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| Courtesy: Stephanie Stewart |
BLACKWATER DRAW — Despite holding the ball for less than 10 minutes in the opening half, the Eastern New Mexico University football team (4-5; LSC North 3-2) charged to a 41-13 halftime lead over visiting Southwestern Oklahoma State (3-6; LSC North 2-4) en route to a 55-20 victory in Lone Star Conference North Division action, Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Stadium. Eastern rolled up a season-high seven sacks, including a career-high 2.5 from senior defensive end Matt Kalisch (Harker Heights, Texas/Harker Heights HS/NMMI).
The win was the second for the Hounds against Southeastern Oklahoma and the first in the series since the 1998 season. The victory, paired with East Central’s victory over Northeastern State, leaves Eastern trailing both teams by a single game for the division lead. Next week, ENMU will visit Northeastern State, while ECU will host Texas A&M-Commerce.
Wesley Wood’s (So., QB, Muleshoe, Texas/Muleshoe HS) 27-yard touchdown strike to Darian Dale (Jr., WR, Bay City, Texas/Bay City HS) capped the game-opening 12-play drive and gave Eastern the lead for good. Keith Craddock returned the ensuing kickoff to the SOSU 22-yard line, before Curtis Jackson (Jr., DB, College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated HS) forced a fumble, which was recovered by Joey Mendez (So., LB, Odessa, Texas/Permian HS). The Savage Storm held off the Greyhounds, when Matthew Leatherwood made an interception in the end zone. Starting at their 20-yard line, Southeastern Oklahoma moved 52 yards in 15 plays, but Rodney Mitchell (Sr., CB, Sarasota, Fla./Palmetto HS/NMMI) intercepted quarterback Logan Turner at the ENMU 28 yard line and sprinted 76 yards behind a group of blockers along the left sideline, to give the Hounds a 14-0 lead. The interception was the first for the All-American cornerback since picking off a pass against Tarleton State, on October 17, 2009.
Baylen Laury rushed for 16 yards on four carries on the Savage Storms’ next possession, including a one-yard plunge to get SOSU on the board, but Tillman Stevens (Sr., DB, Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) blocked Chris Peoples’ extra point attempt, to keep Eastern’s lead at 14-6. Wood completed a 44-yard pass to Carl Bouldin (Jr., WR, San Antonio, Texas/Converse Judson HS) on the next play from scrimmage, just before Tony Valenzuela (Sr., FB, Seagraves, Texas/Seagraves HS) rumbled the final 16 yards for his first touchdown of the game. After trading punts early in the second quarter, Valenzuela found the end zone for the second time, marking the first multiple touchdown game of his career. SOSU responded with a four-yard touchdown run from Laury, but Wood found Dale from 41-yards out, to give Eastern a 41-13 lead at intermission. The Greyhounds recorded sacks on three of the final four plays of the half.
The third quarter was relatively quiet, but Laury scored his third touchdown of the game on a 26-yard reception, pulling the Storm back to within 41-20. Southeastern Oklahoma recovered an onsides kick following the scoring drive and marched 40 yards in 10 plays, before missing a 33-yard field goal. The Hounds added to their lead in the fourth quarter on a three-yard touchdown run from Stefan Mills (So., RB, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) and a scintillating yard run from Wood, for the 55-20 lead.
Eastern held a 507-432 yard edge in total offense and reached 100 rushing yards for the fourth consecutive game and the fifth time in the last six games, with 147 yards on the ground. Wood completed 68 percent of his passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns, while Bouldin caught five passes for a career-high 138 yards. Stevens registered a career-high 18 tackles, with eight solo stops, a sack and a blocked kick, while Jackson finished with 14 tackles.
The Eastern New Mexico University football team will visit Northeastern State in another Lone Star Conference North Division contest, next Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST.
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