9th Mules vs. Sweetwater (9-3-2015)

9^th Mules vs. Sweetwater (9-3-2015)

The freshmen Mules made it clear Thursday afternoon they had not enjoyed the tie they had experienced in the Levelland game. The class 4-4 Sweetwater Mustangs fell victim to a 36-0 thumping by the Mules.

Ryan Rodriguez served notice on the first play of the game that the Mules were ready to defend their home field. Rodriguez blitzed and made the stop for a Mustang six-yard loss. Sweetwater never seemed to recover and turned the ball over on downs at the Mustang 43.

A strong dose of power running by Corbin Hardwick and Rodriguez pounded the Mules down the field despite having to overcome a holding penalty. A wide-receiver screen from Luke Del Toro to Rodriguez was good for nine yards to the Mustang six.

Del Toro kept the ball for the final yardage and the Mules first touchdown with 2:44 remaining in the opening period. The two-point conversion failed and the Mules led 6-0.

The Mules had a miscue early in the second period when the Mustangs intercepted a fourth-down pass on the Sweetwater 15.

Two plays later the Mules returned the favor with Izaiah Hurtado picking off a pass and returned 23 yards for a defensive touchdown with 7:24 left in the half. Del Toro connected with Hurtado for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 Mule lead.

The Mustangs continued to struggle to get their offense untracked and were forced to punt. The ball rolled dead on the Mule 18.

The Mules gained a first down on a run by Rodriguez. On the next play Yoel Reyes stepped back from his wide-receiver position and raced back toward Del Toro going the opposite direction.

Reyes took a soft pitch from Del Toro and continued on a wide loop around the opposite end of the Mule offense than where he started. He scampered 70 yards for a touchdown with 4:05 still on the clock in the first half. Keaton Myers stepped in at quarterback and found Hurtado in the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 22-0 Mule lead.

Following the intermission, Hardwick made runs of 11 and eight yards to start the third period. Rodriguez stepped in at quarterback and zipped up the middle for a 47-yard touchdown to extend the Mule lead to 28-0 with 6:34 left in the third period.

The Mustangs gained a first down before Rigo Mendoza and Ean Hasley set them back. The defensive pressure may have led to the Mustang second interception of the game on the Mule 31.

Brady Martinez found a crease up the middle and zipped 39 yards to the Mustang 30. Then Del Toro spun out of a tackle for six yards before Hurtado kept wide left for 14 yards. Del Toro capped off the drive with a 10-yard toss to Reyes over the middle for the final Mule TD. Del Toro added the two-point conversion with 3:13 remaining in the third period for a 36-0 Mule lead.

The Mules were content to just allow the final period to run down and ended the game with a victory knee.

The Mules will hit the road for the first time this season and will travel to Idalou to play the Wildcats Thursday afternoon at 5:00 PM.

Mules vs. Levelland (8-28-2015)

Mules vs. Levelland (8-28-2015)

The Mules arrived at the newly finished Levelland Lobo Stadium having read the regional newspaper with every sports writer picking the Lobos to win. The returning Lobo quarterback’s picture was on the front page of various preseason football publications.

But the Mules had other plans for Friday night that did not include showcasing the Lobos in the new facilities. The Mule defense served notice early that they had come to play and the Mule offense fed off the aggressiveness of the defense.

The Mules only trailed for two plays during the 48-minute game. Levelland returned a fumble 70-yards for a touchdown. The Swinging Gate play added the two-point conversion and the Lobos led the Mules 8-7 with 2:48 remaining in the first period.

Just 29 seconds, enough time for a kickoff and two plays, the Mules scored with a 71-yard pass and run from Danny Campos to Jason Florez. That combination worked twice more to spur the Mules to a 43-15 win.

Levelland took the opening kick from the Lobo 40 to the Mule six in 10 plays that included a 25-yard pass for a first down on fourth down. That is where the Mule defense got stingy. Dagen Dunham batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on first down.

