Football

Newcomb freshman Josiah Nunez spent much of the game lined up at defensive end, holding his own in the trenches.

By the time the stadium lights flicked on in Piñon, the game had concluded while the air carried the smell of roast mutton and frybread turning a football game night into something more like a fall Navajo Fair than a small-town game.

The Tuba City Warriors put on a stellar offensive showcase Saturday night, defeating the Gallup Bengals 38-8 in front of the home bleachers packed with fans draped in Warrior green.

Crownpoint football coach Chris Murphy starts his third season at the helm when the Eagles host Pojoaque Valley on Friday night for its season opener.

The numbers don’t lie. The past 15 years haven’t been kind to the Gallup High School football program. Since 2010, the Bengals have posted a record of 23-123, including a 5-56 mark in 4A and 5A district play before dropping to 3A last season.