9th Mules vs. River Road (10-9-2014)

9^th Mules vs. River Road (10-9-2014)

The freshmen Mules kept their winning streak alive at five straight wins. They defeated their only district opponent 38-6. The Mules and River Road Wildcats are the only two freshmen teams in District 1-3A.

The Mules both opened and closed district play with win for the District 1-3A Championship Thursday evening.

River Road kicked off to start the game and Arnulfo Hernandez returned the ball 27 yards to the Mule 45. Isaac Mendoza kept the ball on a quarterback sweep for eight yards. An offside penalty gave the Mules a first down at the River Road 42.

Hernandez pounded up the middle for four yards and Mendoza scooted around the right side and cut back toward the middle of the field for 15 yards to the Wildcat 23. Mendoza then kept up the middle for 12 yards.

Hernandez blasted up the middle with the Hammer play on first down. He broke a tackle at the three-yard line and dove into the end zone for a ten-yard touchdown with 6:13 remaining in the first period. Mendoza sneaked up the middle for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 Mule lead.

The Mule defense forced a Wildcat fumble on the first play of the second period and Jeremiah Smith recovered for the Mules at the Mule 43.

The Mules ran a double reverse on third down and 11 needed for a first. Michael Lozano wound up with the ball in the backfield. He pulled up and launched a pass down field to Jacob Kettner standing 10 yards behind the defense at the River Road 29. Kettner scored on the 58-yard pass and run. The Mules led 14-0 with 8:01 left in the half.

Hernandez booted the kickoff through the end zone for a touch back. The Wildcats drove 75 yards on 11 plays to cut the Mule lead to 14-8 at the intermission.

Hernandez ended the first half with a 56-yard punt and then kicked off to the end zone to start the third quarter.

River Road fumbled on the first play of the second half and Billy Tosh recovered the ball for the Mules on the Wildcat 17. But the Mules could not capitalize and fumbled the ball back to the Wildcats two plays later.

Carlos Meza and Hernandez teamed up for a stop at the Wildcat 40. Kettner stepped in front of a River Road receiver. He picked off a pass at the Wildcat 45 and returned the ball 20 yards before being brought down.

Two plays later Hernandez took an option pitch from Mendoza and scooted 20 yards for a touchdown with 4:50 left in the third period. Mendoza connected with Kettner for the two-point conversion and a 22-6 Mule lead.

The Mules put on a gang tackling exhibition as the Wildcats attempted to run up the middle. The Mules took over on downs near midfield.

A holding penalty appeared to have halted the Mules’ drive before it could get started. The Mules faked a punt and Smith passed to Lozano at the Wildcat 42. Lozano scooted to the three-yard line before being caught from behind.

The Mules scored on a one-yard sneak by Mendoza with 9:24 left in the game. Mendoza found JoJo Rejino open in the end zone for the two-point conversion to extend the Mule lead to 30-6.

Smith broke up a pass on fourth down to halt the Wildcats at the Mule 33.

Hernandez blasted up the middle and ran through three tackles before breaking free for a 67-yard TD run on first down with 6:33 left in the game. Mendoza went up the middle on a quarterback draw for the two-point conversion that ended all scoring. 

The Mules put their winning streak on the line Thursday in Shallowater’s Mustang Stadium at 5:00 PM. The Mules return home October 23 to host the Plainview Bulldogs.