Nick Gerber, the Lobo quarterback, was pursued by Dunham, Cameron Hardwick and Mario Flores on second down and tossed the ball out of bounds. Tony Vasquez got his hand in front of the Lobo receiver in the end zone on third down and ripped the ball away. Dunham launched his 6-4 frame and knocked the ball down at the line of scrimmage.

The Mules took over on downs. The Mules appeared to be headed for three-and-out but an illegal substitution gave the Mules new life on fourth down. A special pass play sent a pass to Flores for a 29-yard gain.

Campos put his foot down on the Mules’ NASCAR offense and they raced quickly to the line and snapped the ball. Josh Lopez bounced off two would be tacklers for 14 yards. The Mules stayed with the hurry-up offense and Campos kept the ball for 10 yards.

Tony Castillo lined up as the lone receiver on the right side of the formation. He ran by his defender and Campos dropped the ball in his hands at the Lobo five-yard line.

Castillo slipped away from his defender a second time and was in the end zone for a 27-yard passing touchdown. Felipe Guerrero’s point after kick was good and the Mules led 7-0 with 5:50 left in the first period.

Following the Mule kickoff the Lobos could not get on track and were forced to punt. The Mules were marching down the field when Florez made the catch on a wide-receiver screen. He was stripped of the ball. Tandon Jones scooped up the loose ball and raced 70 yards for the Lobo’s first tally. The two-point conversion gave the Lobos a short-lived lead.

Two plays later the Mules were back on top to stay with the Florez 71-yard reception.

Levelland only had the ball for two plays following the Mule kickoff. Dillon Miller brought the pressure and hit Gerber just as he threw an incomplete pass. The memory of Miller’s hit may have been on Gerber’s mind as he let the pass fly on second down.

Aaryn Ross stepped in front of the intended receiver for the interception. Ross made the catch at the Mule 40 and returned 20 yards to the Levelland 40.

Campos escaped the Lobo blitz and slid to his left before firing a strike to Tre Villa at the Lobo five. A Lobo defender managed to get a hand on Campos pass to the end zone but Dunham made the adjustment and caught the wobbly pass.

Guerrero booted the point after to increase the Mules’ lead to 21-7.

The Campos-Florez connection added a 15-yard TD pass just after the second period began. The scoring toss capped off an eight-play 48-yard drive. Campos tossed to Lopez for the two-point conversion that gave the Mules a 28-8 lead.

Ross second interception gave the Mules the ball on the Mule 26. Campos and Florez hooked up for the third time with a one-play 74 yard touchdown pass and run. Guerrero’s kick was good for a 36-8 Mule lead with 4:41 left in the first half.

The Lobos’ only offensive score came on a 24-yard scoring strike from Gerber to Jones with just over three and half minutes left in the half. The Mules led 36-15 at the intermission.

The only score of the second half came after heavy down pour during and after the break. Campos scored on a two-yard run to complete a nine-play 59-yard drive. Guerrero’s kick was good.

The Mules rolled up a total yardage of 619 yards with 365 being through the air and 254 rushing. Campos connected on 19 of 31 attempts with seven receivers for five touchdowns and ran for another. He also passed for a two-point conversion and ran for another.

Florez had six receptions for 173 yards and three TDs. Flores made two catches for 57 yards, Villa had three receptions for 37 yards and Ross had two catches for 37 yards. Castillo made a pair of catches for 48 yards and one touchdown. Dunham made two catches for 10 yards and one score. Lopez made one catch for three yards.

Lopez rushed 15 times for 78 yards, Evan Paez carried four times for 73 yards and Campos rushed nine times for 57 yards.

The Mule defense held Levelland to 41 yards rushing and 267 yards passing for a total of 308 yards. The Mules recovered two fumbles and intercepted four passes.

Paez led the Mules with eight tackles with three being on special teams and Javy Perez made seven. Jose Mendoza had six tackles with one being for a loss, one sack, broke up four passes and caused or recovered a fumble.

