Navajo Prep battles past Newcomb, 38-36

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

NEWCOMB, N.M. — With a playoff berth and a .500 regular-season finish on the line for both schools, Navajo Prep stuffed Newcomb’s two-point conversion try in overtime to win 38-36. The victory allowed the Eagles to finish 5-5 and to face New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell in a 3A first-round contest this Friday.

Both the Eagles and the host Skyhawks entered their 10th game of the season sporting 4-5 records. However, both entered Newcomb’s stadium on a cool, late October evening with 2-0 records in District 1-3A play. The winner’s season would continue; the loser’s would not.

“Two birds of prey and the team with the sharpest talons will win the game,” press box announcer Randy Curley summarized for the few hundred fans as the two teams lined up for the opening kickoff.

While Navajo Prep and Newcomb entered the night with identical records, their offenses are built differently. The Eagles prefer to air it out, and indeed junior quarterback Xavier Nez would throw four touchdown passes in regulation. The Skyhawks, their mascot name notwithstanding, prefer to churn the turf.

All four of their touchdowns before overtime would be scored on the ground, with running backs Mikal Ashley and Dion Lee each reaching paydirt twice.

“We knew they [Newcomb] were a run team,” Navajo Prep head coach Storm Tallbull would say later. ”One of the things they came out with was a 100% pure smash-mouth football. We expected them to run to the outside, but they committed to the inside. We changed our game plan three or four times trying to counter them.”

In the first quarter the two sides exchanged touchdowns and successful two-point conversions. Navajo Prep opened the scoring with a two-yard pass from Nez to Khol Johnson, who would finish the game with a pair of touchdown receptions. Newcomb responded on the ensuing drive as Dion Lee scored from two yards out.

In the second quarter Newcomb scored consecutive touchdowns as Ashley sprinted into the end zone from 10 and later 13 yards out. That put Newcomb up 24-8, the largest lead either team would enjoy.

Navajo Prep would score in the waning seconds before the half, Nez connecting with Jacob Arviso, to cut Newcomb’s lead in half, after the successful two-point try, 24-16.

After a scoreless third quarter, Nez led the Eagles on a 10-play drive that culminated in a 25-yard scoring strike to Johnson. The two-point try – neither side attempted to kick a PAT – failed, so that Newcomb still led 24-22.

With 6:24 remaining in the contest, Lee scored on another short burst from the two-yard line to give Newcomb a 30-22 advantage. A successful two-point try would virtually put the game out of reach, but Navajo Prep was able to deny the effort.

Trailing 30-22, the Eagles began the defining drive of their season on their own 35 yard-line. Six plays later Nez connected with Wallen Descheeny on a 37-yard scoring pass to stun the Newcomb fans. The two-point try worked, knotting the score at 30-apiece.

Neither side was able to advance the football in the final three minutes, and so each team’s season would extend at least another two series.

In overtime rules at this level in New Mexico, each side begins an offensive series at the 10-yard line until one team is ahead at the conclusion of both series.

Navajo Prep won the toss and elected to start on offense. On fourth-and-goal from the two Lane Wilson stormed over the goal line to put the visitors ahead, 36-30 – their first rushing touchdown of the night. Wilson also carried it across the plane of the goal the following play for the two-point conversion. Navajo Prep led, 38-30.

Newcomb needed just one play to score its touchdown as Ashley burst through a hole between the tackles and scored from 10 yards out, his third touchdown of the night. The Skyhawks needed a two-point conversion to tie the game. They handed the ball off to Lee who ran up the gut. However, Eagles linebacker Nehemiah Simpson raced around the Newcomb line and stuffed Lee for no gain.

The loss ended postseason hopes for the Skyhawks.

“I knew they were trying to attack the middle so I knew I could get around and get the tackle,” said Simpson.

As Navajo Prep celebrated their hard-fought victory, Skyhawks head coach Vincent Lee said his team played well but not long enough.

“All credit to Navajo Prep, they executed in the 4th quarter,” Lee said. “They made the big plays in the 4th quarter. We didn’t and that was the big difference in this game. We play three quarters of absolute dominant football, but we needed four quarters in order to win.”

Four quarters, plus one overtime period, as it turned out.

Navajo Prep completed the regular season with a 5-5 record, 3-0 in District 1 3A and will move on to play NMMI in Roswell, N.M. on November 3, in the New Mexico 3A state playoffs. Newcomb finished their year with a 4-6 overall season record including a 2-1 record in district play.

---