The New Mexico Military Institute Colt football team won a shootout in Pojoaque against the Elks, 42-28, to advance to the semifinals of the NMAA Class 3A State Playoffs for the third-straight year.
After a scoreless first half, both teams found their offensive footing, scoring 28 points in the second quarter.
NMMI tallied 21 of those points, including the first two touchdowns. The first came on an eight-play 68-yard drive with 11:57 left in the second quarter, with Konstantino Scopelitis capping the drive with a 1-yard plunge, his first of five TDs on the night.
The Colts’ second TD was set up after a punt by Brendan Mann penned Pojoaque on their own five yard line. The very next play, Mann recovered an Elk fumble on the three. Scopelitis then took it into the end zone on an inside rush to put NMMI up 14-0 with 8:23 remaining in the first half.
The Elks answered and got on the board with a five-play, 57-yard drive, Joshua Gonzales finishing with a 32-yard keeper on a QB sneak; 6:40 left in the half and the score now at 14-7.
NMMI’s next drive took it down to the Elk 18, but a failed fourth-and-three attempt turned it over on downs back to Pojoaque.
The Colt defense held strong, forcing Pojoaque to punt just four plays later.
With 2:36 left in the second quarter, NMMI mounted a six-play, 56-yard drive, scoring with just 13 seconds left in the half, to go up 21-7 before heading into the locker rooms. The touchdown came on an eight-yard pass from Colt QB Luke Tomasits to Scopelitis.
More high scoring continued in the third period, with another 28 points put on the board.
This time the Elks struck first, taking the opening kickoff and putting together an eight-play, 77-yard drive that took the third quarter down to 7:50.
NMMI quickly answered, needing just three plays and a minute and 20 seconds to drive 65 yards. Colt QB Luke Tomasits picked up his second TD pass on the evening, hitting Mihail Parada for a 40-yard touchdown to make it 28-14 with 6:30 left in the period.
A failed fourth-and-one attempt by the Elks set up the Colts’ next touchdown, with Mann and Alex Graniewicz combining on a four-yard tackle for the loss, giving NMMI the ball back on the Pojoaque 33.
Two plays later, the Colts made it a three-score game, 35-14, with Scopelitis taking the option-pitch 23 yards into the end zone with 4:16 remaining in the third.
Pojoaque needed less than 30 seconds to answer, Gonzales connecting with D’Marcus Rodriguez on a 54-yard catch-and-carry, making it 35-21 with 3:44 left in the third.
Both teams managed a final touchdown in the fourth quarter.
NMMI’s came at the 11:52 mark, with Scopelitis earning his fourth rushing TD of the game to close out an eight-play, 52yard drive and make it 42-21.
Pojoaque’s final score came on a Gonzales rush from one yard out, completing an eight-play, 60-yard drive which left 8:38 on the clock: 42-28.
“The defense played well,” said NMMI head coach John O’Mera after the quarterfinal win. “We bent, but we didn't break. And our offense, we didn't turn the football over. It's something we've preached from day one: if you don't beat yourself with the turnovers, you get a chance to win any football game.”
NMMI slightly edged the Elks in total offense on the night with 374 total yards, compared to 340, but it was the turnover column that helped NMMI sustain their lead throughout the game: +3 with one INT and two fumble recoveries.
NMMI gained 221 of those yards on the ground, split mostly between three backs: Scopelitis with 98 yard on 18 attempts, Diego Del Rincon with 11 rushes for 65 yards, and Miguel Garcia gaining 60 yards on 10 carries.
But perhaps most impressive for the Colt offense was their passing stats on the night. Tomasits threw just six passes total, but five were completed for 153 total yards, and two of those completions were for touchdowns.
“The Pojoaque defense was cheating up – trying to stop the run – and we were forced to throw the football,” stated coach O’Mera. “Luke made some nice passes, and we had a variety of kids make great catches.”
O’Mera continued with some high praise for his senior back Scopelitis. “He was a wrecking ball out there, making plays on both ends of the ball. He's our player of the year, just does everything 110%.”
With the win, the fifth-seeded Colts move to 8-4 on the season. They’ll head next to Santa Fe to take on top-ranked St. Michael’s in the semifinals at 1:00 pm on Saturday, Nov. 22.
St. Mike’s won their quarterfinal match-up at home against No. 8 Las Vegas Robertson, 28-7.