Cleveland routs visiting Jaguars 56-6

RIO RANCHO – Well, that didn’t take long.

Eighteen seconds into their Friday the 13th football game vs. visiting Atrisco Heritage Academy, the Cleveland Storm had enough points to emerge victorious and go 2-0 in District 1-6A.

That’s because CHS defender A.J. Manning reached to pick off a Jaguars’ pass on the game’s opening series and return it 13 yards to the end zone. Miguel Quinones tacked on the first of what would be eight points-after and the Storm had a 7-0 lead.

The Jaguars (5-4, 1-2) scored on their next possession, but a bad snap from center led to a pass to an ineligible receiver – and that six points was all they’d get.

Cleveland scored the next 49 points via seven touchdowns and went on to thump AHA 56-6 for the seventh Storm (5-3, 2-0) victory over the Jaguars in as many meetings. It was the smallest crowd of the season at Lightning Bolt Stadium.

Senior running back Harris Mbueha carried the ball six times for 99 yards and two touchdowns– just in the first quarter — to lead the No. 1 Storm to the easy win.

Sophomore quarterback Jordan Hatch completed his first four passes, the fourth a 48-yard scoring strike to Jaden Davis. Davis was also on the receiving end of the Storm’s seventh TD of the first half, catching the ball at the 21 with nobody near him for a 59-yard strike.

Hatch also tossed a 33-yard TD pass to Angel Gallegos; Marcus La Cuesta scored on a 2-yard run.

It was 49-6 at halftime, and the game ended 18 seconds into the second half via the 50-point mercy rule when La Cuesta returned the kickoff 96 yards for a TD. That score meant Cleveland had scored on defense, offense and special teams. And 18 seconds into the first half — and 18 seconds into the second half.

Once again, the Storm defense was solid, all but negating the Jaguars’ running game, which managed a net 13 rushing yards, and recording five first-half sacks, three by junior lineman Psalmon Kegler.

The Storm generated 320 yards of offense in the first half, with 176 through the air by Hatch and 127 on the ground by Mbueha.

“We have a really tough district,” Storm coach Robert Garza said, alluding to a pair of home losses to Amarillo and Frenship that helped get his team to where it is now.

“The least of my carries so far,” Mbueha said of his eight totes. “Every game we come out, we expect a dogfight. We’re not going to give them anything; we don’t expect them to give us anything.”

Although touted linebacker Isaac Medrano was out with a leg injury, and, explained Garza, “No. 44, Brendan Cochrane, he’s had to play a lot this year. Strat (Shufelt) was out, and now Isaac’s (out), so he’s that guy that’s getting a ton of experience. He’s done a good job filling in. Obviously, we’d love to have Isaac back and, hopefully, we get him back pretty quick.”

Medrano told the Observer he expects to be ready to go Friday when the Storm visit winless Cibola at Community Stadium.

The Storm are 12-2 all-time vs. the Cougars (0-8, 0-3) and have won the last seven meetings, including a 56-12 outcome in 2022.