The Los Alamos High School Hilltoppers charge onto Angelo Dipaolo Memorial Stadium in Gallup to play the Miyamura Patriots in their final conference game Friday and to maintain their undefeated record, which they did by a score of 42-10. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Jordan Herrera runs for 249 yards and scores 4 touchdowns. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By MIKE COTE
Sports Writer
Los Alamos Daily Post
With a late second quarter push, the Los Alamos Hilltopper football team broke open its game against the Miyamura Patriots to secure a big win and an undefeated regular season.
The Hilltoppers led by just a 7-3 count with time winding down in the first half before back-to-back scores on two possessions with under 3 minutes remaining in the half upped the Hilltopper edge to 21-3.
The Hilltoppers would go on to dominate the second half and earn a 42-10 Halloween night victory over the Patriots at Angelo Dipaolo Stadium in Gallup.
With the win, Los Alamos closed out its regular season with a perfect 10-0 record. Its season will continue in the 2025 Class 5A playoffs – the playoff bracket is scheduled to be released Saturday.
It’s the second time Los Alamos has gone undefeated in the regular season in recent memory. The Hilltoppers pulled off the same feat in the 2006 season.
Los Alamos star running back Jordan Herrera ran for 249 yards and 4 touchdowns Friday night. Herrera’s big night got jump started in the second quarter, scoring from 24 yards out with 2:48 remaining.
Herrera had the lion’s share of his success running between the tackles, then running through the Patriot secondary, which struggled to bring him down. He opened up the scoring for the Hilltoppers with a 9-yard run up the middle for a touchdown less than 4 minutes into the game.
Miyamura (4-6 overall, 3-4 in district) looked like it would give Los Alamos a run for its money in the early part of the game. Miyamura’s offense drove deep into Hilltopper territory twice in the early part of the game – its first drive was stopped by an interception in the end zone by Tyler Jones.
With the Patriots trailing by just one score, they put together their best drive of the night, starting late in the first quarter and continuing past the halfway point of the second quarter, led by some solid short passes from quarterback Salid Rashid.
That drive started on the Miyamura 3-yard line and finished up at the Hilltopper 5, but a dropped pass and a pass break-up by Carlo Baca prevented the Patriots from getting into the end zone and tying the score.
Rashid ended up 14-for-30 passing for 154 yards. In the second half, Los Alamos’ defensive backs adjusted very well and Rashid’s effectiveness was limited.
Hilltopper quarterback Hayden Watkins went 11-for-17 and a touchdown on a solid night for him.
The Hilltopper offense also displayed some creativity Friday, with Jones scoring on a double-reverse from 24 yards out and even the Hilltopper linemen getting involved on a crazy double-pitch out, netting a 2-point conversion for Frank Sheppard.
Los Alamos, which officially won the district title with its win a week earlier, will now wait to see where it ends up in the 2025 playoffs. The first round of the playoffs is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 at various sites around the state.
Sebastian Primero takes the opening kickoff to start the game on a beautiful night for football in Gallup. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Topper quarterback Hayden Watkins rolls out looking for a receiver. He went 11-for-17 and scored a touchdown. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
The Topper defense was on top of its game, keeping the Patriots out of the end zone and allowing just one touchdown and a field goal. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Jordan Herrera carries the Patriot defenders onto the end zone to score his 3rd touchdown. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Ben Brousseau catches a pass from quarterback Hayden Watkins in the second quarter. Brousseau scores one touchdown for the night. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com