'Crazy, wasn't it?' Atrisco Heritage beats Eldorado, 70-64, on last-play miracle

Only one word seems fitting to describe a night like this one.

Indescribable.

Consider this: The Atrisco Heritage Academy football team had one-tenth of one second left on the clock Thursday night, in a game that was tied at 64 with Eldorado. An absolute epic of a battle that was a blink of an eye from extending into overtime.

And then consider what happened next, because there is unlikely to be a more spectacular or memorable finish to any prep football game in New Mexico this season.

Backup quarterback Landon Griego was brought in for the final two plays for Atrisco Heritage; two plays was all it took for the Jags to post one of the greatest wins in the history of the program.

Griego heaved a 37-yard, deflected Hail Mary touchdown pass to Andres Villalobos in the end zone on the game’s final play, and the Jaguars walked off the Eagles in stunning fashion, 70-64 in a three-hour, 30-minute carnival ride at Nusenda Community Stadium.

“Crazy, wasn’t it?” Atrisco Heritage coach Howard Knezevich said.

The teams combined, unofficially, for 1,317 yards — an astonishing 784 of them registered by the winners.

The final 37 of those yards were the most thrilling, and the most unexpected.

Griego, on a fourth down from the Eldorado 37, lofted a pass that appeared to hit the hands of an Eldorado defender at the goal line. There were several players from both teams in the vicinity as the ball floated down.

“It hits the pile,” Villalobos said, “and hops up perfectly for me to catch it.”

“Andres saved the day,” said Atrisco Heritage’s starting quarterback Latavious Morris. Plenty more on him momentarily.

Eldorado coach Charlie Dotson said one of his players had a chance to make a play on the Hail Mary.

"He tried to knock it down," Dotson said. "But it went through his hands."

Thus ended an often exhilarating back-and-forth battle that was, according to record keeping by the New Mexico Activities Association, the second highest-scoring 11-Man prep football regular-season game in the state’s history, and No. 3 overall.

Ironically enough, both Nos. 1 and 2 happened just last year. La Cueva and West Mesa combined for 151 points in the regular season; the Bears and Cleveland combined for 136 points in the Class 6A state final just a few weeks later.

“I’ve never been part of a game like this,” said Morris, a junior. “This was just unbelievable. I can’t believe it. I still can’t.”

On a night with any number of heroic performances — Eldorado QB Brandon Olivas threw for 477 yards and eight touchdown passes, for example — Morris was effective, elusive and, put simply, magnificent.

Morris finished 17-of-24 for 482 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed 23 times for 180 yards, including a sensational 80-yard scamper for a score in the third quarter.

“Crazy thing is,” he said, smiling, “this is my first time playing quarterback. I ain’t never played quarterback before.”

This wasn’t 100% accurate, as he played a couple of snaps at QB last week in a big win over Rio Grande. But he certainly had never been asked to start a game, nor had he ever been asked to produce like this at that position on a stage like this one.

But he infused this Jaguars offense with a fiery spark both on the ground and through the air.

“We wanted to get more athletic in there and we did,” Knezevich said. His starting quarterback, Dean Marquez, hasn’t played yet this season. He is expected next week versus Manzano, the coach said. Griego started Weeks 1 and 2 against Sandia and Rio Grande, respectively.

Morris, Knezevich said, was “tremendous.”

Atrisco Heritage (2-1) never trailed Thursday, although the Eagles (1-2) were usually relatively close in the rear-view mirror.

The Jaguars led 20-7 after the first quarter, on two TD passes by Morris, one each to Marquise Renfro and to freshman Deon Session, who finished with three TD receptions in a coming-out-party type of performance.

Atrisco extended to a 36-13 lead following two TD hookups between Morris and Villalobos, covering 25 and 67 yards, in the second quarter, although Eldorado slashed the deficit to 42-27 by halftime.

The Eagles were persistent and solid throughout. They finished with 531 yards of offense and didn’t turn it over. The Jags turned it over twice, both in the second half, and both leading to Eldorado touchdowns.

Morris’ 80-yard TD run made it 56-42 Atrisco Heritage late in the third. Olivas threw a 6-yard TD pass to Daniel Quiñones just before the end of the quarter. And the Eagles finally completed the comeback when Olivas threw again to Quiñones, a 15-yard scoring play with 1:05 to go to square the game at 64-all. That score was set up by Morris’ only real mistake, an interception at the other end with just over four minutes remaining.

After Eldorado tied the game, Tatum Garcia of the Jaguars blocked the ensuing extra point that would have put Eldorado in front.

“With that block,” Villalobos said, “it was definitely motivation for us to drive down the field.”

Atrisco Heritage started the game-winning drive at its 34. Morris threw 13 yards to Renfro on a big third-and-3 to keep the drive going.

Josh Jackson caught four touchdown passes for Eldorado in the loss. Olivas finished 30-for-44 passing.

Villalobos, a senior, finished with five catches for 165 yards, plus another 77 rushing yards.

ATRISCO HERITAGE 70, ELDORADO 64

• Eldorado 7 20 23 14 — 64
• Atrisco Heritage 20 22 14 12 — 70

Scoring: AH, Marquise Renfro 55 pass from Latavious Morris (2-point conversion); AH, Andres Villalobos 37 run (pass failed); E, Josh Jackson 36 pass from Brandon Olivas (Emiliano Morrison kick); AH, Deon Session 6 pass from Morris (kick failed); E, JP Rudi 8 pass from Olivas (kick blocked); AH, Villalobos 25 pass from Morris (Villalobos run); AH, Villalobos 67 pass from Morris (Morris run); E, Jackson 60 pass from Olivas (2-point pass); AH, Session 75 pass from Morris (pass failed); E, Jackson 40 pass from Olivas (kick failed); E, Josiah Mitchell 20 pass from Olivas (Jackson run); AAH, Renfro 2 run (pass failed); E, Jackson 23 pass from Olivas (Morrison kick); AH, Morris 80 run (Villalobos run); E, Daniel Quiñones 6 pass from Olivas (Mitchell run); AH, Renfro 26 pass from Morris (Morris run); E, Rudi 2 run (Olivas pass to Jessie Wells); E, Quiñones 15 pass from Olivas (kick blocked); AH, Villalobos 37 pass from Landon Griego (no PAT). Records: AH 2-1; E 1-2.

First downs: E 20; AH 20. Rushes-yards: E 15-54; AH 37-265. Passing: E 30-44-0—477; AH, 17-24-1—519. Total offense: E 531; AH 784. Punts-avg.: E 2-21.5; AH 1-42.0. Fumbles-lost: E 1-0; AH 3-1. Penalties-yards: E 10-90; AH 16-160.

VALLEY 35, ST. PIUS 0: At Milne Stadium, Bronson Vigil scored a pair of first-half touchdowns, including one on a fumble return, and Daniel Garcia III for the second time this season returned a kickoff for a touchdown as the Vikings (2-1) blanked the Sartans (1-2).

Vigil’s fumble return late in the first half staked Valley to a 21-0 lead.

Garcia took the opening kickoff of the second half 95 yards for a TD and a 28-0 bulge. Garcia also returned a kickoff for a score on opening night against Bernalillo.

Valley’s defense has only surrendered 15 points through three games.

High school football photos: Eldorado vs. Atrisco Heritage