Mules vs. Kermit (9-26-2014)
The Mules dominated the
Kermit Yellow Jackets much to the delight of the Muleshoe Homecoming crowd. The
week’s festivities were culminated with the 41-13 win by the Mules.
“It was not pretty but it is
what our team need,” said Mule coach David Wood. “We came out and played a
solid game on both offense and defense. It was a great Homecoming game and
everyone got in the game tonight.”
“We wanted to be able to
establish the running game tonight and we got it done. We are continuing to
find out more and more about our team as well as that more kids can play the
game.”
“We really needed this win
and it will be good for us mentally and a lot of other ways. It really came at
a good time for us.”
The Mules won the coin toss
and chose to defer to the second half. Felipe Guerrero teed up the ball and
kicked off onsides toward the Mule sideline. The ball hit the turf at the
Kermit 48 and took a high bounce over the front line of Yellow Jackets.
The ball again hit the turf
at the Kermit 40 and took a second high bounce. By the time the ball came down
four Mules were rushing to it. Francisco Elizalde just beat Chamel Regalado to
the ball. Elizalde snatched the ball out of the air at the Kermit 36.
Danny Campos kept the ball
and went up the middle for 18 yards on the first play of the game. Campos fired
a strike to Regalado running a seven-yard hitch pattern. Josh Lopez scored on
his first carry of the night.
He ran thru a wide hole in
the middle of the line and was untouched until he bounced off the safety at the
five-yard line. Lopez scooted then scoot to the end zone. Guerrero tacked on
the point after to give the Mules a 7-0 lead 55 seconds into the game.
The Yellow Jackets were
better prepared for the onside kick and covered the ball on the Kermit 46. The
quarterback, Jantzen Michel, kept the ball and ran behind two running backs for
three yards on first down.
Michel rolled left and
Regalado applied pressure causing Michel to throw the ball up earlier than he
would have preferred. Jason Florez jumped the route and made the interception
at the Mule 47-yard line and returned to the Kermit 31 before he was brought down.
The Mule blew a hole in the
middle of the line for Lopez and he raced for 14 yards. Lopez pounded the
middle again for eight yards to the Kermit nine.
Tony Castillo lined up as the
outside receiver of three receivers to the right. Castillo broke straight up
the field before breaking toward the goal post. Campos delivered Castillo the
ball a yard deep in the end zone for the Mules second touchdown.
Guerrero’s kick gave the Mules
a 14-0 lead with 9:31 left in the first period.
The Mule defense held the
Yellow Jackets and forced a punt. The Mules were moving but Campos came under
pressure. His arm appeared to get hit as he threw the ball.
Noey Porras intercepted
Campos’s pass in the flat and returned 40 yards for a defensive Kermit
touchdown. A low snap changed the timing for the point after try. Kermit
trailed the Mules 14-6 with 8:07 still left in the first period.
The Mules turned the ball
over on downs and then held the Yellow Jackets and forced a punt. The Kermit
went out of bounds at the Kermit 47.
Lopez got the Mules started
with an 11-yard run up the middle. The Mules lost three yards on first down but
Lopez broke outside for eight yards to right the Mules. The Mules sent three
receivers wide to the right side of the field.
Castillo was the outside
receiver and broke straight down the field for five yards and broke toward the
goal post. Campos delivered Castillo the ball at the Kermit 19. Castillo took a
hit at the Yellow Jacket 16 and the Kermit player hung on for three yards.
Castillo was able to shake
loose and out run the defense to the end zone. Guerrero added the point after
to extend the Mule lead to 21-6 with 2:25 remaining in the opening period.
Campos and Castillo teamed up
a third time in the second period. Castillo was the lone receiver on the right
side at the Kermit four-yard line. Castillo faked a slant over the middle and
broke to the outside.
Campos launched the ball over
the out stretched hands of a leaping Yellow Jacket line backer and dropped the
ball to Castillo. Castillo had a step on the defender and jumped high in the
air to secure the ball for a touchdown.
The scoring drive had had
taken 10 plays and gone 80 yards. Guerrero added the point after and the Mules
led 28-6 with 3:46 left in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets answered
before the half ended with Michel throwing a 24-yard scoring strike to Jay
Workman. The kick was good and cut the Mule lead to 28-13. The five-play drive
covered 68 yards and provided the Yellow Jackets with most of their offensive
yard on the night.
The second half passed
quickly with the Mules scoring with 9:12 left in the third quarter. Lopez ran
in from four-yards out to cap a nine-play 70-yard drive.
The Mules were back in the
end zone in the fourth period with 8:01 remaining in the game. The Mules had
gone 56 yards in just two plays.
The Mules were in double
twins with Tre Villa as the outside receiver and Regalado the inside receiver
at the Kermit 30. When the ball was snapped Villa dropped back off the line of
scrimmage like he was preparing for a screen pass.
Regalado appeared to be
preparing to block for Villa but broke downfield and ran past his defender. He
was seven yards behind his defender when Campos tossed him the ball at the
Kermit 13. Regalado out ran the safety to the corner for the final points of
the game.
The Mules rolled up 553 yards
of offense. They rushed for 420 yards and passed for 133. Josh Lopez rushed 24
times for 237 yards and two touchdowns. He caught two passes for 15 yards.
Campos completed nine of 24
passes for 133 yards and four touchdowns. Cristian Paez rushed 10 times for 89
yards, Campos carried eight times for 42 yards, Saul Sanchez rushed three times
for 32 yards and Tre Villa carried once for 20 yards.
Castillo made three
receptions for 44 yards and three touchdowns. Regalado made two catches for 37
yards and one score. Villa had one reception for 16 yards, Tony Vasquez caught
one for 12 yards and Saul Sanchez had one catch for seven yards.
The Mule defense limited the
Yellow Jackets to a total of 81 yards. They passed for 55 yards and rushed for
26.
Ryder White led the Mule
defense with 11 tackles, one being for a loss, one quarterback hurry, broke up
two passes and made a big hit. Regalado had eight tackles with two for losses,
two sacks, four quarterback hurries and two special team tackles.
Kevin Mendoza made eight
tackles, Issac Acosta had five tackles with one being for a loss and one special
team tackles. Cristian Paez made five tackles with one being on special teams
and Roman Franco had five tackles and broke up one pass. Francisco Elizalde
made three tackles, recovered a fumble and made three special teams tackles.
The Mules have an open date
prior to starting district in River Road against the 2-3 Wildcats October
10.
