Sierra Grande Panthers score 102 points
Compiled by JJ Gerlach | jjgerlach@alamosacitizen.com
THIS past Thursday, the Sierra Grande Panthers and the La Veta Redhawks combined to score 160 points. This is more than any other game this season. The Panthers alone put up 102 points.
“It was kind of a crazy game, no matter what we did we couldn’t pull away from them,” says Luis Corona, head coach of the Panthers. At the end of the game, sophomore quarterback Aron Ojeda totaled 684 yards and 11 touchdowns, nine of them passing.
Corona, who is in his fifth year coaching the Panthers, has a record of 24-15, including a 9-1 season last year which ended with a second round playoff loss. Corona says he feels Sierra Grande is starting to build a strong football program, with increased attendance, a new football field, and more involvement in the sport at different levels in the district.
The Panthers are 5-2 this season, also going 3-1 in their league thus far. Sierra Grande is led by senior Angelo Lucero who is their running back, free safety, and team captain. Lucero has totaled 22 touchdowns along with four interceptions. Before Thursday’s game, Sierra Grande beat all three of its prior opponents by a combined score of 175-0. “That doesn’t really happen very often in 6 man football, I know these kids take pride in their defense,” says Corona about the three straight shutouts.
What’s Next
Sierra Grande has three more games in the regular season, including fourteenth ranked Cotopaxi, a team the Panthers have beaten in back to back seasons. Corona states “we know (Cotopaxi) is gonna be really good. It’s one of those games where you’re going to have to be able to challenge yourself and overcome adversity.” The Panthers regular season ends with a rematch against Granada, the team that beat Sierra Grande in the playoffs last season.
