Storm rolls through Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES — It was a meeting of 6A titans at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces Thursday night when Cleveland High School (3-1) made the trip south and toppled the Las Cruces Bulldawgs (2-2), 35-25.

“They gutted it out and they battled. I’m proud of these guys,” said Cleveland head coach Robert Garza.

The back-and-forth slobber-knocker came down to a few key plays, but the Storm got the best of them and, despite some second-half heroics from LCHS’s stud running back Daniel Amaro, Cleveland walked away with their third straight win.

What were those key plays? A Cleveland goal-line stand at the 1-yard line as time expired certainly qualified.

“We tell these guys all the time, ‘There’s going to be three or four plays every game that are the difference in the game,'” said Garza. “And that big fourth-down stop was one of them. It kept us up going into halftime.”

The last time CHS faced an opponent from Las Cruces (Centennial in week one), they lost a heartbreaker as their front line got caught off guard. After that match, Garza told the Observer, “We got to get tougher up front.” This was their redemption moment.

With the Storm up by one, 14-13, the Dawgs had the ball on the 1, four downs to make it, no time left, and one of the best running backs in the state.

Amaro took it up the middle and met the might of defensive end Psalmon Kegler and the angry Storm front. Amaro was stuffed at the line, and LCHS turned it over on downs as both teams went back to the locker room. The first half ended 14-13 Storm.

The second half saw the Cleveland defense continue that momentum. Amaro scored two more touchdowns but was unable to rip off any major runs.

It was Las Cruces’ quarterback Gunnar Guardiola who stepped up and sparked another key play of the game. The Dawgs were sitting on a second and 31 situation after holding penalties (plural) pushed them back into their own territory.

A 26-yard completion to LCHS receiver Nate Libby followed by a powerful run from Amaro got the Bulldawgs the first down.

That same drive saw LCHS in a fourth and 8 scenario and, once again, Guardiola bailed them out with his arm.

The Bulldawgs capped off that drive with an Amaro touchdown and managed to take nearly nine minutes of the third quarter off the game clock.

A fourth-quarter interception from Guardiola all but sealed the deal, but the Dawgs QB can hardly be blamed. The ball was tipped, landing in the arms of Cleveland’s Jon Baca, who nearly returned it for a pick six.

Key plays aside, it was the Storm who won the night and the Storm who had something to prove. They came into the game with a clear strategy to contain Amaro, and they executed it well.

“There are so many weapons on that offense, but we knew the key was stopping (Amaro), and I felt like our front seven really rose to the occasion,” Garza said. “I feel like those guys took some pride in what they were doing tonight.”

CHS quarterback Jordan Hatch let the ball fly a few times but was quick to give credit to the linemen and backs for the victory.

“There isn’t one play that wins or loses a game, but I give all the big plays to the (offensive line). They worked their (butts) off, and it’s all them.”

Indeed, the CHS running backs were more than a match for Amaro’s elusiveness and Guardiola's arm. Senior Juan Munoz had a big night scoring two touchdowns, including one on the ground and one in the air. A former defensive player, Munoz also got the chance to go back to his old crew in the fourth quarter for some pass coverage. His big fourth down pass breakup in the end zone in the fourth quarter essentially ended the game for Las Cruces.

“(My two touchdowns and pass breakup) all felt amazing, but offense is my thing this year,” a beaming Munoz said after the game. “Touchdowns always feel good. But it felt good being (back) with all my boys and getting that pass breakup.”

For Cleveland, the game was also dominated by running back Isiah Yannis, who put three touchdowns on the scoreboard.

His third and final TD, a 5-yard rush after a 31-yard run with under two minutes remaining in the fourth, was the final nail for the Bulldawgs, and they just couldn’t mount an effective comeback against a still frosty Cleveland defense.

“We knew could run the ball a little bit and those guys are tough,” Garza said of his Munoz/Yannis RB tandem. “We could go with either one of them and be comfortable.”

Entering this game, Cleveland was ranked No. 3 and Las Cruces was No. 5, according to MaxPreps.com. Cleveland’s one loss was to No. 2 Centennial, who face off against No. 10 Rio Rancho in Las Cruces tonight. It may be a big week of rankings shakeups.

Stay tuned to rrobserver.com for continuing coverage of Rio Rancho prep football’s trip south.

Next up...

Cleveland completes its three-game road trip versus Pebble Hills High School in El Paso, Texas. The Storm will hope to repeat La Cueva’s impressive out-of-state victory in Flagstaff with a win of their own.

Las Cruces begins 6A District 3 play on Sept. 20 with a trip to Hobbs to face the Eagles at 7 p.m.