Muleshoe ousted from playoffs by Jim Ned

LUBBOCK — Early in the second half, Muleshoe’s hopes of advancing in the Texas Class 3A Division I football playoffs were alive and kicking in Friday’s area-round matchup against defending state champion Jim Ned.

Then the Indians took over the game — or more to the point, Xavier Wishert did.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior running back/linebacker carried 28 times for 268 yards and scored five touchdowns, including a 99-yard run and another on a pass reception, as Jim Ned (12-0) pulled away to a 49-20 victory.

“We played them pretty well for a half,” Mules coach Jason Richards said. “They just kind of wore us down.

“Our kids fought hard. I think it was a good thing we were able to compete in a game like this.”

The Indians, ranked second in 3A-I, will take a 26-game winning streak into a regional round matchup this week at a site and day to be determined against top-ranked Brock (12-0), which cruised past the Mules’ district rival, Amarillo River Road, 54-8 on Thursday night.

Senior tight end Brennen Davis caught a pair of touchdown passes from senior quarterback Zach Hasley for the Mules (6-6), who saw a four-game winning streak come to an end. Hasley also threw an 18-yard TD strike to junior Irvin Torres in the closing seconds of the first half to pull Muleshoe to 21-14.

Then the Mules forced a three-and-out following the second-half kickoff, but they couldn’t move the ball going into a brisk wind and a short punt gave Jim Ned the ball at the Muleshoe 38. The Indians scored three plays later on a 20-yard run by Wishert.

In the final minute of the period, Wishert capped an 11-play, 52-yard march with a 1-yard run. The Mules then drove to first-and-goal at the Indians’ 2, but were stopped at the 1 on fourth down.

Wishert popped Jim Ned’s play over left tackle and went the distance for his final tally, making it 42-14 with just over nine minutes left.

Sophomore running back Davis Sohen added a 10-yard scoring run for Jim Ned. The Mules got the game’s final touchdown on a 20-yard, Hasley-to-Davis pass with just over a minute left.

Davis caught three passes for 62 yards and Torres grabbed three for 35. Sophomores Daniel Sianez and Zach Kasel led the Mules’ ground attack with 48 and 47 yards, respectively.

Richards, a 2002 Clovis High grad who quarterbacked the Wildcats to a Class 5A state title as a senior, said he thinks his program is headed in the right direction.

“We graduate nine seniors, but we’re returning 21 lettermen,” he said. “We’ve got some key positions to fill, but I’m excited about our young kids.”