Friday, November 10, 2017

Mules vs. Littlefield (11-3-2017)

Mules vs. Littlefield (11-3-2017)

The 3-0 Mules traveled to Littlefield Friday evening to play the 0-3 Wildcats. But records can be thrown out the window when the Mules and Wildcats meet. The Mules made back-to-back goal-line stands early in the first period.

But the Mules centered the ball through the end zone to spot the Wildcats two points with 3:05 remaining in the opening quarter. Littlefield made a goal-line stand of their own early in the second period and scored on a 10-yard run by Daniel Stinson to lead the Mules 10-0.

The Mules answered back with three and half minutes left to play in the first half. Luke Del Toro connected with Yoel Reyes in the end zone for an 18-yard scoring strike. Brady Martinez tacked on the point after to cut the Littlefield lead to 10-7 at the intermission.

Romeo Reyes saved a touchdown after time expired in the first half when he chased down Chris Douglas and forced him out of bounds at the Mule one-yard line.

The Mules briefly took the lead on a six-yard run by Mikey Lozano late in the third period. The Mules could not hang onto the lead and lost the game to the Wildcats 24-19.

“It was one of those nights that things just never seemed to go our way,” said Mule coach, David Wood. “Records do not mean much when the ‘War on 84’ breaks out.”

Littlefield kicked off to start the second half but the Mules were forced to punt on fourth down.

The Wildcats were driving down the field when Douglas dropped the football, and Jacob Kettner pounced on the ball at the Mule 26. The Mules were pushed back four yards on first down.

Lozano spotted a crease up the middle for a 13-yard gain on third down. Littlefield jumped offside and Y. Reyes ran a fade down the Mule sideline. Luke Del Toro sent the ball Y. Reyes direction and he leaped high to snag the ball between two defenders for a 29-yard gain.

Del Toro kept the ball for three yards on first down. Lozano carried up the middle for runs of five and four yards for a first down. Lozano took the helm and emptied the backfield. Lozano scampered wide right for nine yards.

Lozano kept left and Y. Reyes made a knocked down the defensive back at the nine-yard line to send Lozano to the five. Lozano followed Ryan Rodriguez up the middle for three yards on first down.

The Mules lost four yards on second down. Littlefield jumped offside, and Lozano started right. He reversed his field, gave ground, broke a tackle at the 14 and powered over the goal line to give the Mules their only lead of the night. The Mules led 13-10 with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter.

The Wildcats scored on a 21-yard run by Stinson to retake the lead at 16-13 with 24 seconds left in the third period.

Littlefield kicked off high, and short and the Mules mishandled the ball, and the Wildcats claimed the ball. Douglas scored the Wildcats final touchdown with a 28-yard run for a 24-13 Wildcat lead 52 seconds into the final period.

The Mules did not quit, and Lozano tossed a 19-yard pass to Y. Reyes in the end zone to end all scoring.

The Mules rolled up 305 yards of offense with 139 coming on the ground and 166 being through the air. Mikey Lozano carried the ball 29 times for 120 yards and one touchdown. He completed one of four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

Luke Del Toro rushed twice for five yards and completed nine of 19 passes for 147 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Rodriguez rushed twice for 16 yards. Yoel Reyes caught six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Romeo Reyes made two receptions for 28 yards.

Isaac Mendoza led the Mule defense with 16 tackles, one special team’s tackle, three tackles for losses, one sack, and caused one fumble. Julian Astorga made 13 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and one sack.

Corbin Hardwick had ten tackles, one special team’s tackle, and two tackles for losses. Jacob Kettner made ten tackles, three special teams tackles, and recovered one fumble. Jordan Vela and Yoel Reyes each recorded ten tackles. JoJo Rejino finished with nine tackles and caused a fumble.


The 3-1 Mules will host the 4-0 Shallowater Mustangs for the District 1-3A Division I Championship Friday evening in Benny Douglas Stadium. It is Senior Night for the Mules.  