Castillo made six tackles, broke up a pass and caused or recovered a fumble. Hardwick also had six tackles, two for losses, one sack, a big hit and four quarterback hurries. Flores made five stops, had one sack, two quarterback hurries and caused or recovered a fumble. Ross also made five tackles and intercepted two passes. 

Vasquez had four tackles, broke up two passes, caused or recovered a fumble and intercepted two passes. Matt Flores and Bryce Mauricio made three special teams tackles each.

The Mules schedule gets no easier in week two when they make the long trip to Sweetwater to battle the highly ranked class 4A Mustangs. Game time is 7:30 PM in Mustang Bowl.   

JV Mules vs. Levelland (8-27-2015)

JV Mules vs. Levelland (8-27-2015)

The junior varsity Mules scored the first 20 points of the game against the Levelland Lobos. The two failed two-point conversions cost the Mules at least a tie with the class 4A Lobos. The Lobos scored the final 24 points to defeat the Mules 24-20.

The two teams battled through the first period with neither team scoring. The Mule defense forced the Lobos to punt two plays into the second quarter. The punt rolled out of bounds at the Lobo 45.

Brenden Mehl rolled right looking for a receiver and scrambled for nine yards. A facemask penalty cost the Lobos 15 yards and advanced the Mules to the Lobo 14. Mehl scrambled for two yards on first down.

Sergio Solana gave a head fake to the inside and broke hard to the front corner of the end zone. Mehl delivered a strike to Solano for a touchdown with 8:44 remaining in the first half. The two-point conversion failed and the Mules led 6-0.

The Mules kicked off and the Lobos started a drive on the Levelland 32. After six plays the Lobos were on the Mule 35. Tim Perez blasted the Lobo receiver two-yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Mehl intercepted a Lobo pass on the Mule 15. Joe Waggoner went up the middle for six yards. Israel Vasquez went wide around the right side. He triggered the afterburner as he cut up the field. Vasquez out raced the Lobos 79 yards for a touchdown with 4:44 remaining in the first half.

The Mules two-point conversion attempt failed and the Mules led 12-0.

Levelland could not move the ball after the Mule kickoff and punted to the Mule end zone.

Mehl connected with Vasquez for five yards. Mehl then scrambled up the middle for five yards and a first down. Vasquez was brought down by his facemask on his next run and the penalty advanced the Mules to near midfield.

Mehl, Vasquez and Waggoner continued to chip away at the yardage until the Mules had reached the Lobo 25. Solano ran a slant over the middle and Mehl shot him the ball for a 25-yard Mule TD. Mehl scrambled wide right for the two-point conversion. The Mules had increased their advantage to 20-0.

The Mule defense seemed to take a break after the Mule kicked off. The Lobo quarterback was quick as well as fast. He scrambled for 31 yards on first down. The Mules held for three downs with Jeremiah Smith breaking up a pass and Waggoner and Zack Atwood both made stops for no gain.

The Lobo quarterback scrambled to the Mule end zone with no time remaining in the first half. The two-point conversion was good and the Mules led 20-8 at the intermission.

The Mule offense could not get untracked in the second half while the Lobos scored twice and added both two-point conversions to defeat the Mules.

The Mules will host a second class 4A school Thursday when the Sweetwater Mustangs visit Benny Douglas Stadium.

9th Mules vs. Levelland (8-27-2015)

9th Mules vs. Levelland (8-27-2015)

The freshmen Mules hosted the class 4-A Levelland Lobos and the two teams played to a dead heat Thursday in Benny Douglas Stadium. The Mules never led during the contest but battled to a 22-22 tie. 

The Mules attempted an onside kick to start the game but the Lobos recovered on the Levelland 46. Five plays later the Lobos were in the end zone, scoring on a 31-yard scamper up the middle with 6:41 remaining in the first period. 

