Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Mules vs. Friona (10-21-2016)

Mules vs. Friona (10-21-2016)

The Mules were hungry Friday night after a disappointing loss the previous week at the hands of the River Road Wildcats. The Friona Chieftains had almost beaten those same Wildcats but a late game penalty cost the Chiefs the win. 

Friona provided little competition for the Mules. The Mules jumped on the Chiefs early and often to lead 35-0 at the intermission. They added three more touchdowns before the game ended. Friona scored with just two minutes remaining in the game. 

The Mules defeated Friona 54-7. 

Michael Lozano kicked off for the Mules and Friona allowed the ball to roll out of bounds. Lozano kicked off from five yards farther back after the penalty was imposed. He booted the ball to the Friona 18 and the Chiefs returned the ball to the Friona 41. Isaac Mendoza made the tackle for the Mules. 

The Chiefs were successful on first down with a 25-yard pass to the Mule 34. A run up the middle resulted in a two-yard gain. Three illegal procedure penalties backed the Chiefs up to near midfield. Dagen Dunham’s rushed from the outside and sacked the quarterback for a six-yard loss. 

An incomplete pass on third down forced the Chiefs to punt. The snap was low and bounced away from the punter. Dunham and Cesar Olvera met at the punter as he was attempting to pick up the ball. The ball was knocked back to the Friona 37 before it was covered. 

Beto Diaz tossed a screen pass to Yoel Reyes and Dunham was clearing his path. Y. Reyes ran through an arm tackle for a 19 yard gain to the Friona 18. Diaz then threw an 18-yard strike to Jason Florez at the goal line for the Mules’ first score. Arturo Contreras booted his first of six extra points for a 7-0 Mule lead. 

Lozano kicked off to the Friona 13 and the ball skipped by the return man. The Chief raced back and picked up the ball at the one-yard line and returned to the Friona six before being tackled. 

Donovan Gutierrez sacked the quarterback for a two-yard loss on first down. Moises Vasquez and Dominik Hasley made the stop after a two-yard gain on second down. A rare Friona pass was good for a 19-yard gain to the Friona 25. 

The Chiefs gained no ground on first down and Vasquez chased down the running back attempting to get wide for a five-yard loss on second down. Mario “Boo” Flores batted down the Friona third-down pass to force the Chiefs to punt. 

The punt went out of bounds at the Mule 41. 
Florez went in motion on first down and Diaz tossed a screen pass to Flores that was good for 10 yards. Diaz kept on second down for three yards. A defender slipped down as Florez zipped down the field along the Friona sideline. Diaz delivered him the ball at the Chief 15 and he was pushed out of bounds 10 yards from a touchdown. 

Friona jumped off sides on first down. Javy Perez then ran off tackle for a five-yard touchdown to give the Mules a 14-0 lead. 

Friona went three and out after the Mule kickoff. The Chiefs punted to the Mule 46 where the ball was killed. 

The Mules quickly moved down field and scored on a 16-yard run up the middle by Perez on the first play of the second period. The kick was good and the Mules led 21-0 with 11:17 left in the half. 

Friona fumbled the ball on first down and Florez recovered at the Mule 47. 

The Chiefs jumped offside on first down giving the Mules a free play. Diaz threaded a needle and dropped the ball in the hands of Florez as he streaked down field while being triple covered. Florez was tackled at the Friona 25. 

A reverse flea flicker by the Mules saw Florez pitch the ball back to Diaz. Diaz passed to Lozano and he avoided two tackles and then was pulled into the end zone by a Friona defender to put the Mules on top 28-0. 

Brady Martinez recovered a Friona fumble on the Mule four-yard line. 

It only took the Mules three plays to go the 96 yards to pay dirt and consumed 59 seconds off the clock. It was capped off with a 59-yard pass and run to Florez with just under two minutes remaining in the half. The Mules led 35-0 at the intermission.

Friona kicked off to start the second half and the Mules drove 64 yards in eight plays. Diaz connected with R. Reyes for a 17-yard touchdown for a 41-0 Mule lead with just under nine minutes left in the third quarter. 

Florez intercepted a Chieftain pass near midfield. The Mules moved 46 yards on four plays and scored on a five-yard toss from Diaz to Dunham with 4:35 left in the third period. The Mules led 47-0. 

Diaz connected with Villa for a 13-yard touchdown pass and run to cap off a six-play 78-yard drive to put the Mules up 54-0. 

Friona scored with two minutes left in the game on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The extra-point kick ended all scoring. 

Diaz completed 18 of 22 passes for 368 yards and six touchdowns to five receivers. He rushed six times for 25 yards. Diaz completed passes to 10 different receivers. 

Florez led all receivers with four catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Lozano led the Mules in rushing with two carries for 56 yards and he caught two passes for 50 yards and one touchdown.

Villa carried seven times for 48 yards and made three receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown. Perez rushed twice for 25 yards and two touchdowns. He caught one pass for 27 yards. 

Dunham had two receptions for 30 yards and one touchdown. R. Reyes made two catches for 25 yards and one touchdown. Y. Reyes had one catch for 18 yards and Martinez caught one pass for 16 yards. I. Mendoza made one reception for 13 yards and Flores had one catch for 10 yards. 

The Mules never punted and only ran one fourth down play and finished the night with 25 first downs. 

The Mules will host the Littlefield Wildcats Friday night for the 2016 installment of the “War on 84”.  

Monday, October 24, 2016

Jr High Cross Country-District Meet (10-18-2016)

Jr High Cross Country-District Meet (10-18-2016)

The Mule junior high cross-country team won the 2016 District 1-3A Meet on the modified three-mile course in Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock Tuesday. Two of the Mules won individual medals. 

Brandon Ramirez set the pace for the Mules with a bronze medal time of 13 minutes and 7.47 seconds. Josh Estraca earned the tenth place medal with a time of 14:02.87. 

The Lady Mule junior high team earned the team silver on the two-mile modified Mae Simmons Park course with a total of 39 points and were just six points out of first place.