JV Mules vs. Littlefield (11-2-2017)

JV Mules vs. Littlefield (11-2-2017)

The JV Mules hosted the Littlefield Wildcats Thursday evening. The Mules scored for the second time with 12 seconds remaining in the first half to take a 14-0 lead over the Wildcats. The Mules held on in the second half to defeat the Wildcats 14-8.
Neither team could reach the end zone in the first period.
Kynton Haseloff saved a touchdown by chasing down a speedy Littlefield running back at the Mule 42. The Mules held the Wildcats short of a first down at the Mule 21 and took over on downs.
Raul Sierra connected with Jose Cardenas at the Mule 40. Cardenas battled his way to the Mule 49 for a 28-yard gain. Nick Dominguez carried wide left for 10 yards. Sierra and Dominguez carried up the middle for seven-yard gains.
Sierra rolled out and decided to pull down the ball and run. He reached the Wildcat 14 for a 13-yard gain. Sierra tossed right, and Elio Sanchez made a diving catch at the one-yard line. Sierra kept up the middle for a one-yard touchdown run with 4:35 remaining in the first half.
Cardenas booted the point after to put the Mules in front 7-0.
Cardenas kicked off to the Littlefield 24 and Cardenas, and Dominguez made the tackle at the Wildcat 37.
Littlefield went three and out, and the Mules took the ball at the Mule 22. Jimmy Villa kept the football off right tackle for 25 yards to the Littlefield 43. Villa connected with Sanchez at the Wildcat 32, and he bounced his way to the Littlefield 15 for a gain of 24 yards.
Villa rolled right and tossed to Adrian Bustillos in the end zone. Cardenas booted the point after to extend the Mule lead to 14-0 with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
Neither team could score in the third period, but the Wildcats scored on the first play of the fourth period. Littlefield added the two-point conversion to cut the Mule lead to 14-8.
The balance of the game was a defensive battle.
Raul Sierra rushed ten times for 42 yards and one touchdown. He completed four of eight passes for 49 yards. Jimmy Villa carried seven times for 45 yards. He completed five of 17 passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.
Adrian Bustillos caught one pass for 12 yards and a touchdown. Jose Cardenas made one reception for 28 yards. Elio Sanchez made two catches for 56 yards.
Rigo Mendoza made nine tackles and recovered a fumble. Jose Cardenas made nine tackles, and Kynton Haseloff made eight tackles.

The Mules will travel to Shallowater Thursday evening to battle the Mustangs in their final game of the season.  

9th Mules vs. Monterey JV B (11-2-2017)

9th Mules vs. Monterey JV B (11-2-2017)

Littlefield does not have a freshman football team. Mules’ head coach, David Wood, scrambled and was able to schedule a game with the Lubbock Monterey JV B-team Plainsmen so the Mules would have a game Thursday afternoon.
Monterey appeared to be bigger and faster, but not the tenacity and discipline of the Mules. The Mules defeated Monterey 26-6.
The Mules jumped in front of Monterey when Riley Kettner connected with Joey Martinez. J. Martinez ran a down and out pattern in the end zone for the 13-yard touchdown toss with 5:06 left in the opening period to put the Mules on top 6-0.
Monterey returned the ensuing kickoff to near midfield. The Plainsmen marched to the Mule 39 yard-line before Brett Martinez sacked the Monterey quarterback for an 11-yard loss on third down. Enrique Toscano did not fall for the fake punt on third down and made the tackle seven-yards short of a first down.
The Mules took over on downs at the Mule 38. J. Martinez blasted up the middle for six yards and was tackled by his facemask. The penalty advanced the Mules to near midfield. The Mules emptied the backfield and Joe Gutierrez delivered the ball to J. Martinez set wide to the left.
J. Martinez caught the pass behind a pair of blockers that took out their assigned Plainsmen. J. Martinez made one man miss and race 57-yard to paydirt with two minutes left in the opening period. The Mules led 12-0 at the end of the first period.
Monterey had marched to the Mule nine-yard line when the first period ended. Ricardo Martinez contained the Plainsman running back attempting to get to the outside, and J. Martinez made the tackle at the Mule 14.
Neither team could sustain a drive until the Mules took over on downs at the Mule four-yard line.
Kettner tossed to J. Martinez for eight yards on first down. Gutierrez blasted up the middle for four yards and first down at the Mule 16. Kettner then fired a strike to Kurt Rodriguez for 14 yards.
J. Martinez scooted wide left for 67 yards to the Monterey three-yard line. Gutierrez carried over with 1:58 left in the first half to give the Mules an 18-0 lead.
Monterey returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown and added the two-point conversion to cut the Mules’ lead to 18-8 at the intermission.
The Mules attempted an onside kick to start the second half, and Monterey recovered at the Plainsman 49. Gutierrez picked off a Monterey pass at the Mule 38 and returned to the Plainsman four-yard line.
J. Martinez carried wide right for the final four yards with 6:58 remaining in the third quarter. J. Martinez added the two-point conversion to end all scoring and extended the Mule lead to 26-8.
Riley Kettner carried the ball three times for 24 yards and completed four of 11 pass attempts for 119 yards and one touchdown. Joe Gutierrez rushed eight times for 35 yards and one touchdown. He also completed five of 10 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown.
Joey Martinez ran seven times for 42 yards and caught five passes for 206 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for one two-point conversion. Enrique Toscano ran once for five yards. Kurt Rodriguez caught two passes for 25 yards and scored one touchdown.
Matthew Fabela caught one pass for five yards, and Cesar Enriquez made one catch for two yards.
Joey Martinez led the Mule defense with 12 tackles. Joe Gutierrez made 10 tackles and intercepted one pass. Ricardo Martinez recorded seven tackles, and Enrique Toscano made five tackles.
The Mules will travel to Shallowater to play the Mustangs in their final game of the season Thursday afternoon.  













