CHS grad Phillips helps NMMI reach juco playoff semis

ROSWELL — Malik Phillips and the New Mexico Military Broncos have spent the season trying to prove people wrong.

Now they’re looking for two more wins in a bid to claim the title in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s inaugural playoff event.

Phillips, a Clovis High grad, is the Broncos’ leading receiver and their main kickoff returner. NMMI (10-1, 7-1 Southwest Junior College Conference) is seeded second and hosts third seed Northwest Mississippi (9-2) in a 2 p.m. semifinal clash on Sunday at the Wool Bowl.

“I don’t think a lot of people expected us to be as good as we are,” the 5-foot-10, 160-pound Phillips said Monday. “Plus, we had a lot of people returning this year.”

Except for a midseason bump in the road, a 38-19 conference home loss to Cisco College, the Broncos have stormed past most of their foes. On average, they are outscoring opponents roughly 40-16 per game, and Phillips has been a big part of that.

He’s scored eight touchdowns, seven receiving and one on the ground. For the season, he has 24 catches for 409 yards, 19 rushes for 117 and 19 kickoff returns for 511 yards.

Phillips has transitioned comfortably from a slot-receiver in high school to a wide-out at NMMI.

“I would say the only difference is at slot you usually have a linebacker on you, as opposed to a cornerback,” he said.

Both Phillips and Broncos offensive co-ordinator Chase Kyser said they expected the team would do well, if maybe not quite this well.

“I’d be lying if I told you I thought we’d go 10-1,” Kyser said. “I thought we’d be pretty good, but the guys have really come together.”

Phillips said a win over conference foe Kilgore College in Week 4 gave the team an idea of what it could accomplish.

“That was the game that really got us going,” he said. “I think that opened some people’s eyes.”

Northwest Mississippi figures to be a tough test for NMMI, Kyser said, although he added it’s nice to be playing at home.

“At this point, it doesn’t matter who you play,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough game regardless of where we play.”

Phillips is confident the Broncos will give a good account of themselves against the Rangers.

“I know we’ll be prepared for the game,” he said. “We’ll try to treat it like any other game.”

Kyser recruited Phillips at Clovis and said he thought he’d be a good fit at NMMI.

“I saw how explosive he was,” Kyser said. “I’d heard nothing but good things about him from (CHS head) coach (Cal) Fullerton and the (other) Clovis coaches.”

Phillips is actually in his second year at NMMI, but because of COVID-19 he would be eligible to return for another season.

Neither Phillips nor Kyser is sure what will happen. First things first — they’ll wait for the end of the current campaign.

“If I get good offers, I’ll (look at) them,” Phillips said.

If he does decide to move on, Kyser said Phillips will represent himself well at the next level.

“He’s going to go to a good school,” Kyser said. “Whoever gets him is going to be happy with him.”

In Sunday’s other semifinal, top-seeded Iowa Western hosts No. 4 Snow (Utah). Semifinal winners advance to the first NJCAA national championship game on Dec. 17 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark.

CBS Sports Network is slated to televise the title tilt, which starts at 6 p.m. (MST).