutes to play. Harvey kept the drive alive with a mix of runs and timely passes, including a clutch strike to junior wide receiver Austin Begay that moved the ball to the Prep 2-yard line. Harvey then capped the march with a 2-yard touchdown run to give Crownpoint a 12-8 lead. On the two-point conversion, he connected with sophomore receiver Jaron Stevenson to extend the margin to six with just two seconds remaining.

It was a comeback that nearly didn’t happen. Navajo Prep had controlled much of the second half after falling behind 6-0 in the second quarter on Harvey’s 9-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Landen Littleben. Navajo Prep responded on the opening drive of the third quarter when junior quarterback Aden Clah connected with senior receiver Levaughn Jim for a 49-yard touchdown strike, then converted a two-point run by junior Kaleil Benally to go up 8-6.

Prep appeared ready to put the game away midway through the third. Junior running back Dallas Wilson and sophomore Nijrelle Denetso broke off several big gains, and Clah found sophomore receiver Gracin Vigil to set up a first-and-goal. But the drives stalled, and Prep turned the ball over on downs twice inside the 10-yard line — including once from the 6-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

Crownpoint’s defense kept the game within reach with key tackles for loss by freshman linebacker Waeray Tom, senior Tristin Bighand, and sophomore Dawson Davis. That gave Harvey and the offense one last chance, and they didn’t waste it. Passes to Littleben, junior receiver Adam Jiron, and Begay set up the dramatic game-winner.

Crownpoint head coach Chris Murphy said the victory shows how far his team has come.

“This win validates our preparation all year,” Murphy said. “Kory plays on another level — he runs hard, and he’ll hit you below the pads. We made the move two games ago to make him our quarterback, and he’s been a difference-maker ever since.”

Murphy credited his linemen for setting the tone in the trenches. “Our defensive line needed to win up front and give our linebackers and defensive backs chances to make plays — and they did that tonight.”

He also praised his team’s poise on the final drive. “We’ve been working on the two-minute drill all season, and tonight they executed it to perfection — a great combination of runs and sideline passes to stop the clock when we needed to.”

Navajo Prep head coach Roderick Denetso said the loss could be a turning point for his team. “When we watched their film this week, we saw they were big, and they had athletes — I knew they were going to give us trouble,” Denetso said. “A loss like this early will really helps us refocus. During the week, the guys were getting a little cocky and overconfident. We didn’t have good practices — guys missing or coming in late — and the way we played the first half reflected that. It just wasn’t our night, but I know this will get the boys back on track.”

Crownpoint opens District 1-3A play on the road at Wingate (2-2) on Friday, while Navajo Prep will host Santa Fe Indian School (1-3) on Thursday night.

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