Correction appended
At some point, the Capital Jaguars have to beat the St. Michael’s Horsemen, right?
Jaguars head coach John Michael Salazar said it is bound to happen. It has been 18 years and 16 games since the Jaguars stormed off the football field in celebration of a win over the city’s most decorated program.
That 13-7 overtime win on a hot September day in 2005 remains the last time Capital beat the Horsemen. But the previous two matchups gave Jaguars faithful hope that a win is just around the corner.
Capital lost on a last-second touchdown in 2022 for a 28-24 loss at home, then a late rally from a 28-14 deficit fell short in the waning seconds in 2023, as the Horsemen held on for a 28-20 win.
Salazar, who was the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator the previous three seasons before taking the helm as head coach this fall, said the time will come for his alma mater to emerge victorious.
He hopes it’s Friday, as the two teams square off at 7 p.m. at Jaguar Field.
“It has to happen at some point,” Salazar said. “Our guys have been practicing hard all week and they understand that this is going to be quite a task this week. And I don’t need to remind them that [the Horsemen] are one of the better football programs in the state, regardless of class.”
If the upset does happen, it will come on the strength of an offense that finds an identity amid some unexpected changes, especially at quarterback. Ace Bachicha will get his first varsity start against the Horsemen, as he replaces senior Deaven Montaño after he sprained his ankle in last week’s 21-0 loss at Santa Fe High last week.
The offense was designed to accentuate Montaño’s arm and running ability but now must adjust to the younger, inexperienced Bachicha, who completed 12 of 23 passes against the Demons last week but only for 29 yards and a pick.
Salazar said Bachicha is starting to adjust to the faster speed of the game and of his receivers and running backs around him.
“It’s a different speed than [junior varsity],” Salazar said. “We have some burners and it’s just a matter of getting them the ball. That’s why we want to shorten up those routes and get the ball out quicker.”
St. Michael’s head coach Joey Fernandez said Bachicha showed toughness last week, but he doesn’t expect a huge deviation as far as how the Horsemen will prepare for him.
“[Montaño] was the guy they were banking on to get the ball down the field,” Fernandez said. “But that sophomore kid is pretty tough, and we’re preparing for him like we would have for Deaven.”
St. Michael’s also has a quarterback quandary, but it’s a good one for Fernandez to have. Senior Reed Bass and junior Kamal Stith alternated series during a dominating 42-0 home win over Taos, and both displayed their talents. The duo combined to connect on 13 of 16 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown by Stith.
Fernandez said Bass is the starter, but he likes the competition between the two and feels they can share duties.
“I want them to think that every practice, it’s a battle,” Fernandez said. “Whoever is the best is going to step out onto the field. Right now, Reed is the guy we expect to lead us, and Kamal is that guy that’s gonna give us that added weapon.”
As if the Horsemen needed more weapons. Their ground game churned out 160 yards against the Tigers, with no back gaining more than 45 yards and three of them recorded rushing touchdowns.
But the Horsemen are facing a tough Jaguar defense that kept Capital in the game, despite an offense that gained just 59 yards overall against the Demons. Salazar said turnovers were crucial in the game, as the Demons turned one of their three miscues into a touchdown.
“I have to give our defensive coordinator [James Pearlman] and our defense a lot of credit for Friday,” Salazar said. “It should have been a lot worse than it was. They dug deep and executed the way they were supposed to and kept us in the game for a while.”
Salazar said the Jaguars have to execute better overall, especially on the offensive end. He wants to see Capital make a more concerted effort with the ground game, which gained just 29 yards last week. If the Jaguars can run the ball, that will make life much easier on Bachicha.
“If we can do that, then we can start doing some play-action [plays],” Salazar said. “That has been a point of emphasis, telling our guys we need to get that run game going.”
If that happens, it might be enough for Capital to finally vanquish the Horsemen.
It has to happen at some point, right?
Correction: This story has been amended to reflect the following correction. A previous version of this story incorrectly reported St. Michael's had beaten Capital 17 times in 19 years.