Thursday, October 26, 2017

Mules vs. River Road (10-19-2017)

Mules vs. River Road (10-19-2017)

Nothing makes a head coach smile and want to run than a 70-yard punt return. The Mules head coach, David Wood, was doing his best to cheer Yoel Reyes to the end zone midway through the first period Friday.

The Mules shutout the River Road Wildcats 40-0 Friday night in Muleshoe’s Benny Douglas Stadium.

The Mule defense held the River Road Wildcats to a three-and-out on the Wildcats first possession. The punter short-legged the punt and it did not go as far as Y. Reyes had anticipated.

He waited for the ball to hit the turf and bounce before grabbing the ball at the Mule 30-yard line. Y. Reyes headed toward the Wildcat side of the field and found his path blocked.

He reversed his field, broke an arm tackle, and raced back toward the Mules’ side of the field where Brady Martinez made a block that allowed Y. Reyes to turn up the field. The Mules had built a black wall of blockers along the sideline.

Y. Reyes and Wood raced together down the Mule sideline with Wood cheering Y. Reyes with every step. Thirty yards from the end zone Y. Reyes cut back to the center of field where Romeo Reyes made the final block that cleared a path to the end zone.

“That was a thing of beauty,” said Coach Wood about Yoel Reyes punt return. “He made all the right moves and found the blocks being made by his teammates. Something like that will ignite a team.”

Brady Martinez booted the ball through the uprights to give the Mules a 7-0 lead over the Wildcats with 6:30 left in the opening period.

Martinez kicked off to the River Road 22, and Zach Atwood zipped downfield to make the tackle at the Wildcat 31.

A high snap on first down ruined the Wildcat timing. Carlos Meza took advantage of the situation and crushed the River Road quarterback for a 10-yard loss. An incomplete pass on second down set up a third down and 20 yards needed for a first down.

Meza bull rushed the next play and almost blasted the offensive tackle back into the quarterback. Julian Astorga caught the fleeing quarterback from behind for another 10-yard loss.

River Road punted to the Mule 44 and Y. Reyes returned to the Wildcat 33.

R. Reyes was on the receiving end of a screen pass that went for seven yards. Luke Del Toro started left and then pitch to Mikey Lozano for seven yards and a first down at the River Road 22.

Del Toro passed to Isaac Mendoza in the left flat for three yards. The Wildcat defensive end came crashing into the Mule backfield and appeared to be on his way to a sack. Y. Reyes had quickly made a move on his defender, and Del Toro passed to a spot.

Del Toro and the defensive end went to the turf together, and neither could see what was happening downfield. But Del Toro knew from the cheer of the Muleshoe crowd that his pass had found Y. Reyes five-yards deep in the Wildcat end zone.

Martinez kick was perfect to give the Mules a 14-0 lead with 2:05 remaining in the first period.

Late in the second period, the Mule defense put pressure on the River Road punter. He punted the ball out of bounds at the Wildcat 40-yard line.

Moises Vasquez, the Mules’ center blocked the nose guard to the left, Rudy Ruiz tied up the outside linebacker, and Ryan Rodriguez slammed in the middle linebacker. Lozano took off up the middle for a 40-yard scoring run. Again Martinez kick was good, and the Mules led 21-0 with 1:43 left in the first half.

The Mules kicked off, and Jordan Vela made the stop at the River Road 28.

River Road gained five yards on first down. An incomplete pass left the Wildcats needing five yards on third down. Fernando Rivas packed the Wildcat quarterback down into the artificial turf and jarred the ball loose.

Jacob Kettner recovered the fumble at the River Road 27.

The Mules gained a first down at the River Road 18 with seconds remaining in the first half. Del Toro set two sniffer backs to the right side, took the deep snap and put a lot of air under the ball.

Y. Reyes ran his defender deep in the end zone and then turned around just in time to catch the fade for a 13-yard touchdown with five seconds still on the clock. Martinez added the point after to extend the Mule lead to 28-0 at the intermission.

The Mules converted a River Road fumble to points on an 18-yard scamper by Lozano just 38 seconds into the third period. The Mules led 34-0 with 11:22 remaining in the third period.

The Mules scored one last time on a two-yard toss from Del Toro to R. Reyes in the end zone.
The Mules had one last opportunity to score but took three victory knees to drain the clock.

