After getting blown out in their first two games of the season, the Mancos High School football team entered its recent game against Newcomb determined to improve.
Playing at home on Sept. 5, the Bluejays did just that, winning 44-6 in front of a spirited home crowd.
"We needed that one pretty bad," said Mancos associate head coach Josh Gardner. "It boosted our self confidence."
Keying the Bluejays victory was a powerful rushing attack led by junior running back Everett Strazza-Whalen, junior fullback Andrew Morgan, junior running back Adrian Hernandez and sophomore quarterback Axel Bonde.
Together, the quartet gauged Newcomb's defense, ripping off big gains between the tackles and around the edges.
Scoring the first two touchdowns of the game was Hernandez, who scored with 4:03 left in the first quarter to put Mancos ahead 7-0, before scoring with 9:24 left in the second quarter to put the Bluejays up 14-0.
The Bluejays continued to pour it on for the rest of the contest as Everett Strazza-Whalen and Bonde both scored touchdowns.
"(Everett Strazza-Whalen) did a great job," said Gardner. "We triple teamed their nose guard and let him run through."
Late in the game, the Bluejays even managed to score through the air when backup quarterback Nigel Henry hooked up with Brandon Hood-Farley for a long score.
Complementing the Bluejays offense was strong play by the team's defense, which was led by Morgan, Rudy Archuleta and others.
With the victory, the Bluejays improved to 1-2 on the season, while Newcomb dropped to 0-1 on the year.
Next up for Mancos will be a home matchup with Del Norte, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12.
Although Del Norte is currently 0-3 on the year, Gardner emphasized that the Bluejays must perform well if they hope to win.
"We know that (Del Norte) throws the ball and they have athletic receivers that can catch," said Gardner. "We need to focus on our defensive backs making plays."