Girls Picture: Julianna Aviles, Cenzi Morris, Kayla Soto, Kylee Villa, Natalie Ambriz, Anahi Barrera, Araceli Hernandez, Jordan Zapata, Anzley Rodriguez, Paige Parker, Alina Elizarraraz, Mariah Gonzales 

Kylee Villa earned the individual silver medal with a time of 14:19.54. Anzley Rodriguez won the fifth place medal with a time of 15:20.71. Kayla Soto finished seventh with a time of 15:27.78. 

The Lady Mules will now start basketball practice.   

JV Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

JV Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

The JV Mules scored a touchdown in the both the first and fourth quarters and that proved to be enough to defeat the Friona Chieftains 12-6. The Mules are a perfect 3-0 in district and 5-2 on the season. 

Raul Sierra connected with Fabian Valdez in the opening period with a pass that went for a touchdown. After Julian Astorga recovered a Chieftain fumble in the fourth period, the combo worked their magic again with just six minutes left in the game. That pass and run went for 33 yards. 

Sierra was 12 of 24 passing attempts for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 29 yards. Ryan Rodriguez carried four times for 26 yards, Corbin Hardwick rushed seven times for 24 yards and Sergio Solano had two tries for nine yards. 

Valdez led the Mules in receiving with three catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Izaiah Hurtado made three receptions for 41 yards and Solano had two catches for 18 yards. Rodriguez, Matthew DeLeon and JoJo Rejino had one catch each for nine, five and two yards respectively. 

The Mules rushed 22 times for 88 yards and passed 24 times for 133 yards for a total of 221 yards of offense. 

Julian Astorga led the Mule defense with 11 tackles and recovered two fumbles. Rodriguez and Hardwick made seven tackles each, Jacob Kettner and Jose Quintana had six tackles each. Hurtado made four tackles and intercepted a pass.

The Mules are on the road again this week in Littlefield against the Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM Thursday afternoon.  

9th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

9th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

The freshmen Mules stampeded over the Friona Chieftains Thursday night in Friona 48-6. The Mules jumped out to a 20-6 lead after just one quarter. The Mules added 14 points in the second period to lead the Chiefs 34-6.

The Mules outscored Friona 8-0 in the third period and 6-0 in the final frame for the win. 

Matthew Alarcon led the Mule offense by completing 13 of 21 passes for 330 yards, two touchdowns and one two-point conversion. He rushed seven times for 29 yards and a two-point conversion. Alarcon also caught two passes for nine yards and made one tackle. 

Jose Cardenas caught four passes for 168 yards, with three being for touchdowns, and made three tackles. Elio Sanchez made three receptions for 67 yards, one touchdown and one two-point conversion. He also had two tackles. 

Kelan Florez caught one pass for 38 yards, scored two two-point conversions and made two tackles. He completed three of four pass attempts for 41 yards and one touchdown. Jesus Montiel rushed seven times for 68 yards and scored one touchdown and a two-point conversion. He also caught two passes for 31 yards and made two tackles. 

Damian Juarez rushed four times for 14 yards. Cristian Bustillos made two catches for 35 yards and one touchdown, forced a fumble and made seven tackles. Jimmy Villa made one catch for 12 yards. Kynton Haseloff had one reception for 11 yards. 

Eddie Vasquez recorded five tackles and forced a fumble, Cruz Cortez made three tackles and Osvaldo Nunez had two tackles. Steven Atwood, Tyler Moellar, Santiago Reza and Nathan Rodriguez made one tackle each. 

The Mules rushed 18 times for 111 yards, made 16 receptions for 371 yards for a total offense of 482 total yards. 

Littlefield does not have a freshmen team so the Mules will travel to Sundown to play the Roughneck JV at 7:00 PM Thursday evening.

8th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

8th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

There were 38 total points scored in the first period by the eighth-grade Mules and Friona Braves. The Mules led 22-16 at the end of the opening quarter. The Mules took over after that and defeated Friona 50-18.

The Braves scored on the second play of the game to lead the Mules 8-0. The Braves kicked off and Riley Kettner returned the ball 14 yards to the Mule 46. 

Jose Martinez carried off left tackle. After clearing the linebackers he cut back right for a 54-yard touchdown. He then scooted up the middle for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 8-8 with 6:50 left in the first period. 

It took the Braves four plays to reach the Mule end zone for the second time of the game and take a 16-8 lead with 5:23 remaining in the opening quarter. 

The Braves attempted an onside kick and Kettner returned the ball to midfield. Kettner went up the middle for 10 yards. Martinez went off left tackle for a 50-yard touchdown with 4:25 left in the first period. Kettner kept up the middle for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 16-16.

The Mules kicked off and Friona returned the ball to the Brave 47. Benjamin Ramirez made the tackle for a two-yard loss. Kettner and Elias Aguirre broke in the Brave backfield for the tackle and a three-yard loss. 

Aguirre and Jacob Toscano crashed into the Brave backfield for a five-yard loss. Aguirre blocked the brave punt and the Mules took over on the Mule 26. Kettner went wide right for a 26-yard touchdown with just under two minutes left in the opening quarter. The Mules led for the first time 22-16.

Martinez made back-to-back tackles after the Mules kicked off to push the Braves back and forced them to punt. 

Martinez returned the ensuing punt to the Mule 38. A  motion penalty backed the Mules up five yards on first down. Martinez broke a tackle and gained nine yards. Kettner kept wide left for seven yards and a first down. 

A reverse by Martinez with Kettner in front blocking was good for 30 yards to the Brave 25. Kurt Rodriguez broke up the middle for runs of six and eight yards. Martinez found a hole up the middle for a touchdown. Rodriguez added the two-point conversion for a 30-16 Mule lead with 3:19 left in the half. 

Eli Macias recovered a Friona fumble at the Mule 21. A snap sailed into the Mule end zone and the Mules recovered the ball for a Friona safety with just two minutes left in the first half. 

Friona kicked off to start the third quarter and Macias returned the ball to the Mule 43. A fumble backed the Mules up to the 28-yard line. Martinez carried wide left for a 72-yard touchdown run to give the Mules a 36-18 lead with seven minutes left in the third period. 