The Mules rushed for 113 yards on 26 carries and passed for 186 yards for a total offense of 299 yards. Luke Del Toro completed 10 of 16 passes for 122 yards three touchdowns. Mikey Lozano completed four of five pass attempts for 64 yards and rushed 12 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Justin Carrion rushed five times for 10 yards. 

Romeo Reyes caught five passes for 53 yards and one touchdown. Yoel Reyes made two receptions for 33 yards and two touchdowns. Isaac Mendoza had three catches for 32 yards. Brady Martinez had two receptions for 18 yards, and Matt Alarcon made one catch for 15 yards.

The Mule defense held the River Road Wildcats to just six yards of offense in the first half. The Wildcats finished with a total of 127 yards of offense with 18 yards being through the air and 79 coming on the ground.

The Mules combined for 87 tackles. 17 being for losses, 10 were sacks, 11 on special teams, broke up seven passes, caused two fumbles, recovered four fumbles and intercepted one pass.

Isaac Mendoza led the Mule defense with 13 tackles; four were for losses, three were sacks, made two big hits, broke up a pass, caused two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Carlos Meza had 10 tackles; five were for losses, three were sacks, made one big hit, and hurried the quarterback three times.

Corbin Hardwick also made 10 tackles, one on special teams, three were for losses, one sack, and made one big hit. Fernando Rivas had eight tackles, one for a loss, one for a sack and hurried the quarterback four times.

Justin Carrion made three special teams tackles, and Mikey Lozano intercepted a pass.

The Mules are 2-0 in district action and will travel to Friona to battle the 2-0 Friona Chiefs for a share of the district lead Friday night at 7:30 PM.



JV Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)

JV Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)

The JV Mules made the road trip to Amarillo River Road High School to play the Wildcats Thursday evening. The Mules missed a couple of scoring opportunities but managed to hang on to defeat the Wildcats 7-0. With the win, the Mules record improved to five wins against just two losses.

The Mules rushed for 158 yards and completed seven of 15 passing attempts for 75 yards for a total of 233 yards. The Mule defense combined for 44 tackles and intercepted two passes.

The Mules scored in the opening period on a run by Raul Sierra. Sierra carried the ball six times for 53 yards and completed four of ten passes for 48 yards. He was on the receiving end of one pass for 23 yards.

Jimmy Villa rushed 11 times for 56 yards and made two receptions for 33 yards. He completed three of five passing attempts for 27 yards and booted the point after. Villa made four tackles.

Jesse Montiel made 11 rushing attempts for 36 yards. Nick Dominguez carried twice for six yards. Adrian Bustillos rushed once for one yard and caught on pass for one yard. Hector Arres ran once for six yards.

Derek Barron caught two passes for 15 yards, and Cristian Bustillos made one reception for three yards.

Rigo Mendoza led the Mule defense with eight tackles. C. Bustillos recorded six tackles. Kelan Flores and Kynton Haseloff made five tackles each. A. Bustillos made two stops and intercepted a pass.

The Mules will host the Friona Chieftains Thu

9th Mules vs. Seminole (10-18-2017)

9th Mules vs. Seminole (10-18-2017)

The River Road Wildcats reported they could not field a freshman team to compete with the Mules. However, during the Muleshoe vs. River Road game, the River Road freshmen team returned from a game held elsewhere. The freshmen Mules made the long drive to Seminole to play the Indians.

The Mules struggled to get untracked against the larger school. The Mules led after one period, 8-6, but could not put any more points on the board. The Mules fell to the Indians 34-8.

The Mules rushed for 137 yards on 22 carries and caught 15 of 26 passes for 154 yards.

Joe Gutierrez rushed 12 times for 52 yards and made five receptions for 37 yards. He completed one pass for 15 yards. Riley Kettner carried five times for 43 yards and one touchdown. He also completed 14 of 25 pass attempts for 139 yards.

Joey Martinez rushed five times for 42 yards and made five receptions for 67 yards. Kurt Rodriguez made three catches for 30 yards, and Isaac Vargas had two receptions for 20 yards.

