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Sunray football shuts out Canadian in second half, nabs six interceptions for comeback win

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Sunray football shuts out Canadian in second half, nabs six interceptions for comeback win

Sunray football standout Armando Lujan has made a name for himself at the quarterback position throughout his four-year career with the Bobcats.

As a junior in 2023, Lujan accumulated more than 5,200 yards from scrimmage and 82 total touchdowns, leading Sunray to the Class 2A Division II state semifinals.

The standout signal caller added two more touchdown passes in a Week 5 victory over Canadian, another program coming off a trip to the state semifinals, but had just as big of an impact on the other side of the ball. Lujan grabbed three interceptions on Friday night, all coming in the second half of the Bobcats’ 30-20 win over the Wildcats.

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Sunray’s halftime adjustment

Andy Cavalier’s team jumped out to a 13-0 lead heading into the second quarter, but Lujan and the Bobcats’ defense were able to keep Sunray in contention. Arnold Mendoza scored to cap off a lengthy drive by the Bobcats, and an interception from Luke Grajeda, followed by a touchdown pass from Lujan to senior wideout Dawson Bennett, put Sunray ahead for the first time.

After the Canadian scored again with less than 20 seconds until halftime to take a 20-17 lead into the break, the Bobcats’ defense dominated the remainder of the contest.

“We gave up two big plays in the first half and one of them was for a touchdown, and the other one set them up in the red zone,” Sunray coach Wes Boatmun said after the game. “But we were making them snap the ball again, for the most part. We were making them snap the ball again, snap the ball again, and as long as we can do that, we have the chance to take the ball away, make a big play and we were able to come up with some key turnovers.

“We knew that if we could control the football in the second half and play sound defense, that we were going to put ourselves in a great position. We had confidence in our defense. I think they’ve given up an average of 12 points (per game) so far, and they gave up 20 in the first half and 0 in the second half. We don’t win this game without that type of effort, without six turnovers.”

Sunray held the Wildcats’ scoreless in the second half, containing junior running back Slayden Dickinson and both Canadian quarterbacks. Dickinson ran for more than 170 yards and two touchdowns in the first two quarters, but was completely bottled up in the second half.

Canadian’s QB woes

Part of this, however, was because Lujan and the Bobcats’ scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, retaking the lead and forcing the Wildcats’ to play from behind with a freshman commanding Cavalier’s offense. According to Canadian’s coach, senior signal caller Clay Kendall suffered an injury last week, leading to freshman quarterback Weston Mitchell getting the start on Friday.

“Clay Kendall, our senior quarterback, was injured last week,” Cavalier said. “We felt like going with Weston was the best thing for our team to do, and he did fine. You know, he’s a freshman put into a tough situation against a really good team, and I’m sure we’ll see some things he can do better, but I was certainly proud of his effort and the way he handled the whole situation.”

On a crucial drive after Sunray had regained the lead in the second half, Lujan intercepted a pass from Mitchell to give the ball back to the Bobcats. Cavalier pulled the first-year quarterback after his third interception of the night, electing to play Kendall as the Wildcats trailed by two scores and needed to begin mounting a comeback quickly.

Lockdown Lujan

Even with Canadian’s original starting quarterback for the 2024 season back on the field, however, Lujan grabbed two more interceptions to quell the Wildcats’ comeback chances. Dawson Bennett recorded his second interception of the night late in the fourth quarter to seal the game for Sunray, helping the Bobcats move to 5-0.

Despite being known on the recruiting trail as a quarterback, Lujan showcased his versatility with three interceptions on defense in Friday night’s win, potentially boosting his stock as National Signing Day draws closer.

“I was just really seeing the field,” Lujan said. “Looking at the quarterback, seeing where the grass is, where he was going to go to. So, I just read it, and I got the (interceptions).”

Up next

After a strong campaign last year, Boatmun’s team is off to a hot start in 2024 and has the chance to make another deep run in the postseason. Sunray has a bye next week, but will return to action on Friday, Oct. 11 in Spearman for the start of district play.

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