Mules face challenge in Jim Ned

MULESHOE — Muleshoe’s football team has put together a four-game winning streak to get above the .500 mark.

Now the Mules (6-5), whose late-season run lifted them to second place in Texas Class 3A Division I District 2 and before beating Brownfield 21-17 last Thursday in the bi-district round, face a tall order in their bid to stay alive in the postseason — an area-round date with defending champion and second-ranked Jim Ned (11-0) at 3:30 p.m. (CST) on Friday at Lubbock’s Lowery Field.

Mules coach Jason Richards knows his team has its work cut out against the Indians, based 40 miles south of Abilene in Tuscola.

“We’ve got an opportunity to play the defending state champs,” he said Monday. “They’ve got size, and they like to run the football. On the defensive side, they run an odd front.

“They don’t do a whole lot, but they do it well and they’re well-coached.”

Perhaps the most famous grad of the school is Colt McCoy, who played quarterback at Jim Ned for his father. He went on to star at the University of Texas and is now in his 12th NFL season, currently with the Arizona Cardinals.

The current group of Indians is on a 25-game winning streak and hasn’t lost since its 2020 season opener.

Among the top players for the Indians, Richards said, are senior running back/middle linebacker Xavier Wishert, junior tight end/linebacker Tanner Hussman and junior two-way lineman Gage Stanaland.

Richards said the Mules are ready for the challenge.

“It’s a great opportunity to grow our program, and get it to where we want to go,” he said. “Our staff’s only been here for two years, but our kids are competing well and doing everything we ask them to do.”

The winner has a date in next week’s regional round against either top-ranked Brock or Muleshoe’s district rival, Amarillo River Road, who play on Thursday night at Sweetwater.