Martinez led the Mule defense with 10 tackles. Gutierrez recorded seven tackles, and Kettner made six stops. Rodriguez had five tackles. Victor Velasquez and Benjamin Ramirez made four tackles each.

The Mules have a record of 3-4 and will host the 

8th Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)

8th Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)

The eighth-grade Mules stampeded over the River Road Wildcats 48-12 Thursday afternoon in Benny Douglas Stadium. The Mules needed only four offensive plays to score the opening touchdown and never looked back after that.

The Wildcats kicked off to the Mule 13, and there was no return. Juan Zacarias carried wide left for 11 yards. He then kept the football and rolled wide to the right on a 75-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, and the Mules led the Wildcats 6-0 with 5:28 remaining in the opening period.

Andre Alfaro and Zacarias teamed up to stop the Wildcats after a two-yard gain. Evan Lopez put pressure on the River Road quarterback to force an incomplete pass on third down. The Wildcats punted to the Mule 46.

Zachary Hasley connected with Josh Estrada for a 16-yard gain. Zacarias gained six yards on a counter play. Zacarias scored on a 16-yard run up the middle. The two-point conversion again failed, and the Mules led River Road 12-0 with 36 seconds left in the first period.

Josh Estraca intercepted a River Road pass at the Mule 48 and returned to the Wildcat 40.
It took the Mules six plays to score on a three-yard run by Jeremiah Barron with 2:36 left in the first half. Hasley tossed to Barron for the two-point conversion for a 20-0 Mule lead.

The Wildcats’ first-half touchdown came on an interception at the Mule 24, and they ran it in for a score with 50 seconds remaining in the first half.

River Road kicked off to the Mule 30-yard line. Barron took the kickoff in the chest, and then scooped up the ball and returned 70 yards for a touchdown 11 seconds after the Wildcats had scored. Estraca added the two-point conversion for a 28-6 Mule lead.

The Mules kicked off, and Alex Regalado recovered the ball at the Wildcat 20.
Hasley snuck in behind the River Road defense and Barron launched the ball. Hasley caught the ball for a 20-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock. The Mules added the two-point conversion for a 36-6 Mule lead at the intermission.

The Wildcats second touchdown came on a 76-yard kickoff return to open the second half. Alexis Alvidrez made the stop on the two-point conversion attempt. The Mules led 36-12 with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

The Mules answered quickly with a 51-yard touchdown pass and run from Barron to Daniel Avila. The two-point conversion failed, and the Mules were up 42-12.

The two teams exchanged fumbles inside the River Road 10-yard line. The Mule defense pushed the Wildcats backward to the River Road one-yard line. The Mules blocked the punt, and Jacob Reyes recovered the ball for a touchdown for the final points of the game.

The Mules will travel to Friona Thursday to play the Braves.


  

7th Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)

7th Mules vs. River Road (10-18-2017)
The seventh-grade Mules hosted the River Road Wildcats Thursday afternoon and were slow to leave the gate. The Mules ran out of time as they began to hit on all cylinders to fall 12-8 to the visitors.
River Road kicked off with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Frankie Reyes returned the kickoff 21 yards to the Mule 48-yard line. Noah Deleon carried for 10 yards. Irvin Torres found F. Reyes open on the right side for five a yard gain.

Torres kept up the middle for four yards. F. Reyes carried wide around the left before cutting upfield for a 33-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds remaining in the game. Torres blasted up the middle for the two-point conversion to cut the Wildcat lead to just four points.

The Wildcats took advantage of an early break. A student-body sweep gained the Wildcats 11 yards. River Road scored on a 22-yard run up the middle to take a 6-0 lead with 1:19 left in the opening quarter. Nic Reyes plugged the whole to stop the two-point conversion.

Neither team could find the end zone, until the final period. The Wildcats drove 55 yards in 11 plays to score on a three-yard run with 2:08 left in the game. Torres blitzed to sack the quarterback and stop the two-point conversion.


The Mules will travel to Friona Thursday to play the Braves.    

Mules vs. Slaton (10-13-2017)

Mules vs. Slaton (10-13-2017)

Robert Brault, an American writer, once wrote, “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Brady Martinez split the uprights with a 23-yard field goal Friday night that proved to be the difference for a Mule win over the Slaton Tigers.