The Mules recovered a Brave fumble on the Mule 35. Martinez was there to claim the ball for the Mules. Joe Gutierrez tossed over the middle to Rodriguez in stride at the Mule 47. He raced to the end zone for a 73-yard pass and run. A pitch to Martinez gave the Mules the two-point conversion for a 44-18 lead with 4:25 left in the third period. 

A short punt by the Braves was returned from the Mule 45 to the Brave 15 by Martinez. The Mules scored on the second play of the final period on a pass from Gutierrez to Kettner wide open eight yards deep in the end zone. Dmetri Ramirez added the two-point conversion for the final score of the game.     

Joey Martinez led all rushers by carrying for 244 yards and Riley Kettner add 45 yards rushing. Kurt Rodriguez led the Mules in receiving with catches for 75 yards and Kettner caught passes for 20 yards. 

Joey Martinez led the Mule defense with eight tackles and Jacob Toscano made eight. Riley Kettner and Elias Aguirre recorded four tackles each. 

The Mules will host the Littlefield Wildcats Thursday afternoon immediately after the seventh grade game.   

7th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

7th Mules vs. Friona (10-20-2016)

The seventh-grade Mules lost a close game Thursday night at home to the Friona Braves 20-16. A miscue early in the game presented Friona with a scoring opportunity that the Braves converted on their second offensive play to lead the Mules 8-0 one minute and 33 seconds into the game. 

The Mules second drive started on the Mule 35. Jeremiah Barron rolled wide right for a 13-yard gain. Juan Nava ran off tackle to the Friona 32. Barron tossed to Zachary Hasley running a down-and-out pattern to the Brave 17. 

Nava then scooted up the middle for the final 17 yards for the Mules first touchdown. Barron tossed to Christian Fabela in the back corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 8-8 with no time left in the first period. 

The Mules kicked off to the Friona 31 and there was no return. Friona fumbled on the Braves first play and Alex Regalado recovered for the Mules at the Brave 21.

Hasley carried through a hole in the left side of the line for 10 yards. A Mule swing pass was intercepted and returned 88 yards for a Brave touchdown. The two-point conversion failed and the Braves led 14-8 with 6:10 left in the half. 

The Mules were intercepted again with two and half minutes left in the half and Friona scored to lead the Mules 20-8 at the intermission. 

The Mules kicked off to start the second half. The Braves gained nine yards on first down and then fumbled on second down. Nava was there to recover for the Mules at the Friona 42.

The Mules made two first downs before stalling out at the Brave 13-yard line. It was three and out for the Braves and the Mules started on the Mule 41. The Braves again held the Mules and forced a punt. 

The Braves fumbled on first down and Joseph Estraca recovered for the Mules on the Friona 28. 

Barron tossed to Daniel Avila at the Friona seven and he battled his way to the Brave three-yard line. Barron kept wide right for a three-yard touchdown run. Barron rolled right and pitched to Nava for the two-point conversion to cut the Brave lead to 20-16 with 2:17 left in the game.  

Juan Nava led the Mules in rushing with 62 yards and Jeremiah Barron ran for 43 yards. Daniel Avila led the Mules in receiving with 36 yards. 

Christian Fabela and Alex Regalado each made four tackles and Evan Lopez had three tackles. 

The Mules will host the Littlefield Wildcats Thursday afternoon at 5:00 PM.

Mules vs. River Road (10-14-2016)

Mules vs. River Road (10-14-2016)

It was a tale of two halves Friday night when the Mules traveled to Amarillo River Road. The Mules seemed to have the game going their way through the first half and led 24-7 at the intermission. 

But the River Road Wildcats caught a break in the third period when the Mules failed to convert on fourth down and turned the ball over. That seemed to provide fuel for the Wildcats momentum. 

The Wildcats scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Mules 31-24. 

The Wildcats kicked off and the Mules returned the ball to the Mule 14. A swing pass for a one-yard gain on first down set up a big second down strike. The Mules sent three receivers wide to the left side. 

Jason Florez lined up as the middle receiver and made a move to the inside at the snap of the ball. He immediately changed course and broke up field. Beto Diaz launched the pass as Florez was running away from the defense. 

Florez ran under the ball at the Mule 35 and pushed the pedal to the metal and out ran all defenders to the end zone. The two-play drive and 85-yard TD strike took only one minute three seconds off the clock. The PAT kick was no good and the Mules led 6-0.

River Road returned the Mule kickoff to the River Road 47. The Mules then got a glimpse of what was coming in the second half with the Wildcats running 14 plays to chew up the 53 yards needed for a touchdown. 

Keevin Connor pounded the ball in from one-yard out with 1:47 remaining in the first period. The PAT kick was good to give the Wildcats a 7-6 lead.

The Wildcats kicked off to the end zone and the Mules started their second drive at the Mule 25. Diaz tossed to Javy Perez running a slant over the middle. Perez made the catch at the Mule 47 and was pulled down at the River Road 37 for a 38-yard gain. 

Villa took a pitch wide for four yards. The Mules sent three receivers wide left and Villa set up left of Diaz. Diaz cut right in front of Diaz and Diaz underhanded him a shovel pass. Villa gained nine yards to the Wildcat 24.

Florez raced down field and cut toward the flag. Diaz fired him the ball and Florez laid out to make the catch at the River Road three-yard line. Perez blasted up the middle for the Mules’ second touchdown of the night. The two-point conversion failed and the Mules led 12-7 with 11:51 remaining in the half. 

Arturo Contreras kicked off and the ball hit the Wildcat in the chest at the River Road 20. The ball bounced forward to the 25 and Romeo Reyes went flying in at shoe top level to blast the ball out of the return man’s hands as he attempted to pick up the ball. Ean Hasley beat everyone to the ball at the River Road 11. 

Diaz kept up the middle for three yards on first down. The Mule receivers ran a crossing route in the end zone and Diaz delivered Florez the ball eight-yards deep in the end zone with 10:17 still in the half. The kick was no good and the Mules led 18-7.

The Mules halted the Wildcats next drive and forced a punt. The ball took a Mule bounce and was killed at midfield. Villa was ruled to have had the ball ripped from his hands as another defender held him up at the River Road 28.