  

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Mules vs. Friona (10-27-2017)

Mules vs. Friona (10-27-2017)

The Mules chased the Friona Chieftains for most of the first 42 minutes of the football game Friday night. The Chiefs were undefeated on the season at 7-0, and the Mules were unbeaten in district play with a record of 2-0.

“Muleshoe and Friona have played so many times now,” said Mules’ head coach, David Wood. “They have now started calling this game ‘The War on 214’. We have been playing in ‘The War on 84’ for several years. I guess I will take every war we can get into.”

“Tonight lived up to the name. I was not sure we could get back into the fray when we fell behind by 14 points twice in the first half. It was a race to the finish line. Our defense made that goal line stand at the one and then we drove the field for the score. That was the turning point in the game.”

Friona had led the Mules by 14 points twice during the first half, but the Mules had cut the deficit to 34-27 by the halftime intermission. The Mules only needed two plays in the second half to tie the game at 34-34.

That was the second of four ties that occurred during the contest. The Mules had tied the game at 14-14 early in the second period. The Mules were playing catch up late in the third period, when Magic Mikey Lozano broke loose for a 15-yard-touchdown run. Brady Martinez booted the point after to again tie the game at 41-41.

Lozano finally puts the Mules ahead 48-41 on a one-yard dive with 6:42 left in the game. Friona tied the game at 48-48 for the final time with just over four minutes left in the game.

The Chiefs kicked off to the Mule end zone, and the Mules started their final scoring drive at the Mule 25.

Luke Del Toro rolled left and tossed to Isaac Mendoza running a down-and-out pattern. Mendoza laid out to make the catch for a first down at the Friona 37. Lozano took the handoff and went up the middle for 10 yards.

Del Toro checked out of the play that was called because of how the defense had lined up. Del Toro kept on an option play for eight yards to the Friona 46. The Mules put two sniffer backs to the right side, and Lozano followed his blockers for 15 yards.

The Mules used the same offensive set, and Lozano started right. He found a crease in the Friona defense and cut back against the grain for 11 yards to the Chief 15. The Mules faked the wide receiver sweep, and Lozano kept the ball.

Leonel Camarena blocked the defensive tackle to the inside and Lozano ran outside the block. Lozano got turned around with his back to the end zone at the five-yard line. Ryan Rodriguez and Mendoza provided the extra push to help Lozano into the Friona end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run.

Brady Martinez tacked on the extra point for the 55-48 win with just 25 seconds left in the game.

Friona ran four plays in the final 25 seconds but could not advance the ball.

The Mules had tied the game at 41-41 with five minutes remaining in the third period. Following the Mule kickoff, the Chiefs drove to the Mule 10-yard line when the final quarter began. It was second down and goal to go.

Friona went straight ahead for six yards. The Mules made the stop at the two on third down. The quarterback pulled the ball from the belly of the Chiefs big running back, and Mendoza made the tackle at the one-yard line on fourth down.