Twenty-three yards may not seem like much, but when it is your first field goal, it can look like a mile. But the Mules blocked the onrushing Tigers, Yoel Reyes caught the deep snap and perfectly placed the ball on the tee for Martinez’ talented toe to drive between the uprights.

The field goal came with 9:05 remaining in the first half to cut Slaton’s lead to 7-3. The Mules came back in the second half to take the lead twice and held the Tigers at bay for the final seven minutes and 42 seconds of the game for a 17-14 district win.

The Mules opening kick of the game went out of bounds, and the Tigers started their drive at the Tiger 30. It took the Tigers 10 plays to march 70 yards for a touchdown. Kevondrick Gober scooted in from eight yards out for what proved to be the Tigers only score of the first half. The drive had consumed almost five minutes.

The Mules offense sputtered, and Ryan Rodriguez launched a low rugby-style punt that bounced and rolled 58 yards until a waiting Y. Reyes and Ean Hasley stopped it at the Slaton one-yard line.

“It is a toss-up as to which was the turning point in the game,” said Mules’ head coach, David Wood. “Ryan’s (Rodriguez) punt flipped the field and forced Slaton to drive the length of the field. Brady (Martinez) field goal was the difference in the game and kept us close until we could get our offense untracked.”

“Both proved to be big plays for us. Slaton is a talented team that could beat any team in the district. We were fortunate to come away with the win.”

Following Rodriguez’ punt, the Tigers drove to the Mule 28-yard line when the Slaton quarterback pitched the ball to Gober. Gober could not find the handle on the ball, and it dropped to the grass.

Corbin Hardwick pounced on the ball at the Mule 30. Rodriguez gained three yards, and on third down, Mikey Lozano fired a bullet to Romeo Reyes for a first down. Lozano kept the ball and headed upfield and was walloped.

The ball shot upfield, and R. Reyes jumped on the ball for a Mule first down at the Slaton 48. That play ended the first quarter with the Mules trailing 7-0.

Lozano kept the ball to start the second period and followed Rodriguez wide left. He cut behind a block by Rodriguez and Martinez paved the way for Lozano to gain 11 yards. One of the Mules moved on first down, and the penalty set the Mules back five yards. Lozano held onto the ball for an 11-yard gain, and a personal-foul penalty advanced the Mules to the Slaton 10-yard line.    

The Mule drive stalled at the Slaton six-yard line. Martinez booted the field goal to put the Mules on the board trailing the Tigers 7-3. That score held until the intermission.

Slaton kicked off to start the second half to the Mule 20. Matthew Alarcon returned to the Mule 29-yard line.

Leonel Camarena and Eddie Vasquez pulled from the right side of the Mule line. Luke Del Toro took the deep snap and handed off to Lozano headed left. Rudy Ruiz and Carlos Meza double-teamed the defensive tackle while Camarena took out the defensive end.

Jacob Kettner pancaked the cornerback, and Lozano split a pair of Tigers, then broke an arm tackle. He was finally tripped up from behind at the Slaton 10.

Del Toro scored on a nine-yard run up the middle with 10:50 left in the second period. Martinez tacked on the extra point for a 10-7 Mule lead. The Mules had only needed three plays to travel 71 yards to take the lead for the first time.

Just over seven minutes later the Tigers were back in the Mule end zone to again claim the lead at 14-10 with fifteen and half minutes remaining in the game.

Slaton kicked off out of bounds, and the Mules called for the penalty. The Tigers had to kickoff from the Slaton 35-yard line. Y. Reyes returned the kick eight yards to the Mule 32.

The two teams exchanged punts, and the Mules began the final scoring drive at the Mule 22. Lozano carried wide left and slipped through the hand of a pair of tacklers for 13 yards. The Mules lost two yards on first down, and an incomplete pass left the Mules needing 12 yards on third down.

Del Toro took the snap and started right following Lozano. Lozano planted his foot in the turf and cut back left and to the handoff for a seven-yard gain on the counter play. Del Toro managed to tip a high snap to himself and started left. He faked a pitch to Lozano wide to the left and pulled the defense to him.

Del Toro then pushed the ball over the head of an oncoming Tiger to Lozano. Lozano scooted upfield to the for six yards and a first down. R. Reyes was held up on his route, and the Tigers were flagged for pass interference.