The Mule defense proved to be up to the task one more time and halted the drive at the Wildcat 42. 

Florez received the River Road punt at the Mule 21 and returned it across the field toward the Mule sideline. Donovan Gutierrez laid a Wildcat low with a slobber knocker block at the Mule 28. Yoel Reyes made a second big hit to allow Florez to turn up field. Florez was tripped up at the River Road 43. 

A screen pass to Villa drew a 10-yard penalty on River Road to advance the Mules to the Wildcat 33. Florez took a reverse pitch and cut up field for a 19-yard gain. Diaz kept up the middle for 10 yards for a first and goal at the River Road four-yard line. 

Diaz passed wide left to Florez just inside the goal line for his third TD catch and put the Mules on top 24-7 at the half. 

River Road owned the second half to score the final 24 points of the game. They drove 81 yards on 10 plays to kick a field goal with 5:39 remaining in the third period to start their come back. 

That was followed with a four-play 65-yard drive that ended in a touchdown but the two-point conversion failed with 47 seconds left in the third period. The Wildcats ate up almost half of the final frame with an eight-play 61-yard drive for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good and the game was tied with 6:32 remaining to play. 

The Mules could not get untracked as the Wildcats gained momentum. 

The Wildcats erased 5:13 off the clock to score on a seven-yard run with just 25 seconds left on the clock. The kick was good. 

Florez returned the kickoff from four-yards deep in the end zone to near midfield. A double reverse by the Mules left the ball in Florez hands. He pulled up and fired a pass into the wind. 

R. Reyes was double covered but went up to pull down the ball at the River Road 17 with just seconds left on the clock. River Road intercepted Diaz final pass to run out the clock. 

Diaz passed for 193 yards and three touchdowns. All three TD passes went to Florez. Florez made six receptions for 150 yards. 

Connor led the Wildcat rushing attack with 29 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Devonte Woodard ran 17 times for 157 yards and one touchdown. 

The 1-1 Mules will host the 0-2 Friona Chieftains Friday night in Benny Douglas Stadium.     

JV Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

JV Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

Raul Sierra was pressed into service as the JV Mules quarterback Thursday evening. The Mules all pulled together to hold off the River Road Wildcats 36-19. 

The Wildcats kicked off to start the game and the Mule drive started on the Mule 37. Sierra passed to Sergio Solano for a six-yard gain. Solano was tackled by his facemask and the 15-yard penalty advanced the Mules to the Wildcat 39. 

Ryan Rodriguez broke up the middle on a draw for 11 yards. A pitch wide right from Sierra to Rodriguez covered the final 27 yards for the Mules first touchdown with 8:41 left in the opening period. The Mules led 6-0.

The Wildcats made one first down after the Mules kicked off but could not keep the drive alive and punted to the Mule 32.

It was three and out for the Mules and a snap over the head of Rodriguez gave the Wildcats the ball on the Mule three-yard line. It only took the Wildcats one play to score and then kick the point after to take a 7-6 lead over the Mules with 3:25 left in the first period. 

The Wildcats kicked off and Justin Carrion returned to the Mule 38. A pair of offside penalties and a quarterback sneak put the Mules at midfield. Sierra carried wide right for eight yards. 

Rodriguez scooted wide right for 18 yards to the Wildcat 25. Sierra connected with Solano for a first down at the Wildcat 10. Sierra rolled wide left for seven yards. Sierra tossed to Fabian Valdez running a slant for a three-yard touchdown. The Mules led 12-7 with no time remaining in the first period. 

Luis Franco kicked off and Rigo Mendoza made the stop at the River Road 38. Two motion penalties and a sack by Leonel Camarena halted the Wildcat drive. River Road punted out of bounds at the Mule six-yard line. 

The two teams exchange possession of the ball the Mules finally got the ball on the Mule 20 with 1:52 left in the half. 

Sierra scrambled for five yards on first down. He then connected with Valadez for three yards. Rodriguez broke loose on a run up the middle for a 72-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining in the second period. Sierra hit Valadez in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 20-7 Mule lead at the intermission. 

Jacob Kettner made the tackle for the Mules at the River Road 15 to start the second half. The Wildcats broke loose for a 70-yard run and Jacob DeLeon chased down the running back at the Mule two-yard line. River Road scored on a two-yard run and added the two-point conversion to cut the Mule lead to 20-13. 

The Wildcats kicked off and Corbin Hardwick’s long return was called back to the Mule 34 on a block in the back penalty. 

Sierra tossed to Solano and he raced down the River Road sideline for 53 yards to the Wildcat 13. A personal foul penalty advanced the Mules to the River Road seven. A pitch right from Sierra to Rodriguez scored with 8:02 left in the third period. A reverse pitch to Solano added the two-point conversion for a 28-13 Mule lead. 

The Wildcats consumed the final eight minutes of the third quarter to score on a nine-yard run. The Wildcats moved before attempting the two-point conversion and attempted a dropkick for the point after. The Mules held on to a 28-19 lead at the end of the third quarter. 

Hardwick returned the River Road kickoff to the Mule 46. The Mules worked their way to the River Road nine-yard line before Sierra was stripped of the ball and the Wildcats recovered. 

Sierra returned the favor on first down by going high behind the intended receiver to pick off the pass at midfield and returned to the Wildcat 35 and keep the game out of reach for River Road with time running down. 

The Mules took time off the clock but turned the ball over on downs. Solano picked off a River Road pass at the Wildcat 35. 

Sierra carried for three yards on back-to-back plays. Rodriguez broke up the middle to the River Road 14 and was pulled down by his facemask. After the penalty Rodriguez scored on a seven-yard run up the middle. Sierra scrambled wide left for the two point conversion to end all scoring. 

Sierra completed 15 of 26 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. He also threw for a two-point conversion. Rodriguez led the Mules in rushing with 11 carries for 172 yards and four touchdowns. Solano caught four passes for 74 yards, Valdez made five receptions for 29 yards, one touchdown and a two-point conversion. 

