"No more tears now; I will think about revenge." — Mary, Queen of Scots



Nobody is saying the St. Michael's football team enjoyed being on the wrong end of a 36-35 overtime loss to Raton on Oct. 23.

But the three-hour bus ride home wasn't exactly one full of tears or bitter remorse about what could have been.

"It was a quiet ride home, but I think most of us were thinking about how we could beat them in the playoffs rather than sitting there all pissed off about losing," said St. Michael's senior linebacker Mikey Aranda. "I don't know if revenge is the right word or not, but we knew then we'd be playing Raton again and we're happy we get this second chance to get it right."

Today in Raton, the Horsemen get their chance to avenge that Oct. 23 defeat, one of three revenge opportunities in the quarterfinal round of the Class AAA state football playoffs.

Albuquerque Academy kicked off the payback weekend in a big way Friday night, getting its retribution for a three-touchdown loss Oct. 16 in Bloomfield.

The No. 5 Chargers blew out host fourth-seeded Bloomfield 42-6 in Bloomfield.

Today, St. Michael's and Las Vegas Robertson are on different ends of the same scenario.

The Cardinals are looking to beat Socorro for a second time in just more than a month.

Robertson beat Socorro 20-13 on Oct. 16, only to get the tournament's No. 6 seed and find itself traveling to Socorro today to play the No. 3 Warriors, who enjoyed a first-round bye.

"I don't think our team overlooked them at all that first time we played them," Socorro head coach Damien Ocampo said. "I think they're just that tough and they just beat us. I honestly don't see a weakness in their team and that defense is so well coached. That defensive line, I honestly think it might be the best (AAA) defensive line in the state."

Ocampo's Warriors lost not only the game on Oct. 16, but starting quarterback Ryan Romero to a shoulder injury, one of no fewer than four Socorro players who have been lost for the season to injury.

For the No. 7 Horsemen, the drive north to Raton, the No. 2 seed, also will be a familiar one.

In head coach Joey Fernandez's eight years as a head coach, this is the fourth time the Horsemen have had a playoff rematch with a regular-season foe.

Each time, the regular season result was repeated in the playoffs — 2002, twice to Ruidoso; 2003, beat Ruidoso twice; 2004, lost to New Mexico Military twice (although NMMI later forfeited its playoff win); 2007, beat Robertson twice.

"I like rematches," Fernandez said. "Well, at least when we lose in the regular season."

For his Horsemen to flip the result, Fernandez said the game plan is surprisingly simple.

"We need to pound the ball (on offense) and get to the quarterback, stop giving him so much time to throw," Fernandez said.

For Raton, the hope is rust hasn't set in for what was a well-oiled machine during the team's 9-1 season. Raton's last meaningful game against St. Michael's.

Raton beat West Las Vegas 47-0 on Oct. 30, with the starters being rested after halftime.

Raton ended the regular season with a bye on Nov. 6, then came the playoff bye.

"I understand why and understand how it all turned out this way," said Raton head coach Brock Walton. "But if I had my choice, I don't think I'd ever want this long of a layoff. The hope is we don't take a quarter or so to get back to game speed. If we do that, a team as good as St. Mike's is going to be up on us 21-0 before we're used to the game speed again."

St. Michael's isn't counting on an unprepared Raton.

"They'll be ready, we know that," Aranda said. "We just have to make sure we're ready, too. Not everybody gets a second chance like we have. And as a senior, I know this isn't the last weekend I want to be playing football. We've had plenty of time to think about what went wrong that first game."

If the Horsemen don't exact their revenge today in Raton, the bus ride home for seniors like Aranda won't be one full of quiet contemplation about how to get the Tigers next time.

In the playoffs, there are no more second chances.

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3060 or ggrammer@sfnewmexican.com. Read his blog at grammerschoolblog.com.