The penalty moved the Mules to the Slaton 39. Del Toro rolled to his left, but all his receivers were covered. He pulled down the ball and scrambled nine yards. Del Toro kept up the middle for the first down at the Slaton 28.

A holding penalty set the Mules back, but Lozano kept up the middle for 13 yards. Del Toro then tossed to R. Reyes for nine yards and a first down. Lozano capped off the drive with a 15-yard run behind the block by Rodriguez.

Martinez ended the Mules’ scoring like he had started it and booted the ball through the uprights.

The Mules rushed for 206 yards and passed for 35 more yards for a total offense of 241 yards.

Mikey Lozano led the Mule offense with 18 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown. He completed four passes four of six passes for 26 yards. Luke Del Toro rushed six times for 18 yards and one score. He completed one of four passes for nine yards. Ryan Rodriguez ran eight times for 24 yards.

The Mule defense gave up 178 rushing yards and 56 yards through the air for a total of 234 yards.

Isaac Mendoza paced the Mule defense with 20 tackles, one special teams’ tackle, three tackles for losses, three sacks, and made one big hit. Julian Astorga recorded 14 tackles, two tackles for losses, one sack, one quarterback hurry and caused two fumbles.

Jacob Kettner made 14 stops and one big hit. Mikey Lozano had 13 tackles, and Ean Hasley made 12 tackles and one quarterback hurry. Corbin Hardwick and Rudy Ruiz recovered a fumble each. Romeo Reyes intercepted one pass.


The Mules are 1-0 in district play and will host the 0-1 River Road Wildcats Friday night in Benny Douglas Stadium.   

9th Mules vs. Shallowater (10-12-17)

9th Mules vs. Shallowater (10-12-17)

The Slaton Tigers could not field a freshmen team to play the Mules Thursday afternoon, and the Shallowater Mustangs were also facing an open date if no opponent could be found. The Mules hosted the Mustangs for the first of two meetings this season.

The Mustangs won the first meeting 40-14. All of the Mule points came in the final period.

Joe Gutierrez completed eight of 13 passing attempts for 63 yards. He rushed nine times for 61 yards and one touchdown. Gutierrez also made one reception for five yards. Riley Kettner completed six of nine passes for 16 yards. He rushed three times for five yards and caught three passes for 20 yards.

Joey Martinez carried 11 times for 136 yards and one touchdown. He caught five passes for 12 yards. Kurt Rodriguez made four catches for 33 yards and scored one two-point conversion. 

Joey Martinez made five tackles and recovered one fumble. Joe Gutierrez recorded five tackles and intercepted one pass. Riley Kettner had seven tackles and recovered one fumble.

The Mules will travel to Amarillo River Road Thursday to play the Wildcats.



8th Mules vs. Olton (10-5-2017)

8th Mules vs. Olton (10-5-2017)

The eighth-grade Mules finally scored against the Olton Mustangs with one minute and 43 seconds remaining in the game Thursday evening. Jeremiah Barron hung on to the football and started left. He spotted a crease in the defense and blasted over the goal line for the two-point conversion to give the Mules the lead.

The Mules defeated the Mustangs 8-6.

The first three periods of the game were a defensive battle with neither team able to gain an advantage.

Olton blocked a Mule punt and recovered the football at the Muleshoe eight-yard line. The Mustangs scored on an eight-yard run with three minutes and 15 seconds left in the game. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and Olton led the Mules 6-0.

The Mustangs kicked off to the Mule 35, and Alex Regalado returned 13 yards to the Mule 48-yard line.

Barron kept around the right side for seven yards and then held on to the ball to the left for four more yards and a first down. Barron spotted Josh Estraca open at the Olton 25 and tossed him the ball. The Mustangs pulled down Estraca at the Mustang 17.

Barron started right and drew the defensive end to him. He pitched to Juan Zacarias outside the containment. Zacarias outran the defense for 17 yards to the end zone and tied the game at 6-6.  Barron’s two-point conversion was enough to give the Mules the win.

Zacarias kicked off to the Olton 15, and Zachary Hasley raced downfield to make the tackle at the Olton 27. Evan Lopez and Jacob Reyes sacked the Mustang quarterback for an eleven-yard loss.

