Scoreboard B-2 Generation Next B-5 Weather B-6 Time Out B-7 Comics B-8
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013 THE NEW MEXICAN
SPORTS
Protection 101: College-bound teens learn how to fend off attacks, avoid dangerous situations. Generation Next, B-5
NFL PATRIOTS 13, JETS 10
Patriots squeak by Jets By Howard Ulman The Associated Press
Patriots wide receiver Aaron Dobson catches a pass in front of Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson and heads for a first-quarter touchdown Thursday. CHARLES KRUPA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Changes in the air for state’s schools F
all doesn’t officially begin until Sept. 22, but Mother Nature rang it in early for Northern New Mexico. And that wind of change might as well be a signal for the winds of change that are coming all too soon. Many schools are treading close to the 40-day enrollment count that will ultimately decide the future of alignment and classifiJames cation in the state Barron for the next two Commentary years. Many Northern schools will be holding their breath to see where enrollment figures end up and how that will affect them for the 2014-15 school year. With that in mind, here is what the crystal ball says will play out when the official classification and alignment proposal is stamped in November: u Santa Fe High will be in Class AAAAAA. Not that this is the biggest surprise. Last year’s approved proposal had the city’s largest high school again in the state’s largest classification, and as one of the smallest schools. What Santa Fe Public Schools can only hope is that the Demons are not placed in the district with the Rio Rancho schools, Cibola and Volcano Vista. The Rio Rancho schools are strong across the board, while Volcano Vista has emerged as a threat in several sports (football, girls basketball, baseball and softball). Santa Fe High has come a long way in being more competitive in AAAA (soon to be AAAAA), but you can count one sport where it can compete right away — girls basketball. That’s about it. u A last-minute appeal by the private school district brings back the old District 2AAA. OK, this is a long shot at best, but Northern New Mexico can dare to dream, right? The plan right now is for District 3AAA to include St. Michael’s and Santa Fe Indian School with Albuquerque private schools Hope Christian, Sandia Prep and Bosque School, plus charter school East Mountain. The six schools already are grumbling about how convenient it was for the NMAA to form an all-nonpublic school district. This would be a fair compromise. There would still be four close-range schools in 3AAA, and the NMAA can benefit from the return of perhaps the state’s most competitive — and intense — district. Remember how much fun the basketball season was from 2004 to 2010? Perhaps the best time to be a fan — and a reporter. u District 4AA will be the best district in AA … when Mora moves down. The school’s enrollment has been declining slowly over the past 10 years or so, and this year’s numbers might be enough to push it into the AA (currently A) area. That would end the long-standing district rivalry with Pecos (sorry, Panthers fans), but look at what Ranger fans get. Peñasco. Mesa Vista. McCurdy. Escalante. Questa. Back when there was a 3AA, that district was a roller-coaster ride every week during the district season. With Mora in the fray, it would be even more fun. It’s conceivable that every team in the district could get into the state tournament. Now how much fun would that be?
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One picture-perfect pass started the New England Patriots toward an ugly win. Tom Brady threw a 39-yard touchdown to a wide-open Aaron Dobson on the game’s first series before both offenses played as sloppily as the second-
half weather, and the Patriots got by the New York Jets 13-10 on Thursday night. Brady had trouble connecting with his rookie-filled receiving corps, while Jets rookie Geno Smith was sacked four times when he took too much time to find someone to throw to. The Patriots (2-0) managed just nine first downs after lead-
ing the NFL in points and yards last season. The Jets (1-1) cut the lead to 13-10 on Bilal Powell’s 3-yard touchdown run with 5:05 left in the third quarter. But Smith threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, two to Aqib Talib and one to Alfonzo Dennard. Talib’s second with 38 seconds
Please see nfL, Page B-2
B Starting strong Brandt Snedeker zooms out front in the BMW Championship with a string of birdies and an 8-under 63. Page B-2
PREP FOOTBALL
QUICK STUDY AT QB
St. Michael’s quarterback Keith Dominguez looks to throw the ball during Saturday’s game against St. Pius X. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN
Keith Dominguez off to 2-0 start at center stage for the Horsemen By Will Webber The New Mexican
F
or two years, he was the shadow man. Now, he’s the guy standing center stage. Inserted this summer as the starting quarterback of the defending Class AAA state championship football team, senior Keith Dominguez is literally learning on the job with the St. Michael’s Horsemen. Rest assured, the rest of the state is watching. “It’s a challenge for him, but he’s a senior and he’s been in our system for a while,” said St. Michael’s head coach Joey Fernandez. “Coming into this year, I was more concerned about the offensive line, to be honest with you. I knew Keith would be fine. It was that line that worried me.” In two games, Dominguez is making the most of his one-and-done season under center. He has completed 61 percent of his passes and has thrown
for 426 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Most importantly: He is 2-0 as a starter. His predecessor, Cory Serna, would be proud. In his two-plus seasons as a starter he went 26-1, led the Horsemen to consecutive berths in the state championship game and guided the team to its third title in 10 years. Since Serna graduated, it’s all on Dominguez to carry the load of that amazing run. “I don’t really feel any pressure because that’s not the kind of person I am,” he said. “It’s my turn, but this team is about so much more than one player. The line, the defense. Everyone’s doing their part.” Whereas Serna wore a nontraditional quarterback number on his jersey (24), Dominguez is going with a more conventional digit (7) in honor of his favorite player, fellow left-handed quarterback Michael Vick.
inside u Capital blanked by Albuquerque Valley. u Football notebook: Demon’s defense a matter of perspective. Page B-3
So far, Dominguez hasn’t shown much of Vick’s get-up-and-go approach for running the ball. In wins over Bloomfield and St. Pius, he has minus18 rushing yards, mostly due to getting sacked on dropbacks. “I can be fast, but not Michael Vick fast,” Dominguez said. “I wish. I guess I’ll just have to do other stuff on my own.” Fernandez said his QB has the green light to run. He attributes Dominguez’s lack of rushing yardage to the one thing that is becoming his strength. “Poise,” Fernandez said. “He is very composed in
Please see QB, Page B-3
PREP SOCCER
Demons fall to Tigers in OT By Edmundo Carrillo The New Mexican
Santa Fe’s Armando Hernandez, left, challenges Los Lunas’ Ryan Romero for the ball during the second half Thursday at Santa Fe High School. LUIS SÁNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN
Minutes after Los Lunas sophomore midfielder Chris Lovato scored a first-half goal to set the tone for Los Lunas 4 what would SFHS 3 become a 4-3 Tigers overtime victory, rain started coming down hard at Santa Fe High. “We play better in the rain, boys,” Demons head coach A.J.
Sports information: James Barron, 986-3045, jbarron@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Kristina Dunham, kdunham@sfnewmexican.com
Herrera yelled at his team from the sideline. In the 33rd minute, as rain was pounding the artificial turf, Santa Fe High’s Ruben Guzman knocked in a goal from the corner to tie the match. Shortly after that, Santa Fe High’s Daniel Matzir was fouled in the box to allow fellow Demon and team-leading scorer Josue De Luna to attempt a penalty kick. As De Luna was setting up to
take the kick, Los Lunas goalkeeper Dylan Romero received a yellow card for delaying the match. As a result of the yellow card, Romero had to be substituted out of the game. Lovato took his place in the net for the penalty kick, but De Luna’s confidence did not sway knowing that he was not going up against the starting goalkeeper. “I go into every penalty kick with a lot of confidence since
Please see socceR, Page B-3
BREAKING NEWS AT www.santafenewmexican.com