St. Pius football inches closer to Class 4A state championship game

There was one play that illustrated the difference between the football teams from St. Pius and Grants on Saturday afternoon.

And it really had nothing to do with the outcome.

It occurred three plays into the second quarter. St. Pius was leading the Pirates 14-7.

Sartans sophomore quarterback Isaiah Carpenter was under pressure in the pocket on a third-and-10 from the Grants 35.

So what did he do? He jumped, and he threw the ball 40 yards downfield, from the pocket to Curtis Flakes III just inside the 5-yard line. Flakes deked one defender and went into the end zone for a spectacular touchdown.

“When you talk about the natural ability a kid has, that Isaiah has, he just has that,” St. Pius coach Curtis Flakes Jr. said. “He’s a phenomenal athlete with a great arm.”

That play, more than any other, spoke to the difference in athleticism and talent between the teams, and demonstrated as much as anything why No. 2 St. Pius pounded seventh-seeded Grants 46-14 in the Class 4A quarterfinals at Milne Stadium.

The young Sartans (9-2) will play host to No. 6 seed Española Valley next Saturday at 1 p.m. in a semifinal at Nusenda Community Stadium.

St. Pius put up 43 points in the first half Saturday in a game that had decorum issues. Grants was flagged for nearly 200 yards in penalties, for example, and one of its players was ejected for an egregious late push on a St. Pius player that knocked him to the ground. It was extremely heated throughout.

“You know, we were in a district last year with Grants, so that rivalry has been there, right?” Flakes said. “It carries over the summer, with the kids chirping at each other. Sometimes it gets out of hand, so sometimes as coaches we have to make sure we draw them back in.”

Coming out of halftime, the officiating crew talked to both coaches, and the second half was less fiery than the first half. But the teams did not shake hands afterward.

The game saw 21 combined points in the first 2½ minutes.

Carpenter threw 50 yards to a wide open Cayl Cox-Liggins — this was an obvious botched coverage by the Pirates — 96 seconds into the game.

Grants’ Boudy Melonas returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a score for the Pirates (6-6).

But St. Pius struck again three plays later, with Carpenter and Bryan Thomas connecting on a 41-yard score for a 14-7 lead.

Carpenter’s amazing throw to Flakes III made it 21-7 and kick-started a 29-point second quarter for the Sartans.

“Sometimes in practice, (the coaches) have us throw from our knees,” he said. “When I threw it, it was a surprise. I saw him downfield and I just tried making the throw.”

Sophomore tailback Hershul Olloway Jr. took a handoff on St. Pius’ next possession and scampered 52 yards for a score. Grants cut the deficit to 28-14, but the Sartans scored two more touchdowns in the final 57 seconds of the first half, one a 1-yard run by Olloway and the other a 1-yard keeper by Carpenter following a Grants turnover.

“It felt like we had to make a statement,” Carpenter said. “Like, we’re not a fraud, and we’re here to compete and there’s nothing than can stop us.”

Aside from the kickoff return for a score, the other distinguishable statistic for Grants was a doozy: junior safety Isaiah Ortega intercepted four St. Pius passes, the first three off Carpenter.

“Our kids, we’ve been battle tested all year,” coach Flakes said. “We know other teams are gonna make plays, we just keep that cool burning enthusiasm about ourselves and stay the course.”

St. Pius and Española Valley did not meet in the regular season.

“We’re super excited for the opportunity,” Flakes said. The Sundevils beat up on an injured Sartans team in the first round of last year’s 4A playoffs.

“They beat us last year, it would be a good get-back game,” Carpenter said.

St. Pius football battles Grants in 4A quarterfinals: Photos