Kettner led the Mules with eight tackles, Camarena made seven stops and Franco finished with five tackles. Solano made two tackles and Sierra recorded two tackles. 

The Mules will travel to Friona Thursday afternoon to play the Chieftains.   

9th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

9th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

The freshmen Mules caged the River Road Wildcats Thursday afternoon 60-0 in what quickly became a runaway by the Mules.

Nathan Rodriguez kicked off for the Mules with a surprise onside kick. Jesus Montiel raced to the Wildcat 43 to cover the ball for the Mules. 

Matthew Alarcon launched a 28-yard pass on first down to Jimmy Villa 10-yards behind the Wildcats at the River Road 15. He scooted to the end zone just 12 seconds into the game to give the Mules a 6-0 lead. 

Rodriguez kicked off a second time and the Wildcats returned the ball to the River Road 40. The Mules plugged the middle for no gain on first down. Fernando Rivas and Jose Cardenas pulled down the Wildcat quarterback after a three-yard gain. Montiel raced wide to the right side to make the stop three-yards short of a first down. 

River Road faked the punt and Montiel made the tackle for a one-yard loss and the Mules took over on downs at the Wildcat 46.

Montiel hit a crease through the left side of the Wildcat defense and cut wide left for a 46-yard touchdown with 7:01 remaining in the first period. Montiel added the two-point conversion to give the Mules a 14-0 lead. 

It was three and out following the Mule kickoff. The River Road punt was allowed to roll dead at the Mule 36. Alarcon kept wide right on third down for a 14-yard gain and a first down at midfield. 

Alarcon tossed to Montiel for 19 yards and then passed to Elio Sanchez for 21 more yards. Alarcon completed the drive with a toss to Villa in the end zone from 20 yards out. Alarcon rolled right and made a jump pass to Leonel Belmonte at the goal line for the two-point conversion and a 22-0 Mule lead. 

After the ensuing kickoff the Mules again held River Road to three and out. The Wildcat punt was allowed to roll dead at the Mule 46. 

Alarcon tossed to Cristian Bustillos on first down for a 16-yard gain. Alarcon had to leap high in the air to tip a high snap. He caught the ball on the bounce and went right for a 38-yard touchdown with 9:18 left in the half. The Mules led 28-0. 

Bustillos picked off a Wildcat pass at the Mule 31 and raced up field. He was pushed out of bounds at the River Road 19. Alarcon scored on a nine-yard run with 6:24 remaining in the half. The two-point conversion was good and the Mules led 36-0 at the intermission. 

Kelan Florez took the helm for the Mules with six minutes left in the third period. He handed off to Belmonte up the middle for eight yards. Belmonte then scooted wide left for 50 yards. Cardenas carried wide left for the final 35 yards for a touchdown with 4:06 left in the third quarter. Florez kept up the middle for the two-point conversion and a 44-0 Mule lead. 

Aaron Venzor stopped the end around play for just a three-yard gain on third down to force the Wildcats to punt. The ball rolled dead at the Mule 30. 

The Mules quickly marched down field. Florez tossed a screen pass to Venzor that went 41 yards for a Mule touchdown with 9:50 remaining in the game. Florez added the two-point conversion for a 52-0 Mule lead. 

Florez scored one last touchdown on a 31-yard run with two and a half minutes left in the game. Belmonte tacked on the two-point conversion. 

The Mules will travel to Friona Thursday to face the Chieftains.  

8th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

8th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

The eighth-grade Mules improved their season record to 4-2 with a 32-6 win over the River Road Wildcats. The Mules had made the long trip to Amarillo River Road Thursday evening. 

Joe Gutierrez led the Mules in rushing by running for 123 yards. He scored touchdowns on runs of 65 and 58 yards as well as returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown. Joey Martinez accumulated 39 yards rushing and scored on a run of 30 yards and returned an interception for a touchdown. 

Gutierrez and Elias Aguirre led the Mules on defense with four tackles each. Aguirre and Benjamin Ramirez recovered a fumble each and Gutierrez made an interception. Jacob Rodriguez forced a fumble. 

The Mules will host the Friona Braves Thursday afternoon. Kickoff will be immediately after the seventh-grade Mules finish their game. There is no B-Team Mule game this week.

7th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

7th Mules vs. River Road (10-13-2016)

The seven-grade Mules dropped to 3-3 after making the long trek to River Road Thursday. The Wildcats just defeated the Mules 20-16. 

Daniel Avila caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Barron and Juan Nava tacked on the two-point conversion. Chupi Fabela recovered a Wildcat fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Barron added the two-point conversion. 

Barron rushed for 45 yards and Nava ran for 25 yards. Avila had 30 yards receiving. 

Evan Lopez and Nava led the Mules on defense with five tackles each. Barron and Juan Zacarias had four tackles apiece. 

Alex Regalado forced and recovered a fumble. Barron forced and recovered a fumble and Fabela recorded a fumble. 

The Mules will host the Friona Braves at 5:00 PM Thursday afternoon. There will be no B-Team game.

Mules vs. Slaton (10-7-2016)

Mules vs. Slaton (10-7-2016)

The Road to Oz may have been the 2016 Homecoming theme, but the Mules not only found the Yellow Brick Road made famous by the Wizard of Oz, but they kept the Slaton Tigers confined to the barrow ditches along that road most of the evening. 

The Mules only allowed the Tigers one first down in the opening quarter and that came on the Tigers initial drive. The Tigers did have much of an opportunity to move the ball after that. 

The statistics and score board both are good indicators of how the Mules dominated the game. The Mules celebrated the 2016 Homecoming with a 63-20 win over Slaton to join Littlefield and River Road atop the heap in District 2-3A Division I. 

Beto Diaz connected on 22 of 26 passing attempts for 374 yards and threw six touchdown passes to five different Mule receivers. The Mules rushed for 244 yards and three more touchdowns. Arturo Contreras was a perfect nine-for-nine on PAT kicks.

What may be more impressive is that the Mule defense allowed the Tigers only 78 yards and one score through the air and 178 yards and two TDs on the ground. Desreal Williams, the Tiger’s quarterback ran for two of Slaton’s scores and passed for one. 

