Belen poses major challenge for Pirates

    GRANTS - What does your football team do when presented with the idea that the top-ranked team in the state is coming to town?

    Coach Hooper's Grants High School Pirates all seem to be of the same mindset when they think of undefeated Belen's visit to Grants Stadium tonight: it's a chance to seize an opportunity.

    “When do you ever get the opportunity to play the number one team in the state?” senior running back Brandon Rael said. “That's what our coaches are trying to let us know. It's a great opportunity, and something you'll look back on.”

    There's a lot at stake tonight, and unfortunately for the Pirates (5-3, 0-1 District 6-4A), more for them than the Eagles (8-0, 1-0). Conceivably, a Grants win could pay dividends come state tournament selection time, though a game at fourth-ranked Volcano Vista looms next week.

    The Eagles already have scripted their postseason plans, and they've done so with an impressive set of colors to choose from. Against Volcano Vista, in a 35-14 win, the Eagles leaned on quarterback Dylan Barba (four touchdowns, 120 yards) and tailback Danny Jaramillo (26 carries, 161 yards), in what actually turned out to be their lowest point output on the season.

    Of course, Belen does not win only by putting up major offensive numbers, though that can't certainly hurt. The Eagles are also staid on defense, allowing a mere 8.6 points per game this season.

“Teams don't score much on them,” Rael said. “Not to take anything away from them, but they're not on field much. The offense chews up the clock.”

    The 14 points Belen allowed Volcano Vista was the second-highest number they allowed this season. The highest? A look into Belen's second game of the year - at Aztec - might give the Pirates reason to believe they can move the ball against the visiting Eagles.

    Aztec passed for 377 yards in that game and if it's one thing the Pirates know, it's that their passing game hasn't had too much trouble moving the chains recently.

Grants has passed for 868 yards in its last three games, including a season-high 385 against Pojoaque.

    In terms of its running game, that's where the numbers fall off the charts, and not because Grants running backs are burning them up.

    Aztec rushed for 182 yards against Belen, but Grants hasn't totaled that many yards in a game for several weeks now. The low point of the season came last week at St. Pius, where Grants could not get positive numbers from its runners.

    “I think the last game was mostly the offensive line's fault by not manning up, including myself,” senior lineman Samuel Gonzales said. “But it will all change this week for our last home game. We will put up a fight.”

    Rael echoed this sentiment, and said that through the Pirates' first five games - where their running game was nearly unstoppable - linemen and running backs alike held the mentality that they could tear off big chunks of yards on any team in front of them.

    “I think we just believed we could run on those teams, and we felt more dominant,” he said. “It comes down to believing we can do things against the top teams in our district, even teams that are being praised for being high caliber. Sometimes we kind of doubt ourselves, I guess.”

Of course, that still leaves the Grants defense with the task of stopping the Eagles' offense enough to win the game, which no team has done all year long.

    “As long as everyone does their job, we can compete with them,” senior Derreck Hassell said. “We have to have the heart going into the game knowing we can complete the task.”  

And things are a little more urgent for Hassell, one of many seniors who hope that tonight's game won't be their last at home.

    “For me, and the other seniors, it means everyone should be playing to best of their abilities,” Hassell said. “It's one of our last home games, and we need to play like it's our last.” Tonight's game begins at 7  p.m. at “The Island.”