Lozano kept up the middle for 11 yards. Yoel Reyes took the handoff from Lozano for five yards to the Mule 20. Lozano carried on a student body sweep around the right end for ten yards.

Lozano carried for five yards on first down and was tackled by his facemask. The 15-yard penalty advanced the Mules to midfield. Del Toro rolled left, stopped, and saw Y. Reyes coming open at the Friona 30.

Y. Reyes leaped high in the air, broke a tackle reaches the Friona 18 for a 23-yard gain. Rodriguez blasted up the middle for 13 yards before Del Toro kept wide right for six yards.

Lozano scored from the five-yard line, but the Mules were flagged for holding. Lozano started wide left before cutting back to the middle of the field for a 14-yard gain and a first down at the Friona one.

Rodriguez led Lozano to the promised land and gave the Mules their first lead of the night at 48-41 with 6:42 left in the game. 

The Mule rolled up a total of 488 yards of offense by rushing for 312  yards and passing for 176. Lozano led the Mules with 28 carries for 208 yards and six touchdowns. He completed four of eight passes for 35 yards and one touchdown.

Del Toro rushed four times for 11 yards and completed seven of 19 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. Rodriguez carried 12 times for 68 yards and Y. Reyes carried twice for 25 yards.

Y. Reyes caught five passes for 85 yards and one touchdown. Romeo Reyes made two catches for 38 yards. Mendoza had three receptions for 30 yards. Martinez made one catch for 15 yards and one touchdown.

Friona rolled up 403 yards with 281 being on the ground and 122 passing.

Mendoza led the Mule defense with 22 tackles, two tackles for losses, broke up a pass and made two special teams tackles. Corbin Hardwick made 20 tackles, two being for losses, and made two sacks.

Lozano had 16 tackles. Carlos Meza made 14 tackles, two for losses, one quarterback hurry, blocked an extra point attempt, and caused a fumble. Leonel Camarena finished with nine tackles, one for a loss, one sack, and had three quarterback hurries. Julian Astorga recorded eight tackles, two quarterback hurries, caused one fumble, and recovered one fumble.

Matthew Alarcon made three special teams tackles and Y. Reyes broke up three passes. Camarena, Meza, and Ean Hasley each caused a fumble. Astorga, Martinez, and Y. Reyes each recovered a fumble.


The Mules are on the road again Friday night. They will put their 4-0 district record up against the 0-4 Littlefield Wildcats in Wildcat Stadium Friday night.          

JV Mules vs. Friona (10-26-2017)

JV Mules vs. Friona (10-26-2017)

Turnovers hurt the JV Mules Thursday evening when the Mules hosted the Friona Chieftains. Both teams turned the ball over several times, but Friona just slipped past the Mules 12-6.
Friona kicked off, and Derek Barron returned the ball to the Mule 30-yard line. Raul Sierra tossed to Barron for 13 yards. Sierra then found Jimmy Villa open for a 22-yard toss. Sierra scrambled for 13 yards for a first down at the Friona 27-yard line.
Nick Dominguez raced wide left for eight yards, and then Sierra kept the ball for five yards to the Chieftain nine-yard line. Sierra spotted Kelan Flores open in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass with 3:56 remaining in the first period. The point-after kick was no good, and the Mules led 6-0.
Following the Mule kickoff, Friona reached midfield. But a high snap was recovered by Villa at the Chiefs’ 34.
The Mules could not move the ball and turned the ball over on downs. The Chiefs marched downfield to the Mule 12-yard line. Adrian Bustillos broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone to give the Mules the ball.
The Mules moved the ball down the field to the Friona 11. A sack cost the Mules 11 yards, and a motion penalty set the Mules back to the Friona 27. Sierra connected with Flores for a 15-yard gain on third down, but the Mules still needed 10 yards for a first down. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to Friona.
The Chiefs scored on a 17-yard pass with 21 seconds left in the first half. The two-point conversion failed, and the game was tied at the intermission.
Adrian Bustillos intercepted a Friona pass in the end zone and returned to the Mule 30 with six and half minutes remaining in the third period. The Mule drive ran out of gas on the Friona 22 and turned the ball over on downs.
Friona scored with just less than four minutes left in the game on a 30-yard pass to end all scoring.
Raul Sierra completed 12 of 24 passes for 147 yards and rushed 12 times for 21 yards. Nick Dominguez rushed nine times for 42 yards and caught one pass for five yards. Jose Cardenas made one catch for 10 yards, and Adrian Bustillos made one reception for nine yards. Derek Barron caught two passes for 23 yards.
Kelan Flores made three catches for 24 yards and scored one touchdown. Jimmy Villa had four receptions for 76 yards.
Kelan Flores and Jose Cardenas led the Mule defense with 10 tackles each. Kynton Haseloff made nine tackles. Ricky Torres and Rigo Mendoza had five tackles each. Cristian Bustillos made three tackles and intercepted one pass.
The JV Mules will host the Littlefield Wildcats Thursday evening in Benny Douglas Stadium at 6:00 PM. It is the only gam

