Mules vs. Snyder (9-8-2017)

Mules vs. Snyder (9-8-2017)

The Mules traveled to Snyder Friday evening to battle the Tigers. The game was tied four times during the contest. The Mules tied the game at 7-7 in the first period, and then Snyder came back to knot the score at 20-20 just before the half. The Mules tied the game at 27-27 in the third period and 34-34 in the fourth period.

Jacob Kettner snagged to final tying pass at the Tiger 28. Luke Del Toro had emptied the backfield and sent three receivers to the right and two to the left. Kettner was the inside receiver on the three-receiver side.

He ran a slant over the middle. After making the catch, Kettner had to beat two defenders. He angled toward the end zone, slammed on the brakes at the 10-yard line and allowed one defender to pass in front of him. Kettner then pirouetted and broke behind the second defender into the end zone.

The two defenses dominated the next nine minutes of the game, but a short punt gave the Tigers good field position with time running down. Snyder reached the Mule 19 with seconds left in the game. A 29-yard field goal broke the tie with just seven seconds left on the clock. The Tigers won the game 37-34.

“We played a much better game tonight than we did last week,” said Mule coach, David Wood. “We are a much-improved team. You never like to lose a game, but we are still learning about ourselves.”

The Tigers took the opening kickoff and marched 52 yards on eight plays. They scored on a quarterback keeper for the final three yards. The point-after try was good, and the Mules trailed 7-0 with 8:24 left in the opening quarter.

Brady Martinez returned the ensuing Snyder kickoff to the Mule 31. Luke Del Toro passed to Mikey Lozano coming out of the backfield. He reversed the field and gained 10 yards for a first down.

Yoel ran a hitch-and-go pattern to get open down the Tiger sideline. He popped open at the Snyder 37, caught the ball, and out ran the defense for a 57-yard touchdown. Martinez tied the game at 7-7 with 7:40 remaining in the opening period.

The Tigers scored a second time in the first quarter on a 20-yard pass and run. The extra-point kick bounced off the upright and Snyder led the Mule 13-7 with 2:20 left in the first period.

Y. Reyes snagged his second touchdown catch with 7:53 showing in the second stanza. He lined up as the inside receiver and ran a flag and curled back for the catch at the Tiger 24. Kettner was the outside receiver and ran a fade down the sideline.

Kettner saw Y. Reyes had secured the catch and peeled back to make bone shaking block to free Y. Reyes for a 35-yard touchdown run. Martinez put the Mules on top by booting the extra point. The Mules led 14-13 with just less than eight minutes remaining in the first half.

The ball slipped through the hands of the tailback and only had time to bounce once before Isaac Mendoza was there to snatch it up at the Tiger 46. Lozano gained a first down on back-to-back carries of nine and six yards.

Lozano then scampered wide right for 19 yards to the Snyder 14. Martinez was the center receiver in a three-receiver set. Ryan Rodriguez cleared out the defense and Martinez cut behind him on a slant and made the catch at the 11-yard line. He scooted untouched to the end zone. His point-after try was off the mark, but the Mules led 20-13.

Snyder would not be denied and scored with 4:17 left in the half to knot the game at 20-20. That scored remained to the intermission.

Snyder kicked off to start the second half. The Mules turned the ball over on an interception. The Tigers took the lead on an eight-yard run 27-20.

The Mules continued to battle after Snyder kicked off out of bounds. The Mules’ drive started on the Mule 30. Y. Reyes made the first catch for eight yards. Romeo Reyes made the next catch for 21 yards and moved the Mules to the Tiger 38.

Kettner made an eight-yard catch to put the Mules on the Snyder 16. It was fourth down, and the Mules needed a yard to keep the drive alive. Lozano went far to the right, found a seam, and cut up the field for four yards.

Carlos Meza and Rudy Ruiz pulled while Lionel Camarena and Julian Astorga double teamed the defensive tackle. Ruiz sealed off the defensive end, and Meza led Lozano through the hole. Meza blocked the linebacker to allow Lozano to scoot into the end zone. Martinez kick was good to tie the game at 27-27.

Snyder scored once more in the third quarter to take a 34-27 lead over the Mules.

Luke Del Toro completed 24 of 45 passing attempts for 292 yards and four touchdowns.

Mikey Lozano rushed twenty times for 112 yards and one score. Yoel Reyes caught seven passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Jacob Kettner made five receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown. Romeo Reyes had eight catches for 58 yards, and Brady Martinez caught two passes for 26 yards and one touchdown. 

Julian Astorga recorded 12 tackles, two tackles for a loss, and made two sacks. Ean Hasley had 12 tackles, hurried the quarterback four times, and recovered a fumble. JoJo Rejino made 12 tackles. Jacob Kettner made 11 stops along with one special team’s tackle. Isaac Mendoza had 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, hurried the quarterback twice and recovered a fumble. Louis Franco made nine tackles.

The 0-2 Mules will host the 0-2 Brownfield Cubs Friday night in the Mules’ 2017 Homecoming game.