By G. Demarest
Estancia High’s Zeke Tapia rushed for three touchdowns in the first quarter as the Bears rolled to a 54-20 win over the visiting Navajo Prep Eagles in last Friday’s home-opener.
Tapia’s first TD was a 53-yard scamper down the left side on the second play from scrimmage.
Estancia’s Caleb Ortiz fighting off Navajo Prep defenders. Photo by Julie Carter.
His second touchdown came on the Bears’ next possession following a big pass completion to Caleb Ortiz—which also included a face mask penalty—that put the Bears inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line.
On first-and-goal from the 2-yard line Tapia scooted into the end zone untouched.
On the Bears’ next possession Matthew Urban’s touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty, but two plays later Moises Anaya took a screen pass 29 yards to put the Bears up 19-0.
Tapia’s third TD of the stanza, a 21-yard jaunt four minutes into the game, gave the Bears a 26-0 lead.
When asked if his offensive line was opening up big holes or was he just determined to score, Tapia said, “All of it!”
The Bears scored on all of their first-quarter possessions, capitalizing on two Navajo Prep turnovers and an Eagle offense that never got started.
Twice the Eagles went for it on fourth down and failed to convert, and the Bears answered with touchdowns: quarterback Isaiah Chavez ran for a 42-yard score, and Adam Lujan added a 36-yard touchdown to push the Bears lead to 40-0 with 1:15 still left in the quarter.
With a 40-point advantage after the first quarter the Bears played many of their back-ups and JV players the rest of the game.
