The Littlefield Wildcat defense pitched a shutout, as they rolled to a, 26-0, victory in the 2020 installment of the War on 84 in Muleshoe on Friday night.
The Mules won the coin toss and elected to receive to begin the contest. They took over at their own 28-yard line after the kick went out of bounds after being
The Littlefield defense forced a three-and-out on their first outing of the game, as Irvin Tones was forced to punt the ball away on fourth down.
Littlefield took over at the 50-yard line, after a 15-yard return by Jordan Trevino. The Mules were drawn offsides on first down by senior quarterback, Blake Green, and on the next play, junior tailback, Ty’Jae Chambers, took a carry up the middle, carrying the pile for a first down.
With a fresh set of downs, Chambers took the pitch on first down, but was tackled for a fiveyard loss by the Muleshoe defense. However, on second and long, Green would connected with Brown on a pass to the right side, as he took it down to the Mules’ 10-yard line.
The drive would stall out, and on fourth and goal from the 13-yard line, Green was picked off in the endzone for a touchback bringing the ball out to the 20-yard line.
Joey Martinez was stuffed on first down for the Mules for a fiveyard loss, as they again went threeand-out. Tones punted the ball away with 5:22 to play in the first quarter.
Chambers carried the ball on first down, taking it down to the Mules 35-yard line. He picked up three yards on the next play and on second and seven, the Mules were flagged for encroachment, making it second and two. Chambers’ number was called again, as he took the carry around the right side, breaking a few tackles on his to another Wildcat first down.
The Wildcats kept feeding Chambers, but on first down, they were flagged for holding, making it first and 20 from the Mules 25-yard line. Littlefield picked up three yards on first down, but on the next play, they were flagged for a false start, making in second and 22 from the 27-yard line. Senior slotback, Xavier Esquibel, took a carry around the left side for five yards, as Littlefield took a time out with 2:12 remaining in the opening quarter.
Out of the break, senior slotback, Joseph Salinas, took a carry up the middle for 16 yards to make it fourth and one for the Wildcats. They lined up to go for it, as Green was able to draw the Mules offsides again to move the sticks.
Green kept it up the middle on first and goal, and after the play, the Mules were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, making it first and goal from the one-yard line. Green would punch it in on the next play to put the Wildcats up, 7-0, after the PAT by Brown with 1:12 to play in the quarter.
The stingy Wildcat defense continued their pressure of the Mules offense, forcing another three-and-out, as Tones punted the ball away to begin the second quarter. A 10-yard return by Trevino set the Wildcats up with first and 10 at the Mules 40-yard line.
Chambers carried the ball on back-to-back downs to make it first and 10 from the 16-yard line. Trevino was stopped for no gain on first down, but Green kept himself on second down, taking it around the left side to make it first and goal from the five-yard line. On the next play, Green snuck it in for the five-yard score making it, 14-0, after the Brown PAT with 9:55 in the first half.
The Mules took over at their own 25-yard line to begin their next drive and looked as if they were going to go three-and-out again, but they caught the Wildcat defense sleeping on fourth and six, as Tones ran a punt fake to the right side for a first down to make it first and 10 for the Mules from the 42-yard line.
The Wildcat defense would stiffen, as a swing pass from Zach Hasley to Tones was blown up in the backfield by senior defensive end, Gus McNabb, bringing up fourth down. The Mules punted it away on the next play, giving Littlefield the ball at their own 26-yard line.
The Wildcats were flagged for a holding penalty on first down after a run by Chambers, but on first and long, Green’s pass was incomplete to junior receiver, Jaron Cabello, however, the Mules were flagged for roughing the passer giving the Wildcats an automatic first down at their own line.
On first down, the Wildcats were flagged for false start, but on the next play, Chambers took a carry around the right side for a big gain to make it second and one. They would picked up the first down two plays later on a run by Chambers, as he took it across midfield to the Mules’ 36-yard line.
A combination of runs by Chambers and Esquibel set the Wildcats up with first and goal from the five-yard line. Green kept it himself on first down for a short gain, but he fumbled the snap on the next play, backing them up to the four-yard line. They would punch it in on the next play, as Esquibel took it around the right side for the walk-in touchdown with 2:34 remaining in the half. The PAT by Brown was no good, makthe 20-0.
The score stood going into the locker room at halftime.
The Wildcats got the ball first to begin the second half. The Wildcats hit the Mules with a heavy dose of the run game, with a combination or runs, by Green, Chambers and Salinas, as they took it down to the Mules 19-yard line to bring up second down. Trevino and Salinas were stopped on back-to-back plays to bring up fourth and 10. The Wildcats elected to go for it, as Green connected with senior receiver, Juan Rios, for a first down at the 12-yard line.
Two plays later, Chambers took it around the right side, stiff arming a defender on his way to a 12-yard touchdown run. The PAT by Brown was no good, as the Wildcats extended their lead to, 26-0.
The Wildcats would force two punts and a turnover on downs the rest of the game, as they preserved the, 26-0, shutout of the Mules.
The Wildcats will play Denver City in the Class 3A Bi-district round of the Play-offs. Game information is TBA.