No. 2 Bloomfield overpowers Grants

By Santiago Ramos Jr.
Special to the Times

GRANTS – Defending 4A state champion and No. 2 ranked Bloomfield flexed its muscle as the Bobcats powered past Grants 60-7 Friday night on the road.

The 3-0 Bobcats led the Pirates 41-7 at the half and then after being held scoreless in the third period ended the game on the mercy rule with 19 points in the fourth quarter.

After beating St. Pius 41-20 and Pojoaque Valley 50-0 the first two weeks of the season, Bloomfield went to the next level, erupting for 60 points in its third game against the Pirates, now 1-2.

Bloomfield head coach Mike Kovacs said that there were highs and lows in his team’s latest win.

“I love the kids for it but sometimes you have sloppy play,” Kovacs said. “It was just highs and lows. Always peaks and valleys with these guys. We have to stay consistent and do your job every rep. We talk about reps and not the overall performance. Just the reps we worry about.”

Bobcat starting quarterback Blake Spencer, who passed for 346 yards on 19-of-33, shredded the Pirate secondary for four of the nine scores.

Grants was plagued by costly turnovers – four interceptions, two blocked punts and one fumble. One interception, one blocked punt and a fumble all led to easy scores by Bloomfield.

Bloomfield scored all the points it needed in the opening quarter with Spencer, who is the son of former Thoreau coach and athletic director Trent Spencer, connecting with senior wide receiver Drew Perez on a 9-yard pass in the opening quarter. Later junior halfback Kaden Mccown bullied his way from the 9 that made it 14-0.

Spencer completed a long 56-yard pass play to Deasyl Priddy for another TD before the Bobcats blocked a Pirate punt which was recovered by Elias Johnson in the end zone for another six points.

A second rushing touchdown by Mccown this one from 4 yards gave Bloomfield a 35-0 lead.

But Grants came up with a stunning response when Knight Long took the ensuing kickoff and sprinted 90 yards down the Bloomfield sidelines for the Pirates’ lone score of the night.

“We had a breakdown there,” Kovacs said. “We have to clean it up.”

The Bobcats then closed out the first half with Spencer hooking up with Andrew Blair on an 11-yard completion.

Spencer, who played the entire game because sophomore backup quarterback Manuel Chavaria was sick all week, finished off Grants with two more scores in the second half.

Sophomore Bobcats fullback Miguel Hutchens scored on a 5-yard run with 29 seconds left in the third quarter.

Spencer tossed a 33-yard strike to Drew Perez in the third quarter that put the mercy rule running clock in motion and then found Christian Alcantar on the end of a 24-yard completion with 7:20 left to end the game.

Kovacs said that he returned a solid core of returning starters from last year’s state championship team with eight starters back on defense and seven back on offense.

“We probably have 20, 22 players back that played in the state game last year,” Kovacs said. “We have quite a bit of nucleus of people back.”

Kovacs says this year’s team is on schedule compared to a year ago.

“At this stage I think we’re just right on par where we were last year at this time. I think that we have a few high spots. Our defense looks really, really good right now. So, we’re really proud of that. With Blake (Spencer), (Kaden) Mccown at running back, we’re coming into our own.”

Bloomfield will host No. 8 ranked Albuquerque Academy Friday while Grants will travel to unbeaten and No. 7 Moriarty (3-0).

The Chargers crushed Rio Grande 50-0 and then fell to Moriarty 26-14 before taking care of Hope Christian 34-14 this past weekend.

The Fighting Pintos whipped Gallup 50-0 and then downed Albuquerque Academy 26-14 before blanking Newcomb 54-0 this weekend.