Wolves beat Hounds to keep share of LSC lead

MONMOUTH, Oregon – Eastern New Mexico University tried to put an early stamp on Saturday’s Lone Star Conference game against Western Oregon with a nearly-eight-minute touchdown drive following the opening kickoff.

Unfortunately, after that it was pretty much all Wolves.

Western Oregon scored its most points in nearly three years and most against an NCAA Division II foe in five years while extending its longest winning streak since 2019 to four games on Saturday with a 49-20 victory over the Greyhounds.

With the victory, WOU (4-2, 4-0) remained tied for the LSC lead with Angelo State. The Wolves scored their most points since a 55-16 rout of Lincoln (Calif.) in November 2021 and most against a D-II opponent since beating Simon Fraser (B.C) 51-14 in October 2019.

Junior quarterback Kainoa Jones showed his skills both as a passer (9-for-12, 153 yards) and as a runner (13 carries, 94 yards). He scored three touchdowns and threw for another.

ENMU (2-4, 0-4) started the contest with an impressive 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard TD run from senior fullback Ron Craten. Western Oregon bounced back to tie the game 7-7 with a 10-play, 88-yard drive ending in a 30-yards pass from Jones to junior wide receiver Keyvaun Eady, then took the lead late in the period on a 35-yard pick-6 on the first of two interceptions by sophomore cornerback Andrew Simpson.

By halftime, it was 28-10. The Hounds, who got field goals of 29 and 30 yards from senior Cooper Hamilton, did not reach the end zone again until sophomore fullback Elijah Zeh went in on a 5-yard run with less than three minutes to go in the contest.

ENMU moved the ball reasonably well, posting a 23-19 edge in first downs, converting 8-of-16 third downs and 3-of-4 fourth downs, and being outgained just 413-383. But the Hounds couldn’t find the end zone nearly enough.

Jones’ TD runs covered 3, 18 and 8 yards for Western Oregon. In addition, sophomore running back Kainoa Sayre added scoring runs of 19 yards and 1 yard for the Wolves.

Craten finished with 65 yards on 20 carries for the Hounds, while Zeh picked up 62 yards on 12 totes. Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Moore had five catches for 97 yards.