Pro football makes New Mexico debut


By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Rio Rancho’s second professional sports team made its home debut Saturday night as the New Mexico Wildcats played their first home game in the American Indoor Football League.

After falling behind by 21 points at halftime, New Mexico rallied to within a point twice in the second half. But the Wildcats fell to the Arizona Adrenaline for the third time this season, this time 63-40  before a crowd that appeared to be in excess of 3,000 at the Santa Ana Star Center, something the New Mexico Scorpions have seen only a handful of times in two seasons. Just how many of those admissions were paid was not disclosed.

After starting the season with four road games – including two blowout losses at Arizona – the Wildcats made their first appearance in their home debut in dark blue jerseys, white pants and plain white helmets, bringing to mind a Penn State look. But the indoor game, which includes a 50-yard field, scaled down penalties and goalposts and sideboards that allow hockey-like checks on out-of-bounds plays, differs greatly from the game you might see on Saturday, Sunday or Monday night.

But the excitement for football was there, especially when the home team rallied from a 35-14 halftime deficit by scoring three touchdowns to start the second half to pull within 35-34. But a two-point conversion attempted failed, as did a later attempt after the teams traded scores that made the score 41-40. But Arizona’s more consistent offense responded with a touchdown and the Adrenaline defense came up with three sacks in the next series, setting up Arizona’s offense only eight yards away for another score.

New Mexico quarterback Ronnie Simpson, a New Mexico Highlands product, was harassed all night. Arizona sacked him seven times, forced a fumble and harassed the New Mexico Highlands product into numerous hurried throws.

The home team’s offense struggled early. The Wildcats fumbled on their second play after gaining an initial first down on their first series; on the second, New Mexico’s field goal attempt was blocked.

New Mexico finally scored on its third drive, with Simpson hitting Darren Haliburton on back-to-back passes of 21 and 7 yards, the latter providing the score.  New Mexico overcame a sack on the series, something they couldn’t do the first two times it had the ball.

Arizona, meanwhile, scored on each of its five possessions, moving at ease while apparently en route to its third victory of the season over New Mexico. The Wildcats played their first four games of the season on the road, losing their inaugural contest at Arizona 66-21 and winning their second game 53-48 before dropping two straight at Wyoming 79-43 and Arizona again 74-26.

Fans seemed to pick up on the different rules and get into the game, especially when they figured out they coul d keep any ball kicked or thrown into the stands.

A few other rule differences:  A running clock stops only with a timeout or change of possession, and no punting means teams either attempt field goals or try to convert fourth-down situations, since end zones and goal posts are within range from anywhere on the field.

Other things you won’t see at a pro, college or high school game that happened in New Mexico’s first pro football game: a kickoff that went off the roof (New Mexico was given the ball at the 20); receivers playing a ricochet off the wall to make a catch; and one point awarded to Arizona for steering a kickoff through the uprights and into the stands in what is called a “rouge” in league terminology.

Arizona quarterback Chad DeGrenier completed 22 of 32 passes for 205 yards and eight touchdowns. Simpson was 15-of-26 for 192 yards and five touchdowns.

Arizona had 16 yards rushing compared to three for New Mexico.