Bushland subdues Muleshoe

MULESHOE – In order to beat traditional District 2-3A Division I power Bushland, Muleshoe knew it would have to be at the top of its game on Friday night.

Actually, even that might not have been enough.

The Falcons, who’ve lost just one district game since 2016, wasted little time flexing their muscles and handing the previously unbeaten Mules a 56-26 shellacking in the district opener for both squads.

Senior quarterback Dawson Jaco threw for five touchdowns – four in the first half – and ran for another as Bushland (6-1 overall), ranked sixth in Class 3A Division I by MaxPreps, opened a 21-0 lead early in the second period and never looked back.

“We matched up with them as well as we ever have,” Mules coach Jason Richards said. “They’ve got great size and speed, and they always will have.”

Muleshoe (6-1), which came in averaging 50 ppg and had scored at least 47 in each of its previous contests, actually mounted enough offense, outgaining the Falcons 530-502 and rolling up 29 first downs. The Mules, ranked 22nd in 3A-I, just couldn’t stop Bushland.

They closed to 21-6 on a 68-yard run by senior running back Daniel Sianez, and were moving towards another possible score. But Falcons junior Ty Purcell stepped in front of a Nathan Martens pass intended for Sebastian Kirven and returned it 89 yards to the Muleshoe 3, and on the next play senior fullback Easton Fuentes bulled in for a touchdown.

“That (unsuccessful) drive right before halftime was a big momentum-changer,” Richards said.

Seven players caught passes for the Falcons, while 10 players carried the ball. Senior wide receiver Tanner Adams led the way with seven catches for 165 yards and two scores, while senior Kade Gavina rushed for one touchdown and caught passes from Jaco for two more.

Jaco went 18-of-25 through the air for 364 yards.

Sianez carried 15 times for 191 yards for the Mules, while Martens rushed 20 times for 91 yards and completed 18-of-34 passes for 207 yards. Kirven ran for one tally and caught a 12-yard pass from Martens for another.

Muleshoe is open this week, returning to district play on Oct. 20 at Amarillo River Road (1-6, 0-1).

“This game doesn’t define our season,” Richards said. “We’ve just got to get better and clean some things up. We’ve got a good football team.”

In other area games on Friday:

Melrose 54, Clayton 0 – At Melrose, the 8-man top-ranked Buffaloes split two tough games early in the campaign against Colorado schools, but continued to have their way in New Mexico with a dominating 8-man District 3-opening rout of the Yellowjackets (3-5 overall).

Melrose (7-1) led 40-0 at the quarter, including punt return touchdowns of 65 and 60 yards by sophomore Jaxon Odom, and ended it midway through the third stanza on senior Michael Cardonita’s 20-yard run.

Cardonita got the scoring started with a 9-yard TD run. Senior Gray Brandon added a 70-yard scoring run and sophomore Brayden Eldridge went over from 2 yards in the opening stanza, while junior Josiah Roybal threw a 15-yard scoring pass to his twin, Josh, in the second frame-.

Melrose converted all six 2-point conversions in the half, two on runs by senior Dathan Yeary, one each on runs by Josiah Roybal and juniors Cy Draper and Nolan DeVaney, and one on a pass from Josiah Roybal to Brandon.

Melrose travels on Friday to face Logan (5-2, 1-1), which upended second-ranked Fort Sumner 38-34 on Friday.

Ralls 14, Bovina 8 – At Ralls, junior quarterback Gunner Hitt scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run with 11 minutes left, and the Jackrabbits (5-1 overall) made it stand up to edge Bovina (1-5) in the District 2-2A Division I opener for both squads.

The Mustangs pulled even early in the third quarter on a 55-yard pass from senior quarterback Daniel Herrera to senior wide receiver Miguel Lopez and Herrera’s 2PAT run. Ralls preserved the win as time expired by knocking Herrera out of bounds at the Jackrabbits’ 2.

Hitt put the Jackrabbits in front early in the first segment with a 2-yard run, and Abraham Van Gundy delivered a 2-point conversion run.

Bovina’s next outing is a district tilt at home on Friday night against Crosbyton.

Grady 58, Floyd 6 – At Grady, senior Zane Rush ran for five touchdowns and threw for one and junior Deakin Ragland scored four times as the Bronchos (5-2, 3-1 6-man District 2) concluded their district slate with a win over Floyd.

Rush threw a 25-yard scoring pass to junior Deakin Ragland to break the scoring ice before Floyd senior Isais Nieto tied it 6-6 with a 35-yard TD run.

Ragland scored on a 2-yard run and Rush went in from 20 yards out to make it 18-6 at the quarter.

Rush added scoring runs of 11, 15 and 16 yards in the second quarter, and a 28-yarder in the third stanza ended it on the 50-point rule. Meantime, Ragland added a 38-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second canto and a 17-yard run in the third frame.

Junior Chevy Dixon added four single-point conversion runs.

Grady plays its last two games outside the district, hosting Chesterton Academy on Friday night. Floyd (2-4, 0-3) hosts district and Roosevelt County rival Floyd on Friday.

Also on Friday night, Elida (4-3, 1-2 6-man District 2) posted a 28-18 victory over Dora (3-5, 1-3) at Elida, while Stratford (6-0) opened Texas District 1-2A play with a 38-7 victory over Farwell (4-2). More information on those games will be available in Wednesday’s paper.