'TOPPERS DO THEIR PART BUT DON'T EXPECT BID.

Byline: GEOFF GRAMMER

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

LOS ALAMOS -- Senior wing back Ryan Schleft walked around to his teammates, one-by-one, shaking their hand and thanking them for giving him a memorable senior season.

"We had some ups and downs," said Schleft, who capped his senior season with 16 carries, 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns. "Well, we had a lot of downs this season, but to come out and end the year with a win and be runners-up in the district, I think that shows how we came together as a family this year and never quit."

Even by clinching the District 2AAAA runner-up trophy with Friday's 35-18 win over Capital at Sullivan Field, the Hilltoppers (4-6 overall, 3-1 in district) are holding no hope they'll be playing next week in the state tournament.

"Four wins? No, we won't be playing (in state)," said Los Alamos head coach Bob Scott.

Capital head coach Stephen Castille, whose team finishes 3-7 overall and 2-2 in district, said he doesn't know of a time that the New Mexico Activities Association football seeding committees have not invited a district runner-up. The NMAA's bylaws, however, stipulate only district champions and six at-large selections will play in the 12-team state playoffs.

Regardless, the Hilltoppers had the look of a team trying to extend their season Friday night.

The team rushed 49 times for 318 yards and ran its ball-control, clock-killing offense to near perfection. In the second quarter, Scott-ball was at its best as the Hilltoppers ran

23 plays to just four for Capital. The Los Alamos offense ate up 10 minutes, 26 seconds of the 12-minute quarter, turning an early Capital advantage into a 14-12 halftime lead.

"With a team like Los Alamos, you can't get away with that," Castille said. "You have to take advantage of every possession because when they have the ball, they'll just keep it away from you the whole game if they can."

Capital, and junior running back Kevin Morales in particular, made the most of the team's few possessions in the first half. Morales capped the team's only first-quarter drive with a 7-yard touchdown run for a 6-0 lead.

Los Alamos answered with an 11-play,

61-yard drive capped by a 1-yard Kory Balog touchdown run, putting the 'Toppers up 7-6 with 6:17 remaining in the second quarter.

The lead wouldn't last long. Los Alamos kicked the ball short to Morales, who tight-roped his way down the right sideline for a 75-yard kick return touchdown and a 12-7 lead.

"I think I had a good game," said Morales, who had 17 carries for 60 yards. "And I think we all played hard, but this season was frustrating. Our goal was to go to state and when that doesn't happen, its frustrating.

"But we have a good group coming back for next year. I'm going to start working on the (2010) state playoffs tomorrow."

After both Morales touchdowns, Los Alamos senior Wade Archuleta broke through the Jaguars' line and blocked the extra point tries. Those were two of four costly special-teams snafus that cost the Jaguars the game.

In the second half, Los Alamos decided against any more long kickoffs, instead going to short, squib kicks. Capital failed to recover two kicks, giving the Hilltoppers the ball in Jaguars territory twice in the third quarter.

Even more costly, however, was a touchdown-saving tackle made by senior quarterback/defensive back Beau Graham midway through the third quarter.

As Balog was scampering down the left sideline for a 48-yard gain with the game still close at 14-12, Graham brought the Hilltoppers quarterback down on the sideline, but dislocated his left shoulder in the process.

"By the time I got over there to the sideline, the (Los Alamos) team doctor had already popped it back in place," Castille said. "But obviously, he was done."

The Jaguars went to junior T.J. Wisdom at quarterback, the team's fourth quarterback on the depth chart as the other two Graham backups were not available.

Graham finished with nine carries for 3

8 yards. Wisdom rushed five times for 15 yards and led the Jaguars on a late touchdown drive that ended with a 15-yard Anthony Segura run that cut the lead to 35-18 with 1:30 left in the game.

"That's a tough position to put (Wisdom in," Castille said. "He's never played quarterback, but did OK for us."

But Friday belonged to Schleft, Balog, Archuleta and the rest of the Hilltoppers.

Balog, who carried the ball 10 times for

72 yards and a touchdown and threw for an 18-yard touchdown pass, is one of several key juniors returning in 2010 for Scott's Hilltoppers. Another promising glimpse of the future on Friday came from junior wingback David Brock, who carried the ball 19 times for 104 yards.

"If we find some linemen, and maybe some kids to throw to, they could be pretty good," Scott said. "We have some good runners coming back, so that's something to look forward to for next year."

That is, if the veteran coach doesn't get an unexpected playoff call sometime tonight.

Contact Geoff Grammer at 986-3060.newmexican.com. Read his blog at grammerschoolblog.com.