Slaton chose to receive the opening kickoff and the Tigers first drive started on the Slaton 33. George Wright seemed to get Slaton off on the right foot with an eight-yard gain wide to the left. Williams then scrambled for eight yards on an option for the Tigers only first down of the first period. 

The Mule defense kicked in after that with Donovan Gutierrez and Moises Vasquez bringing down Williams after a three-yard pickup. Isaac Mendoza shed a block to chase down Wright for no gain. A throw-back screen pass did not fool the Mules and resulted in no gain to force the Tigers to punt for the first time. 

The Mules allowed the Tiger punt to roll dead at the Mule 38-yard line. With three Mule receivers set wide to the left side, Diaz picked Javy Perez running a slant to the inside for the pass. Perez ran by one defender and over a second for a 15-yard gain to the Slaton 47. 

Tre Villa took a pitch wide right for nine yards on first down. Fidel Mendoza pulled and made a key block on the play. The gained the first down with a two-yard dive by Villa. 

A procedure penalty cost the Mules five yards on first down but a screen pass to Jason Florez got the five yards back. The Mules changed their offensive look and went to a two- tight end set. 

Romeo Reyes ran by one defender from his wide-receiver position and Diaz dropped the ball in his hands at the Slaton five-yard line. R. Reyes scooted into the end zone for the Mules first touchdown. The Mules led 7-0 with 7:18 left in the first period.

Michael Lozano squibbed kicked the ball down the middle of the field to the Tiger 20. The return man headed back up field until Yoel Reyes came flying in from the side to take out his running gear. 

Mario “Boo” Flores stopped the Tiger screen pass after a five-yard gain. A running play only resulted in two yards when the Mule defense swarmed the ball carrier. R. Reyes went up and over a deep receiver to break up a pass. The Slaton punt was returned to the Mule 36-yard line by Florez. 

Florez and Boo Flores blocked in front of Y. Reyes on a screen pass that was good for 10 yards to Mule 46. The Mules then sent three receivers wide to the left side with Florez lined up as the inside receiver. 

Florez ran by two defenders and was downfield 20 yards when Diaz launched the pass. Florez continued to run, found the ball and made the necessary adjustments to receive the pass at the Slaton 21. 

Florez was five yards behind the nearest defender and raced untouched to the end zone. The two-play drive had covered 64 yards and consumed only 17 seconds off the clock. The Mules led 14-0 with just over five minutes left in the first period.

The Tigers returned Lozano’s kick 14 yards to the Slaton 44. The Tigers gained four yards on first down but then hit a wall. Dagen Dunham forced Williams inside where Fidel Mendoza and Boo Flores dropped him for no gain. 

Dunham fought his way through two blocks on the subsequent play to pursue Williams as he gave ground while rolling left. Williams reversed his field but Dominik Hasley, F. Mendoza and Boo Flores were waiting for him. The sack cost the Tigers six yards on third down and forced Slaton to punt for the third time in the opening period. 

The Mules allowed the ball to roll dead on the Mule 16. Lozano blasted up the middle for five yards on first down. Diaz faked the handoff to Lozano on second down and hit Dunham running a hot route over the middle. Dunham already had his long legs churning and went 43 yards to the Slaton 36 before the Tigers could bring him down. 

Diaz tossed left to Lozano running out of the backfield. Y. Reyes made a block to allow Lozano room to run and he gained 18 yards. A wide-receiver screen went to Y. Reyes. Dunham, Florez and F. Mendoza were downfield opening the yellow brick road to the end zone. The Mules went up 21-0 with 2:10 still left in the opening period. 

Slaton returned Lozano’s kickoff to the Tiger 43 where Lozano made the stop. After an incomplete pass, Boo Flores must have read the Tiger’s mail. Because on second down he made the stop at the line of scrimmage. The next play he had dropped back in pass coverage and leaped high in the air to pick off William’s pass at the Mule 42 and returned to the Tiger 48. 

The Mules ran three plays before the first period ended with the Mules knocking on the door for the fourth time. 

Diaz pitched wide right to Villa and he went 10 yards to the Tiger 16. Villa then battled for four yards on first down. Diaz first incomplete pass of the game was followed by a screen pass to Florez. Y. Reyes opened a path for Florez to the seven-yard line where his was hit by two tacklers. Florez dragged the Tigers to the two before going down. 

Diaz threw the ball high in the end zone where only 6-4, Dunham, could reach it. The two-yard touchdown came with over ten minutes left in the half. The Mule led 28-0. 

Williams finally scored for the Tigers on a five-yard run but his PAT kick was no good. The Mules led 28-6 with 5:26 left in the half. 

It only took the Mules 1:18 seconds to answer after the kickoff. Villa capped the 55-yard Mule drive with a 29-yard run. The Mules had increased their lead to 35-6.

The two teams traded touchdowns before the intermission with Williams connecting on a 38-yard strike to Kevondrick Gober. Williams ran for the two-point conversion to trim the Mule lead to 35-14. 

Lozano scooted 12 yards for the Mules final tally of the half with 23 seconds left on the clock. The Mules had traveled 67 yards on two plays to lead 42-14 at the half. 

The third period saw more of the same from the Mules with Diaz throwing a 44-yard touchdown to Florez. That was his second TD of the game and the Mules led 49-14. 

I. Mendoza stepped in front of a Williams pass for and interception with five minutes left in the third period. The quick-scoring Mules slowed the pace and used 2:38 seconds to complete a 68-yard five-play scoring drive. Diaz hit Boo Flores with a swing pass for the final four yards. The Mules led 56-14 at the quarter break. 

The Mules took over on downs 77 yards from pay dirt with just under eight minutes left in the game. Lozano had taken over the helm for the Mules and engineered the drive to the Slaton one-yard line. Brady Martinez blasted in on a one-yard dive to end the Mules scoring. 

Williams got loose for a 42-yard run with one minute still on the clock. His PAT kick was off the mark. 

Boo Flores led the Mule defense with 16 tackles, one quarterback hurry and an interception. Donovan Gutierrez had a good night with nine tackles, one being for a loss and two quarterback hurries. Ean Hasley finished with eight tackles and a special teams tackle.  