The Mules defense put pressure on the Olton quarterback, and Barron intercepted the Mustang pass at the Olton 14. Barron took back-to-back victory knees to run out the clock.

The Mules are scheduled to travel to Slaton Thursday evening to square off against the Tigers in the two teams first district gam

7th Mules vs. Olton (10-5-2017)

7th Mules vs. Olton (10-5-2017)

The seventh-grade Mules kicked off their season two weeks later than the high school teams and had a game scheduled with the Olton Mustangs during the open week. The young Mules battled the full 24 minutes to defeat the Olton 16-12.

The Mules kicked off to start the game, and Matt Vargas raced downfield to make an open field tackle after just a seven-yard return to the Olton 29. Nic Reyes made pushed Olton back a yard on first down.

Uriel Ramirez sniffed out the screen pass and made the stop after a two-yard gain. N. Reyes blitzed into the Mustang backfield to set Olton back five yards and force the Mustangs to punt.

U. Vasquez received the punt at the Olton 45 and returned the ball 21 yards to the Mustang 24.

The Mules lost seven yards on first down. Irvin Torres spotted Noah Deleon coming open on a down-and-out pattern for an 18-yard gain and a first and goal at the 10-yard line. A high snap followed by a chop block penalty shoved the Mules back to Olton 29.

Frankie Reyes bubbled back for a screen pass, and Torres delivered him the ball. Deleon made a block to open a way for F. Reyes to gain 19 yards. Torres took the deep snap and stepped back to sell the pass before pulling down the ball and racing up the middle for a touchdown with 51 seconds left in the opening period.

F. Reyes blasted up the middle for the two-point conversion to give the Mules an 8-0 lead.

F. Reyes kicked off to the Olton 23 U. Vasquez made his second special teams’ tackle after only allowing a three-yard return.

The Mustangs fumbled on first down, and Ed Lopez recovered the football at the Olton 25. The Mules failed to convert the turnover and gave the ball back to the Mustangs on downs as the second period got underway.

The Mustangs scored on a 13-yard pass with 23 seconds left in the first half. The Mules stopped the Mustang two-point conversion attempt short of the goal line. The Mules led 8-6 at the intermission.

Olton kicked off to start the second half, and Judas Reyes returned five yards to the Mule 28. Torres kept wide right and scooted 31 yards. F. Reyes took a handoff wide left for 21 yards to the Mustang 18. A facemask penalty advanced the Mules half the distance to the goal line.

Torres connected with Deleon. Deleon reached the one-yard line before being shoved out of bounds. Torres sneaked up the middle for the Mules’ second touchdown with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

F. Reyes found a hole up the middle for the two-point conversion to give the Mules a 16-6 advantage.

A short punt resulted in an Olton touchdown with 2:47 left in the game. F. Reyes stopped the two-point conversion attempt and ended all scoring.

The Mules travel to Slaton Thursday to 

Mules vs. Idalou (9-29-2017)

Mules vs. Idalou (9-29-2017)

The Mules released all of their pent-up frustrations loose on the Idalou Wildcats Friday night. Everything seemed to be stacked against the Mules going into the match. The game was to be played on grass after a week of heavy rains in Idalou.

Because of the rain, the Mules had been practicing a run-oriented offense and Friday morning were informed some key members of the offense might not be able to make the game for personal reasons.

“Anyone that ever played football,” said Coach David Wood. “Can relate to how these kids feel. Playing on natural turf and in the rain and mud is always memorable. Winning the final non-district contest and setting the tone for the rest of the season is icing on the cake.”

Those players were able to make it to Idalou for the night’s contest, and the Mules unleashed a surprising new look on the Wildcats. The Mules offense scored 33 points, and the Mule defense held an all-state led offense to a mere three points.

Brady Martinez kicked off for the Mules with a sky-high kick to the Idalou 35. Ean Hasley raced down the Wildcat sideline and dropped the return man at the Idalou 37.

Mark Caballero, the highly touted and all-state tailback, took an opening pitch wide left for 21 yards to the Mule 42. Mikey Lopez took the tailback head-on and held him to only two yards on the second play of the game.

