Mules 47, Denver City 22

Mule Mania was happy last night as the Mules played their way into the Bi-District 2A Division 1 Championship against the Denver City Mustangs,winning 47 to 22. It was a good football night at Lubbock Cooper’s Pirate Stadium, where the game was held. The air was crisp and became crisper, and the lights of Lubbock twinkled on the horizon all around us. We wiin the toss and choose to kick off first as the announcer invites the fans, of which we number more than Denver City, to get ready to rumble! And we are. Ready, that is, as Denver City makes two quick first downs before Saul Sanchez intercepts a pass, which the Mules take advantage of by scoring a touchdown three first downs later. Xavier Reyes carries it in and Nacho Elizalde misses the extra point, something he rarely does, and the Mules lead 6-0 with 7:14 left in the first quarter. Denver City can’t move on their next possession and have to punt. Three Mule first downs later Jr. Baca scores, we go for two and don’t make it, so the score is now 12-0. On the kick-off we try an onside kick, something that hasn’t always worked well for us, but this time we get it! We go on three plays later to another touchdown by Baca again. The PAT is good and the score is now Mules 19, Mustangs 0 with 3:39 left on the clock. Again Denver City can’t go anywhere and two first downs later Baca scores again, the kick is good again, and the score is 26-0. Two plays later the quarter is over and Denver City has the ball. The second quarter Denver City picks up some momentum, or perhaps the Mules let down their guard a bit since they are doing well at this point, because after the Mustangs have to punt when they can’t move on that first possession, Austin Ross drops a long pass, something he seldom does, Ray Martinez makes up for it with a nice run, but a pass intended for Colten Harris is picked off, and three first downs later and one good sack on Saul Sanchez’s part, the Mustangs just slip right by and run in a touchdown. They decide to go for two, but we commit a personal foul, which will be assessed on the kick-off, but means they get to replay the play and this time they make the two points. So the score is now Mules 26, Mustangs 8 with 7:42 on the clock. Momentum is still on their side because we fumble the kick-off which they recover with good field position catch us unaware again and score, missing the point after and making the score 26-14. The next series the Mules regroup and quickly score again  on a nice 55-yard run by Baca. The PAT is good, and the score is 33-14 with 5:55 left in the quarter. They come back, however, with a 70-yard run for a touchdown, which is called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield. We then force them to punt, but we commit a chop block foul and lose 15 yards. A few plays, one flag, and a long pass to Ross later, quarterback Caleb Wood runs in for the touchdown with 2:07 on the clock. The PAT is good, and the score is 40-14.Denver City gives up the ball on fourth down, and three plays later Wood throws an interception, but nothing comes of it or our next possession, and the half ends with the score still 40-14, Muleshoe. We receive at the beginning of the second quarter. Four quick first downs later Sanchez makes another TD, another good PAT, and the score is 47-14 with 7:22 left in the quarter. Denver City  gives up the ball after three plays, but on our possession we fumble, they recover and manage to score. Their two-point conversion is good, and the score is 47-22 with 3:03 on the clock. The rest of the quarter seems to take forever, and no one scores again, so the quarter ends with the 47-22 score. The fourth quarter, which ends up with no scoring on either side,  begins with Ross intercepting a pass, and we eat up lots of clock, but don’t score before having to eventually give up the ball. Reyes goes on to intercept a Denver City pass but is called for pass interference and Denver City gets the ball back but can’t do anything with it. We get the ball again, run the clock, send in the JV for a couple of plays, and the game is over: Mules 47, Mustangs 22. So now the Mules will meet Eastland at Tiger Stadium in Snyder at 7 o’clock on Friday, November 23rd. Be there to enjoy Mule Mania and watch the Mules win!