Dominik Hasley had six stops and one sack. Fidel Mendoza made five tackles and one sack. Isaac Mendoza had three tackles, made a big hit, hurried the quarterback once and intercepted a pass. Romeo Reyes led the special teams with three tackles.

Jason Florez led the Mules in reception with seven catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Romeo Reyes made five receptions for 73 yards and scored a TD. Dagen Dunham caught two passes for 44 yards and one touchdown. 

Yoel Reyes snagged two passes for 28 yards and one touchdown. Boo Flores just caught one pass for four yards and one touchdown.     

The Mules will hit the road to Amarillo’s River Road to take on the 1-0 Wildcats Friday night at 7:30 PM

JV Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

JV Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

The JV Mules traveled to Slaton Thursday and improved their overall record to 3-2 and are now 1-0 in District 2-3A Division I with a 39-0 shutout over the Tigers. The Mules jumped on top early and often to lead the Tigers 33-0 by the intermission. 

The Mules split the rushing game between four players Ryan Rodriguez led the way with four attempts for 45 yards and one touchdown. Corbin Hardwick carried four times for 21 yards. Raul Sierra rushed twice for 19 yards and Luke Del Toro ran three times for a total of 16 yards and scored once. 

Del Toro also completed 14 of 18 passing attempts for 272 yards and four touchdowns spread out between six receivers. Fabian Valadez made four receptions for 110 yards and two TDs. Sergio Solano had three receptions for 84 yards and scored once. 

The Mules racked up a total of 388 yards of offense and scored six touchdowns. 

Sierra snagged four passes for 55 yards. Jacob DeLeon made two catches for 29 yards and Jacob Kettner made two receptions for 18 yards. Adrian Bustillos made one catch for three yards and scored a touchdown. 

Julian Astorga led the Mule defense with six tackles, forced and recovered a fumble. Rigo Mendoza, Leonel Camarena and Rigo Mendoza made five tackles each. Mendoza also forced a fumble. 

Ryan Rodriguez made three tackles and recovered a fumble. Jose Quintana and Luis Franco made two tackles each. Jacob Kettner finished with one tackle and intercepted a pass.  

The offensive play of the game came when Del Toro connected with Valadez for a 42-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. 

The defensive play took longer to come together but the Mule defense held Slaton to only 44 total yards of offense and gave up no points. 

Mule B-Team vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

Mule B-Team vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

The B-Team Mules failed on a pair of two-point tries to fall to the Slaton Tigers Thursday in Muleshoe’s Benny Douglas Stadium. The Mules fell 14-12. 

Slaton scored on the Tigers second possession on third down on a 64-yard reverse play with 9:01 remaining in the first half. The two-point conversion was good for an 8-0 Slaton lead. 

Richie Martinez had plugged up the middle on first down for just a single yard gain. Jacob Alfaro then diagnosed a pitch play on second down. He caught and dragged down the pitchman for no gain. Slaton scored on third down. 

The Slaton kicker all but missed the football on the ensuing kickoff and the ball wound up from where it was kicked and the Mules started on the Tiger 40.

Richie Martinez started right planted a foot and cut up field and bulldozed his way to the Slaton 28. Alfaro kept wide right for nine yards. The Mules were then backed up three yards and ran out of time before they could score. 

The Mules were on fire when the second half started with Alfaro gaining nine yards on first down to near midfield. Martinez slashed up the middle for seven yards on back-to-back plays. 

Alfaro kept wide right, broke two tackles for a 12-yard gain. Martinez and Alfaro continued to combine for yardage to the Tiger six. Alfaro scored on a six-yard run with 14:50 remaining in the game. The two-point conversion failed and the Mules trailed 8-6.

Slaton returned the ensuing Mule kickoff to the Mule three-yard line. The Tigers scored on one play with 10:12 remaining in the game. The two-point conversion failed. Slaton led the Mules 14-6. 

Drew Morris returned the Slaton kickoff 19 yards to the Tiger 46. Alfaro moved the Mules to the Tiger 15 with runs of five, 15 and 12 yards. Martinez raced wide right for 10 yards and ducked under a pair of tacklers for a 15 yard touchdown. The two point conversion failed. 

Slaton ran out the clock.

8th Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

8th Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

The Slaton Tigers had cut the eighth grade Mules lead to 22-20 with three minutes remaining in the game. The Tigers attempted an onside kick but the Mules were prepared. Joe Gutierrez fielded the ball in the air at the Slaton 48 and raced untouched between the oncoming Tigers for a touchdown. 

That late touchdown gave the Mules a 28-20 win. 

Riley Kettner returned the opening kickoff to the Mule 25. Gutierrez kept the ball on back-to-back plays for runs of six and five yards. Gutierrez limbered up his arm for tosses of seven and six yards to Kurt Rodriguez. 

A pair of sacks set the Mules back 15 yards leaving the Mules 25 yards for a first down. Jose Martinez took the reverse pitch 30 yards to the Tiger 35. Gutierrez kept up the middle for eight yards. 

Gutierrez rolled right and pitched to Martinez for 19 yards to the Slaton four. Gutierrez kept up the middle for a four-yard touchdown and he added the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Mule lead with 33 seconds left in the first period. 

Elias Aguirre and Jacob Toscano plugged up the middle for no gain on the final play of the first period. Matthew Fabela and Toscano crashed into the Tiger backfield for a three-yard loss to start the second period. Slaton was forced to punt and the ball rolled out of bounds at the Slaton 45. 

The Mule fumbled on first down and Slaton recovered at the Mule 44. A high snap by the Tiger center cost Slaton the ball. Toscano recovered for the Mules at the Slaton 49. 

The Mules also had trouble and fumbled for an 18-yard loss. Gutierrez tossed a screen pass to Jose Martinez on the Slaton sideline for 29-yard gain. Gutierrez kept for seven yards and followed that with a 14-yard scamper. 

