First quarter surge lifts Escalante over Navajo Prep

FARMINGTON

Tough games are almost always about getting better.

That’s why the Navajo Preparatory School football team invites competitive teams like Escalante High School to their turf to battle things out.

In Escalante’s latest visit, the Lobos outdid the Eagles and defeated them 56-6, but to Escalante head coach Duty Giles, it was simply an opportunity to get his team to play better.

“We know we’re going to get all we want (out here) and they’re (Navajo Prep) going to come out and they’re going to hit us, snap to whistle, until the game’s over,” he said. “That’s all you can ask for in high school football.”

The Lobos were on a two-game winning streak when they showed up in Farmington last Friday, and anticipated Navajo Prep to challenge that.

Giles said the Eagles did not disappoint, despite the final score.

“Navajo Prep came out with a pretty good defensive game plan. We had to make some adjustments on our blocking schemes, we tried to make them throw out the game but when your players don’t ever come off the field it’s kind of hard,” he said. “We made them (adjustments) in the second half, I thought we came out and ran the ball a lot better than what we did in the first half.”

Minutes into the game the Lobos scored their first touchdown and bagged the extra two points to lead 8-0. It was the first of five touchdowns Escalante scored throughout the rest of the first quarter. They led 34-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Lobos scored again to kick off the second quarter before Navajo Prep got their first number on the board with about one minute left in the first half.

At the half, Escalante led 42-6.

Navajo Prep head coach Storm Tallbull said his team was aware of Escalante being a tough opponent, but it shouldn’t have affected their performance.
“It’s going to be tough any time you go against another ranked team. They’re a team that’s consistently winning games,” he said. “That’s the one thing we kind of reminded the boys of, and we know we can compete against them, it just it comes down to us as a team.”

Tallbull acknowledged that they have to perform better, especially against a good team like Escalante.

---