9th Mules vs. Friona (10-26-2017)

9th Mules vs. Friona (10-26-2017)

The freshmen Mules took the best the Friona Braves had to offer Thursday afternoon, then turned the table on the Braves and came back from a 14-0 deficit in the opening quarter. The Mules outscored the Braves for a 30-26 win.
Friona returned the opening kickoff 83-yards to take an early 8-0 lead over the Mules.
The Mules first drive reached the Friona 17 before a fumble returned the ball to the Braves. Friona scored eight plays later to extend their lead over the Mules 14-0.
Victor Velasquez covered the Braves’ onside kick at the Mule 48. Riley Kettner tossed to Joey Martinez at the Friona 46 and then battled his way to the Friona 39-yard line. Kettner again found Martinez open for 16 yards.
Kettner called his own number on back-to-back plays and scored on a 10-yard scamper up the middle. Joe Gutierrez ran through a hole off left tackle for the two-point conversion to cut the Friona lead to 14-8 with 1:26 remaining in the opening period.
Friona returned the ensuing kickoff to the Mule 45. The Braves fumbled once and recovered for a three-yard loss. The Braves were separated from the ball a second time, and J. Martinez recovered at the Mule 44-yard line.
J. Martinez dragged Friona tacklers forward for an 11-yard gain on the final play of the first period. Gutierrez passed to Kurt Rodriguez for an eight-yard gain on the first play of the second quarter. Gutierrez kept the ball wide around the Mules’ left end for a 13-yard pickup.
J. Martinez broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and then raced untouched the final 19 yards for a touchdown. Gutierrez kept wide left for the two-point conversion to put the Mules on top 16-14 with six minutes left in the first half.
Friona again took the lead on a five-yard run with 43 seconds remaining in the first half. Ricardo Martinez broke into the Friona backfield to stop the two-point conversion. Friona led the Mules 20-16 at the half.
The Mules and Braves exchanged fumbles during the third period, and neither team could reach the end zone.
Matthew Fabela intercepted a Brave pass at midfield on the first play of the final period. Gutierrez kept wide right for 11 yards. Gutierrez then tossed to J. Martinez for seven yards and was tackled by his facemask. The penalty advanced the Mules to the Friona 17.
Gutierrez rolled left and tossed to Rodriguez in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and the Mules again led Friona 22-20 with 6:39 remaining in the game.
Friona turned the ball over on downs at the Mule 39. Gutierrez kept up the middle for 17 yards. J. Martinez carried up the middle for 13-yards to the Friona 26. Gutierrez kept the ball on back-to-back plays for 10 yards and scored on a 15 yard run up the middle with 2:06 left in the game. J. Martinez tacked on the two-point conversion to end all scoring.
Joe Gutierrez rushed 15 times for 125 yards and completed five of 15 passes for 56 yards. He passed for one touchdown and ran for two two-point conversions. Riley Kettner rushed three times for 28 yards and completed two of three passes for 24 yards. He completed one touchdown pass.
Joey Martinez carried seven times for 72 yards and made three receptions for 41 yards. He rushed for one touchdown. Kurt Rodriguez made three catches for 47 yards and scored on touchdown. Cesar Enriquez made one catches for nine yards.
Joey Martinez led the defense with 11 tackles and recovered one fumble. Joe Gutierrez made nine tackles. Matthew Fabela made five tackles and intercepted one pass.
The freshmen Mules do not currently have a game scheduled for Thursday evening as the Littlefield Wildcats cannot field a freshmen team.