The Mules fumbled and Slaton recovered at the Tiger 18. But the Tigers fumbled on first down and Toscano recovered for the Mules at the Slaton 13. Martinez went off left tackle for 12 yards. Gutierrez sneaked over from one-yard out. The Mules led 14-0 with 3:19 left in the half. 

The Tigers ensuing drive started at the Slaton 35. A 63-yard run moved the Tigers to the Mule five. The Tigers scored on the next play and cut the Mule lead to 14-6 by the intermission. 

Gutierrez kicked off for the Mules to start the second half and Kettner raced down field to recover a Tiger fumble at the Slaton 32. But the Mules returned the favor by fumbling on first down and the Tigers reclaimed the ball at the Slaton 34.

The Tigers went on to score on a 61-yard reverse to cut the Mule lead to 14-12 with 5:51 remaining in the third period. 

Eli Macias broke in front of a Tiger receiver to intercept a pass at the Slaton 46. Martinez gained a first down on a reverse with the third quarter drawing to a close. Gutierrez kept up the middle for a 36-yard touchdown. 

Martinez went off tackle for the two-point conversion to put the Mules ahead 22-12 with 7:50 left in the game. 

The Mules forced the Tigers to punt but turned the ball over with a fumble. Slaton scored with three minutes left in the game to set up the onside kick attempt. 

Gutierrez led the Mules in rushing with 97 yards and Martinez was close behind with 73 yards. Kurt Rodriguez caught passes totaling 15 yards. 

Martinez led the Mules with eight tackles, Mario Guardado made five and Elias Aguirre had four stops. Dmetri Ramirez and Eli Macias made an interception each. Jacob Toscano recovered two fumbles and Riley Kettner recovered one. 

The 1-0 Mules will travel to Amarillo River Road Thursday afternoon to take on the Wildcats.

7th Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

7th Mules vs. Slaton (10-6-2016)

The seventh grade Mules pulled out all the stops Thursday in Benny Douglas Stadium to defeat the Slaton Tigers 36-0. 

The Tigers kicked off to the Mule 15. Jeremiah Barron fielded the ball at the Mule 15. He returned up the Slaton sideline and broke two tackles at the Mule 30. Barron managed to stay inbounds and raced to the end zone for an 85-yard kickoff return. Nava took the pitch for the two-point conversion. 

The Mules led 8-0 with 6:40 left in the first point. Joseph Estraca made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff at the Slaton 38. Barron intercepted a Tiger pass at the Mule 35 and took off up field. 

Daniel Avila also sped down field to get in front of the pursing Tigers. Avila made a block that took out two Tigers to set Barron free for his second touchdown. The two-point try failed and the Mules led 14-0 with 3:23 left in the first period. 

A holding penalty helped stall a Slaton drive. Zachary Hasley made an open-field tackle for no gain on second down and 18 needed for a first. The Mules held on downs and took over at the Mule 21. 

Daniel Avila took a reverse pitch and went wide right for 52 yards to the Slaton 27. Barron tossed to Evan Lopez for 21 yards to the Tiger eight. A holding penalty on first down set the Mules back 10 yards. 

The penalty did not slow the Mules down and Barron hit Avila running a post pattern over the middle. A pump fake gave Avila time for a double move to get open for an 18-yard touchdown. Barron tossed a bubble screen to Avila for the two-point conversion and a 22-0 Mule lead at the half. 

It was three-and-out for Slaton on the Tigers opening drive of the second half. Barron returned the punt from the Slaton 44 to the Tiger 10. 

Avila carried on a wide-receiver around to the Tiger one-yard line. Barron kept up the middle for a one-yard touchdown run with 3:15 remaining in the third period. Barron then kept wide right and battled to the end zone for the two-point conversion to put the Mules up 30-0.

The two teams exchanged turnovers before the third period ended. But the Mules took over on downs at the Mule 30 to start the final quarter. 

A screen pass from Barron to Dylan Watkins was good for nine yards. Juan Nava blasted up the middle for four yards. Nava then hit the right side, slipped a tackle and went 12 yards. Barron tossed to Lopez for five yards. 

The Mules needed 10 yards for a first down. Barron kept the ball up the middle and scooted 45 yards to the end zone with the game coming to a close. 

Avila led the Mules in rushing with 60 yards and Barron carried for 50 yards. Lopez caught passes for 30 yards and Avila made receptions totaling 20 yards. 

Lopez made four tackles and forced a fumble. Christian Fabela, Juan Zacarias and Ever Ramirez made four tackles each. Josh Estraca recovered a fumble and Barron returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. 

The 1-0 Mules will travel to Amarillo River Road to play the Wildcats Thursday afternoon at 5:00 PM.

9th Mules vs. Farwell (10-6-2016)

9th Mules vs. Farwell (10-6-2016)

The Slaton Tigers could not field a freshmen team for 2016 so the freshmen Mules went to Farwell to play the JV Steers. The game turned into a battle in the second half. The Mules were up 20-6 at the intermission. 

The Steers battled back in the fourth period to cut the Mule lead but the Mules pulled the game out for a 28-22 win. 

The Mules rushed for 157 yards and threw for 110 yards for a total of 267 yards of offense. The Mules scored 20 points in the second period, eight in the third quarter and eight in the final period for the win. 

Matthew Alarcon led the Mules with 16 rushes for 84 yards and one touchdown. He completed 11 of 22 passes for 110 yards and one score. Alarcon also scored a two-point conversion, intercepted a pass and made a tackle. Montiel rushed 13 times for 76 yards.

Cristian Bustillos caught two passes for 24 yards with one being for a touchdown. Damian Juarez made one reception for 36 yards and a touchdown. Jimmy Villa had four catches for 28 yards with one being for a touchdown. He also tacked on a two-point conversion. Jesus Montiel had three receptions for 25 yards. 

Nathan Rodriguez led the Mule defense with five tackles. Kelan Florez made four tackles and recovered a fumble. Bustillos, Jose Cardenas, Fernando Rivas, and Elio Sanchez finished with four tackles each. Eddie Vasquez made three tackles and Montiel had two stops. Villa and Steven Atwood had a tackle each. 

The Mules will host the Amarillo River Road Wildcats Thursday afternoon at 5:00 PM.