Foxes score about every way possible

News & notes

Even if they don’t often do it by passing, the Fort Sumner Foxes showed Friday night that they have a variety of ways to score.

The Foxes didn’t complete a pass while running up more than 400 yards rushing in their season-opening 60-0 rout of Hagerman at Fort Sumner. But in one stretch spanning the second and third quarters, they tallied three consecutive touchdowns off Hagerman mistakes.

Already leading 25-0, sophomore Derek Dimitroff returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore Ryan Fikany then brought a punt return back 50 yards for a score, making it 40-0 at halftime.

When play resumed, Jameson West rambled 35 yards with a blocked punt for the first of three second-half tallies.

Early returns would indicate Fort Sumner is poised for a run at a third consecutive Class 1A championship.

“The kids know what it takes, and we’ve got some good talent back there,” veteran Foxes coach Mario Martinez said. “They’ve put in lots of hours (preparing) over the last four or five years.”

Perhaps the only downer was a knee injury to senior center-inside linebacker John Sena. Martinez said he wasn’t sure how long Sena might be out, but was encouraged by the fact there appeared to be little swelling.

“We’re hoping and praying,” Martinez said. “He’s been a big part of our program.”

Off to a fast start

Junior tailback-cornerback Hugo Vazquez, playing his first varsity game, got off to a flying start in Farwell’s 22-12 victory over Plains.

Vazquez, who played junior varsity ball last season, scored all three Steers touchdowns and was a workhorse in the backfield with 195 yards on 26 carries. He also made his presence felt on defense with a pass interception.

“I was real pleased with our effort tonight,” Farwell coach Jacob Thompson said after the game. “We had some kids who really stepped up. Hugo ran the ball well, and our offensive line blocked extremely well.”

Farwell’s defense turned it up after the intermission, blanking the Cowboys while holding them to minus-6 yards in the third quarter and just 14 yards in the second half.

Baskett hauls in TD pass

Lost in the hype over New Mexico’s Katie Hnida becoming the first woman to score in a Division I college football game with two fourth-quarter extra-point kicks — the Lobos routed Texas State-San Marcos 72-8 in Saturday’s opener — was the fact that both touchdowns were scored by area athletes.

Clovis grad Hank Baskett caught a 20-yard TD pass from third-string quarterback Tali Ena while Muleshoe’s Danny Ramirez went in on an 11-yard run. For the game, Baskett had two receptions for 31 yards, and Ramirez carried four times for 13 yards.