Hounds run roughshod in opener

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – It was a blend of old and new for Eastern New Mexico football in its season-opening 63-37 victory over New Mexico Highlands on Thursday night.

The old being ENMU head coach Kelley Lee and offensive coordinator Andrew McCraw back on the sidelines together, masterminding an offense that totaled more than 500 rushing yards. The new being the forefront of that attack: Mississippi College transfer senior fullback Ron Craten.

Though it’s one game, and NMHU isn’t a formidable foe, Thursday night’s thumping showed 2024 may springboard the Greyhounds into new heights.

“It was fun. It was a lot of fun,” Lee said after the game.

For Hounds fans, a bustling run attack, engineered by Lee and McCraw is nothing new.

In 2019, their last time together, ENMU rushed for a school-record 4,181 yards, ranking second in all of Division II football. A year before that, ENMU averaged 284.5 yards per game, giving the Hounds the fourth-best Division II rushing attack in the nation.

But that area stopped in 2021 when Lee left to coach high school football in Texas. In their three years apart, ENMU didn’t reach that same high-octane magnitude and failed to eclipse a .500 record.

Following a game where ENMU’s triple-option attack totaled 635 yards, Lee was elated to be reunited with McCraw, the former Clovis High football coach.

It was “like we were never apart,” Lee said.

Lee added that it was good to hear McCraw, who mans the offensive line, making in-game adjustments, providing the right amount of discipline to ensure that assignments weren’t missed.

“He’s pretty passionate with those OLs (offensive linemen), and he gets them fired up. He’ll get on them when they’re not playing well. So we never not play well (for) very long,” Lee said.

That much was true. The Hounds were the first to get on the board via a Craten 26-yard scamper and led 28-10 at one point in the second quarter following a nine-yard rushing touchdown from redshirt junior quarterback Mario Sanchez.

By game’s end, Sanchez totaled three touchdowns (two rushing and one throwing) and 220 all-purpose yards (123 throwing and 97 rushing).

Sanchez’s final touchdown – an 81-yard, play-action touchdown pass to Jeremiah Moore in the fourth quarter putting the Hounds up 56-30 – effectively sealed the game.

Taking the top off NMHU’s secondary wouldn’t have been possible without the ground and pound that preceded it.

“I can’t lie, it’s kind of expected to put up a good amount of rushing yards,” Sanchez said. “Our backs are really good, man. We’ve got a deep crew.”

On Thursday, that “deep crew” was led by Craten, who totaled three rushing touchdowns and 129 yards on 15 carries.

“I’m just happy that the Lone Star (Conference) has to deal with him and not us,” Sanchez said.

Potentially toppling the Lone Star was never in the plans for Craten, a native of Louisiana who transferred from Mississippi College.

“It was kind of a culture shock for me,” Craten said of his first impressions of Portales.

But after the win, when he bulldozed aimless defenders under a navy Las Vegas night, Craten said there are no regrets about the decision he’s made.

“I’ve only been here for about six, seven months, but I’ve already created bonds with guys that’s gonna last forever,” Craten said.