Mules vs. Friona (10-16-2015)
The Mules traveled north on
Highway 214 to battle the Friona Chieftains Friday night. It was a contrast of
two styles of football. The Mules utilize the Spread and keep the
pedal-to-the-medal while the Chiefs prefer to the Single Wing and deplete the
40-second play clock down before snapping the ball.
The Mules have been averaging
112 plays per game on offense but against Friona their number of plays dropped
to 60.
“It was like we only got to
play half a game,” said Mule coach David Wood. “You could almost double all of
our numbers and that is what we normally would have made. But we play the game
as it comes each week and our kids don’t get frustrated or anxious.”
The Mules kicked off to start
the game and Friona made a couple of first downs before Dagen Dunham batted
down a pass on third down to force the Chiefs to punt.
The Friona deep snap to the
punter was high and that gave Jose Mendoza time to cut in front of the punter
to block the punt. Mario Flores attempted to scoop and score but was pulled
down at the Friona 40.
Danny Campos connected with
Dunham on a slant over the middle for seven yards. Campos then scooted up the
middle for a first down at the Friona 30.
Campos then rolled right
behind a block by Josh Lopez and fired a strike to Aaryn Ross running toward
the Mule sideline. The pass was high and Ross leaped high for the catch and
some how got his feet back down inbounds for a 10-yard gain.
Campos next rolled left and
hit Tony Castillo for 16 yards at the Friona four-yard line. Dunham ran
straight at his defender and Campos tossed him a back-shoulder pass. Dunham
made a spinning one-handed grab for the Mules first touchdown with 8:05
remaining in the first quarter. The Mules led 6-0.
Following the Mule kickoff
Friona gained a first down at the Chieftain 40. Dunham, Cameron Hardwick and
Donavan Gutierrez sacked the Friona quarterback for a seven-yard loss. An
incomplete pass forced Friona to punt.
The Mules allowed the ball to
roll dead on the Mule 40. Campos rolled left under pressure. Jason Florez was
running a fade down the sideline but recognized Campos was in trouble. Florez
broke off his route and came back to make the reception for a 14-yard gain at
the Friona 46.
Josh Lopez took a step to his
right before cutting left on a counter play that resulted in a 21-yard gain. A
holding penalty on the next play backed the Mules up to the Friona 35. Campos
called the option play left and held on to the ball behind blocks by Hardwick
and Jaxon Lee for a 35-yard TD. Bryce Mauricio booted the point after for a
13-0 Mule lead with 2:54 still on the clock in the first period.
Friona began a third drive on
the Chiefs’ 30 and advanced the ball 10 yards for a first down at the Friona
40. Gutierrez and Hardwick rushed the Friona quarterback hard. He attempted to
dump the ball to his running back for a screen pass just as Gutierrez and
Hardwick hit him.
Dunham was in the right place
at the right time and snagged the dieing quail as it dropped toward the deep
turf at the Friona 33. Dunham jogged to the end zone for a defensive touchdown.
Mauricio’s kick gave the Mules a 20-0 lead as the first period drew to a close.
The Mules added two more
touchdowns in the second period. Campos connected with Florez with a 15-yard TD
toss that capped an eight-play Mule drive with 8:49 remaining in the first
half.
In the final minute of the
first half Campos tossed a two-yard scoring pass to Tony Castillo to end a
seven-play 72-yard drive. Mauricio’s point after gave the Mules a 34-0 Mule
lead.
The Mules strung together an
11-play 80-yard drive that ended with Campos tossing a two-yard TD pass to Evan
Paez for a 40-0 Mule lead with 3:33 left in the third period.
Mauricio ended all scoring
with a 37-yard field goal in the final period with 1:40 left in the game.
The Mules rolled up a total
of 351 yards Friday night and for the first time this season gained more yards
on the ground than through the air. The Mules rushed for 230 yards and passed
for 121.
Lopez had nine carries for
108 yards. Campos ran three times for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also
completed 15 of 22 passes for 118 yards and four TDs to four different
receivers.
Mendoza carried seven times
for 39 yards. Paez rushed three times for 28 yards and caught three passes for
10 yards and a touchdown. Dunham carried twice for 14 yards and caught two
passes for 13 yards and a TD. He also intercepted a pass for a touchdown.
Florez had four catches for
56 yards and one TD. Castillo made two receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Aaryn Ross had three catches for 14 yards and Villa had one reception for 12
yards.
The Mule defense held Friona
to a total of 87 yards of offense. The Chiefs had thirty-one rushes for 80
yards and completed three of nine passing attempts for seven yards.
The 4-1, 2-0 Mules return
home to the friendly confines of Benny Douglas Stadium Friday night to meet the
3-2, 2-0 Childress Bobcats. The winner of the game will have the lead in the
District 1-3A.
The Mules two remaining games
will be at Dimmitt and then close out the season at home against Littlefield.
Childress will have games with River Road and Friona remaining.