Julian Astorga was the next Mule to nail Caballero for a two-yard gain. Martinez made the first contact on the tailback, and Corbin Hardwick finished him off after a four-yard run. Idalou was in four-down territory and attempted to pick up at least two yards on fourth down.

Hardwick dropped down as the nose guard and fired off so hard into the center that he drove him back into the quarterback to stymie the quarterback sneak. Astorga and Moises Vasquez pinched to the middle to trap the quarterback. Leonel Camarena drove the quarterback to the turf for a three-yard loss.

The Mules took over on downs at the Mule 35.

On first down, the left side of the Mule offensive line double-teamed the defensive tackle. Camarena pulled and drove the defensive end out of the hole. Ryan Rodriguez blew through the hole for eight yards.

The slippery field closed the hole Lozano intended to run through and was forced to dance down the line of scrimmage until a hole opened, and he gained two yards. Lozano then kept wide left, slipped one tackle, and picked up four yards to the Mule 49.

Lozano took the snap and started wide left and drew the defensive end to him. At the last second, Lozano pitched to Rodriguez. Martinez was blocking downfield to open the way for a six-yard gain and a first down at the Idalou 41.

A high snap pop off the fingertips of Lozano in the shotgun formation. But he never took his eyes off the ball and turned away from the line of scrimmage and caught up to the ball. Lozano rolled left and kept his eyes downfield and spotted Romeo Reyes working hard to get open.

R. Reyes snagged the pass at the Wildcat 32 and ran away for three Idalou defenders for a 22-yard gain.

Lozano kept on back-to-back plays for two and six yards to advance the Mules to the Idalou 11. Lozano took the deep snap and started wide left. When the defensive end came to meet him, he delivered a perfect pitch to Rodriguez.

Yoel Reyes moved the final Wildcat out of Rodriguez path for an 11-yard touchdown run. Martinez booted the point after to give the Mules a 7-0 lead with 5:02 remaining in the opening period. 

Following Martinez high arcing kickoff to the Idalou 17, a block in the back penalty sent the Wildcats back to the Idalou 16 to start their second drive of the night.

M. Vasquez shed his blocker to tackle the tailback after a five-yard gain. Lozano came off the edge to drop the tailback for a one-yard loss. Isaac Mendoza took out the fullback running interference on third down, and Sergio Solano came from the backside to stop the tailback for just a two-yard gain. The Wildcats punt rolled dead at the Mule 45.

Rodriguez blasted up the middle for three yards. Y. Reyes gained three yards on a screen pass. Lozano followed two sniffer backs and Rodriguez around the right side. Lozano avoided two tacklers for 22 steps to the Wildcat 27.

Astorga and Eddie Vasquez pulled left, and Rodriguez followed them through the Wildcat line. He broke an arm tackle at the Idalou 15 and cruised to the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown run. Martinez kick was good and gave the Mules a 14-0 lead with 1:23 left in the first period.

The Wildcats returned the Mule kickoff 26 yards to the Idalou 43.

The fullback blasted through the middle for 12 yards and a first down at the Mule 45. Jacob Kettner started inside before he recognized the tailback going wide left. Kettner recovered and made the tackle for just a two-yard gain.

On the final play of the first quarter, Kettner forced the tailback to change course and run inside where the Mules swarmed him for a three-yard gain.  The fullback opened the second period with a four-yard gain on third down.

The Wildcats needed a yard on fourth down, and the quarterback fumbled the exchange from the center and lost a yard to give the Mules the ball on downs.

A chop block on first down cost the Mules 15 yards. A motion penalty backed the Mules up to the Mule 17.

Lozano emptied the backfield, dropped back, and looked left as if to pass. He then pulled down the ball and raced upfield. Astorga had pulled and blocked the safety to open a path for Lozano to scoot 83 yards for a touchdown to give the Mules a 20-0 lead with 10:06 left in the first half.

The two teams battled for the next nine minutes and 52 seconds before Idalou booted a 38-yard field goal for the Wildcats’ only score of the night.

The Mule defense shut out the Wildcats in the second half.

Lozano connected with Y. Reyes with a six-yard toss to end zone at the 7:53 mark of the third quarter. Martinez kick was good for a 27-3 lead.

The final Mule tally came on a one-yard run by Lozano with 5:35 remaining in the game.