The Lobo two-point conversion attempt failed when Ean Hasley tackled the receiver short of the goal line. Levelland led the Mules 6-0.

The Mules returned the ensuing Lobo kickoff to the Mule 25.  It was one-play-all-the-way for the Mules. Jorge Albarran took a pitch wide right 75-yards for the Mules’ first score just eight seconds after the Lobos had scored. 

The Mules failed to add the extra points and the score was tied at 6-6 with 6:33 left in the opening quarter. 

Levelland returned the favor by scoring of the first play following the Mule kick off. Levelland returned the kick to the Lobo 35. A 65-yard pass and run put the Lobos back in the Mule end zone. The two-point conversion was good and the Lobos led 14-6 with 6:21 still on the clock in the first quarter. 

Both teams’ defense took over and the teams battled up and down the field until late in the second period. 

The Lobos had taken over on downs near midfield and picked up a first down at the Mule 39. Ryan Rodriguez stepped in front of a tipped pass and returned 60 yards for a Mule defensive touchdown. 

Rodriguez scampered wide left for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14-14 with 1:19 remaining in the first half.

The Lobos scored next with 2:46 left in the third quarter and added the two-point conversion to take a 22-14 advantage. 

Jacob Deleon returned the ensuing kickoff nine-yards to the Mule 29. Izaiah Hurtado took a pitch wide left for a 22-yard gain. Albarran scooted 20-yards up the middle on a draw play to the Lobo 26. 

Rodriguez reached the corner and cut up field for 10 yards. Albarran pounded up the middle on back-to-back plays to the Lobo two-yard line. Hurtado scooted left for the final two yards for a Mule touchdown with only one-and-a-half seconds remaining in the third period. 

Luke Del Toro connected with Yoel Reyes with a wide-receiver screen pass for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 22-22. 

Late in the final period the Lobos mounted a 14-play drive. The Mule defense was up to the task of stopping the Lobos. 

The Lobos were facing fourth down and needed nine yards for a touchdown. Both teams took a time out before the Lobos completed a pass for a first down at the Mule one-yard line. A motion penalty cost the Lobos five yards with 30 seconds remaining in the game. 

Hurtado managed to knock down a Lobo pass in the end zone. The clock stopped with 22 seconds showing. Rocky Martinez plugged a hole in the Lobo line on fourth down to make the tackle at the Mule seven. 

The Mules only had 13 seconds to work with and could not score. 

The schedule gets no easier for the Mules. The Sweetwater Mustangs will visit the Mules Thursday evening at 5:00 PM.   

2015 Mule Preview (8-24-2015)

2015 Mule Preview (8-24-2015)

The summer of 2015 has flown by for students, teachers, administrators and football coaches all of the great state of Texas. School officially started on Monday but the Mules have been officially at work for almost two weeks preparing for the 2015 season.

But the Mules have been working out on their own all summer lifting weights, running, doing agility drills and passing the football.

Excitement has been building all over Muleshoe with the month of August bringing that excitement to a peak with the two Mule scrimmages giving the fans their first real look at any changes the Mules may be making.

The Mules traveled to Idalou to scrimmage the Wildcats August 14 and hosted the Seminole Indians August 20. The Mules scored more times than both the Wildcats and Indians. That always makes the fans feel good their team.

The Mules’ head coach, David Wood, and his staff are the only ones that are really equipped to determine how the Mules actually fared. Coach Wood would say, “We were mostly pleased with how the kids performed. We are always watching for team chemistry as we rotate players in these scrimmages.”

“But at the end of the day these scrimmages are really just another practice for us.”

The Levelland Lobos will be a real test again this year for the Mules in their opening game Friday in Levelland’s new stadium.

“We are looking forward to Friday night and get the season under way,” continued Coach Wood. “The last two years, the out come of those contests came down to the final minute of the game. Levelland won in 2013 but the Mules took the 2014 game.”

“This year should be no different and should prove to be another very exciting night.”