9th Mules vs. Shallowater (11-3-2016)

9th Mules vs. Shallowater (11-3-2016)

The freshmen Mules ran roughshod over the Shallowater Mustangs Thursday evening in Benny Douglas Stadium. It was the Mules final game of the season and both teams were undefeated in district. 

The Mules led 12-0 after one-quarter and scored again 44 seconds into the second period. The Mules led 38-6 at the intermission and continued to stampede the Mustangs in the second half for a 54-12 win. 

Shallowater kicked off to start the game and Jesus Montiel returned the ball to the Mule 36. Montiel blasted up the middle for seven yards on first down. Matthew Alarcon connected wide left with Cristian Bustillos for six yards. 

Alarcon rolled wide right for six yards. He then connected with Bustillos for five more yards to the Shallowater 39. Alarcon faked a handoff, dropped back and launched a pass to Jose Cardenas streaking down the Shallowater sideline for a touchdown. The Mules led 6-0 with 8:26 remaining in the first period. 

Nathan Rodriguez kicked off for the Mules to the Shallowater 44 and there was no return. 

Rodriguez and Tyler Moellar plugged up the hole the Mustangs attempted run through. Montiel and Alarcon teamed up to stop a jet sweep after a three-yard gain. After an incomplete pass, Elio Sanchez stopped a reverse on fourth down for a yard loss and the Mules took over on downs at the Mustang 47.

Alarcon fired a strike to Montiel at the Mustang 30 and he outraced the Mustangs to the end zone to put the Mules up 12-0 with 6:54 left to play in the first period. 

Rodriguez again kicked off for the Mules and the ball sailed high but short. The Mustangs fumbled and the Mules recovered at midfield. The Mules could not convert the Mustang miscue. 

The Mule defense forced the Mustangs to punt with a minute and a half left in the first period. The Mules started their scoring drive at the Mule 35. 

Montiel broke off left tackle for 15 yards. Alarcon tossed to Cardenas set wide to the right side and he scooted for 12 yards. Alarcon rolled left before tossing to Jimmy Villa for a 21-yard gain. 

Montiel blasted up the middle to pick up seven yards. Alarcon kept the football and scooted wide around the left side for a gain of nine yards to the Shallowater one-yard line before the first quarter ended. 

A loss of two yards set the Mules back to the Mustang three. A sack cost the Mules five more yards and the Mustangs were offsides on the next play. The penalty moved the Mules to the four-yard line. Alarcon passed to Osvaldo Nunez and he powered the ball across the goal line to give the Mules an 18-0 lead with just over nine minutes left in the half. 

Rodriguez kicked off to the Shallowater 20 and the Mustangs returned to the Mule 45. The Mustangs worked their way down the field and scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass with five and a half minutes remaining in the half. The Mules led 18-6. 

The Mules ensuing drive started at the Mule 40. A motion penalty set the Mules back five yards but did not slow down the Mules. Alarcon connected with Cardenas at the Shallowater 40. 

Cardenas escaped a tackle immediately and raced to pay dirt with 5:19 still on the clock in the half. Montiel made a seal block that allowed Alarcon to score the two-point conversion for a 26-6 Mule lead. 

Rodriguez kicked off to the Mustang 30 and there was no return. 

The Mustangs gained 30 yards on first down. Santiago Reza made the tackle after an eight-yard Mustang run. A motion penalty cost Shallowater five yards. Alarcon hit the intended receiver just as the ball arrived to break up the pass. 

Cardenas and Moellar teamed up to make a stop for a two-yard Mustang loss on third down. Eddie Vasquez and Bustillos sacked the Mustang quarterback for a three-yard loss at the Mule 42. 

Alarcon connected with Aaron Venzor for five yards on first down. Alarcon then rolled left on second down and pitched to Montiel. Montiel weaved his way to the Shallowater 39. Alarcon rolled wide right, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and scooted to the goal line for a 32-6 Mule lead with just under two minutes left in the half. 

Rodriguez kicked off to the Mustang 22. Nunez and the Mules raced downfield to make the tackle at the Shallowater 32. A holding penalty on first down put the Mustangs in a hole on first down and they could not recover. Shallowater was forced to punt and the ball rolled dead at the Mule 40. 

The Mules ran a reverse pass on first down with just 30 seconds left in the half. Alarcon connected with Bustillos for a 43-yard gain to the Shallowater 17. Alarcon found Sanchez open in the end zone to give the Mules a 38-6 lead at the half. 

Shallowater mounted their best drive of the game when the second half started. The Mustangs needed two yards on third down from the Mule 20. Alarcon was defending against the pass and read the eyes of the receiver. He stuck up both hands as the ball was about to arrive and broke up the pass. 

Montiel intercepted a Mustang pass at the goal line and returned to the Mule 35 to halt the drive. 

Four plays later the Mules were back in the Mustang end zone on a 21-yard pass from Alarcon to Jimmy Villa. Montiel blasted up the middle for the two-point conversion and a 46-6 Mule lead with 2:49 remaining in the third quarter. 

The Mustangs scored on the first play of the fourth period on an 11-yard run. The two-point conversion pass was picked off by Cardenas. The Mules led 46-12 with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth period.

The Mules added one more touchdown with an 11-yard run up the middle by Alarcon. Montiel tacked on the two-point conversion to end all scoring. 

Matthew Alarcon led the Mules on offense by rushing seven times for 71 yards and two touchdowns plus a two-point conversion. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns.

Jesus Montiel carried 13 times for 123 yards and two two-point conversions. Jose Cardenas rushed twice for seven yards and caught three passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. 

Cristian Bustillos made three catches for 58 yards. Jimmy Villa had three receptions for 52 yards with one being for a touchdown. Elio Sanchez made one catch for 17 yards and a touchdown. Kelan Florez made two receptions for 12 yards. Osvaldo had one catch for four yards. 

Jose Cardenas led the Mule defense with eight tackles and one interception. Eddie Vasquez made six tackles and Damian Juarez recorded five tackles. Nathan Rodriguez and Jesus Montiel made four tackles each. Montiel picked off a pass. 

Matthew Alarcon, Cruz Cortez, and Santiago Reza made two tackles each. Cristian Bustillos and Elio Sanchez each made a tackle.       

The District Champion freshmen Mules will hang up their equipment until next season and move on to the hardwoods to start the 2016-2017 basketball season. The Mules will be playing basketball on Monday evenings.