The Mules rolled up 450 yards of total offense with 362 yards being on the ground and 88 yards passing. Mikey Lozano rushed 21 times for 303 yards and completed six of nine passes for 53 yards and one touchdown. 

Ryan Rodriguez carried 13 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Yoel Reyes caught five passes for 54 yards and one touchdown. Romeo Reyes snagged two passes for 17 yards, and Brady Martinez caught one pass for 15 yards.

The Mule defense held Idalou to 186 yards on 43 rushes. The Wildcats threw four incomplete passes, and the Mules intercepted one.

Isaac Mendoza led the Mules with 20 tackles and two special team’s tackles. Corbin Hardwick recorded 14 stops, one special team’s tackles, and hurried the quarterback twice. Jacob Kettner made 11 tackles.

Matt Alarcon and Yoel Reyes had nine tackles each. Ean Hasley, Zack Atwood, and Jordan Vela made three special team’s tackles each. Vela intercepted a Wildcat pass.

The Mules will be open Friday night and will be allowing the many bumps and bruises to heal while beginning to prepare for their first district contest. The Mules will travel to Slaton October 13 to play the Tigers.      

9th Mules vs. Idalou (9-28-2017)

9th Mules vs. Idalou (9-28-2017)

The freshmen Mules wound up on the short end of a 28-20 score Thursday to the Idalou Wildcats on a cool and rainy evening. The Mules battled to the end and scored their final touchdown 20 seconds prior to the end of the game.
Idalou fumbled on the third play of the game, but the Mules could not cash in on the turnover. The Wildcats scored first on a 13-yard run with 3:42 left in the first period to lead the Mules 8-0.
The Wildcats kicked off to the Mule 17. Joey Martinez picked up the ball and cut to his right and raced to the Idalou 40 for a 43-yard return. Joe Gutierrez connected with J. Martinez running out of the backfield for a 19-yard gain.
Gutierrez kept wide left for a 21-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining in the opening quarter. The two-point conversion failed, and Mules trailed 8-6.
The Wildcats scored early in the second period to extend the Idalou lead to 14-6 with 6:12 left in the first half. The Wildcats hung on to that lead until the end of the first half.
Idalou kicked off to the Mule end zone for a touchback, and the Mules started their first drive of the second half at the Mule 25-yard line.
Gutierrez made a pitch to J. Martinez. J. Martinez found that gate closed and reversed his field and raced 40 yards to the Idalou 35. An encroachment penalty gave the Mules a first down and five-yards needed for a first down.
J. Martinez raced wide right for 17 yards to the Wildcat 13. Gutierrez connected with Cesar Enriquez on back-to-back plays. The first for three yards and the second Enriquez was standing in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.
Gutierrez then tossed to J. Martinez for the two-point conversion. The Mules had tied the game at 14-14 with 5:38 remaining in the third period.
The Wildcats scored twice before the third period ended and the Mules trailed 28-14 with one-quarter remaining to play.
Kurt Rodriguez recovered an Idalou fumble at the Mule 29 with 3:32 left in the game.
Gutierrez kept for 14 yards up the middle. Matthew Fabela made a block that took out three Wildcats to allow Gutierrez to gain eight yards. Gutierrez then tossed to Riley Kettner running a slant over the middle for 13-yards.
 The Mules emptied the backfield on fourth down and Gutierrez connected with Kettner for a first down at the Idalou 30. Gutierrez then tossed to Enriquez for 14 yards over the middle. Gutierrez found J. Martinez for a 10-yard completion at the Idalou 12.
Gutierrez completed his fourth consecutive pass with a throw to K. Rodriguez for a 12-yard touchdown that ended all scoring.
Joe Gutierrez rushed six times for 35 yards and completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 119 yards. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. Joey Martinez carried three times for 78 yards and caught two passes for 59 yards including one touchdown catch. 
Riley Kettner caught three passes for 37 yards. Cesar Enriquez made two catches for 14 yards, and Kurt Rodriguez made one reception for 12 yards and one touchdown.
Joey Martinez led the Mule defense with 10 tackles. Riley Kettner made seven stops. Elias Aguirre and Joe Gutierrez recorded five tackles each.

The Mules are open Thursday evening and will open their district season on the road against the Slaton Tigers.