The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity football team lost a heart-breaker at home on Senior night to rival Muleshoe in triple overtime, 38-36.
With the loss, the Wildcats close out the season with a mark of, 3-7 overall, 0-4 in district play.
Littlefield won the toss and deferred to the second half, giving Muleshoe the ball to start the contest.
A squib kick was recovered by Ramzee Martinez at the Mules 35-yard line, where the offense took over for their first drive of the game. Daniel Sianez carried the ball on back-to-back plays to move the chains for the Mules, taking it up to the 49-yard line for a fresh set of downs.
Quarterback Zach Hasley connected with Irvin Torres, who was ran out of bounds at the Littlefield 38-yard line, picking up another first down for the Mules. On first and 10, Sianez ran the ball up the middle, but it was called back on a holding penalty, making it first and 20 for the Mules at the Littlefield 48-yard line.
On first and long, Hasley’s pass fell incomplete, looking for Torres on the far sideline. Sianez picked up 10 yards on second down on a run to the right, but Hasley’s pass on third down fell incomplete, looking for Brennen Davis, bringing up fourth and 10. They elected to go for it, as Hasley dropped back and hit Torres on a pass to the left who picked up the first down, before being brought down by senior safety, Ryan West.
With the ball on the Littlefield 23-yard line, Hasley found Davian McMullen on the far side, to set up first and goal at the one-yard line. Hasley would keep it himself for the one-yard touchdown run to cap off the drive with 9:40 remaining in the opening quarter. The PAT by Tony Aviles was no good, leaving the score, 6-0.
After a punt by both teams, Littlefield took over at the Mules’ 48-yard line. Senior tailback, Ty’Jae Chambers, carried the ball to the left, moving it down to the Mules’ 31-yard line to move the chains for Littlefield. Chambers got the call again on second down, but only picked up a yard, making it second and nine from the 30-yard line. The Wildcats shot themselves in the foot, as they were called for a false start penalty, backing them up to second and 14 from the 35-yard line.
On second and long, senior quarterback, Ethan Garcia, hit Chambers on a screen pass, but he was tackled for a three-yard loss. Garcia’s pass on third down fell incomplete looking for senior, Jaron Cabello, bringing up fourth and 17 at the Muleshoe 38-yard line.
The Wildcats chose to go for it on fourth down, as Garcia dropped back and found Cabello over the middle, who took the ball down to the 15-yard line for a Wildcat first down. Garcia kept it himself on first down, but was tackled for a five-yard loss by Davis, but two plays later, Garcia hit senior, Jordan Trevino, over the middle for a touchdown. The PAT by Trevino was good, putting the Wildcats on top, 7-6, with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter
Ṫhe Mules next drive took the game into the second quarter, but on fourth and 14, Hasley’s pass was caught by Eliasar Cisneros, but he was ruled out of bounds by the official for a turnover on downs with 10:36 to play in the first half.
The Wildcats would capitalize on the turnover, after an incomplete pass by Garcia on first down, he ran for two yards on second down, taking the ball to the 50-yard line to set up third and eight. On third down, Garcia dropped back and hit West for 14 yards and a Littlefield first down at the Mules’ 36-yard line. However, a chop block on the next play, backed them up to first and 25 from their own 49-yard line.
The Wildcats were bailed out, as Garcia kept it himself on a run, and the Mules were called for a facemask penalty, giving Littlefield a fresh set of downs at the 33-yard line. After three consecutive runs, the Wildcats had a third and three at the 14-yard line, as they used a timeout with 8:14 remaining in the half.
Out of the break, Garcia’s pass on third down fell incomplete looking for Trevino. On fourth and three the Wildcats would go for it again, as Garcia ran for a first down, taking it down to the eight-yard line to set up first and goal.
Two plays later, Garcia would cap off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to make the score, 14-6, after the PAT by Trevino with 7:22 remaining in the first half.
The Mules would respond, as they tied the game with 2:58 remaining in the second quarter, as Hasley completed a fourth-down pass to Kaizacc Herrera for an 11-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion throw from Hasley to Torres was good, making the score, 14-14, going into the locker room at halftime.
Littlefield got the ball at their own 35-yard line to begin the second half, as Garcia’s pass on first down was deflected by Davis at the line of scrimmage. Garcia connected with Mason Jones on second down, but the play went for no gain, bringing up third and 10. Garcia would drop back on the next play and find West for 13 yards and a Littlefield first down, up to their own 48-yard line.
Chambers picked up a yard on first down and Garcia picked up two more yards on a quarterback keeper to make it third and second from the Muleshoe 49-yard line. Garcia connected with West for a first down, taking it to the Mules’ 37-yard line and on the next play, Chambers gashed the Mules’ defense for 17 more yards, making it first and 10 from the 20-yard line.
Garcia ran for no gain on first down, but he hit Trevino on a slant for nine yards on the next play to make it third and one from the 11-yard line. Garcia kept it himself on third down to set up first and goal from the eight-yard line and on the next play, Chambers punched it in for the eight-yard score, making it 20-14, after the missed PAT by Trevino with 8:37 remaining in the third quarter.
Two plays into the Mules next drive, a fumbled snap was recovered by Jordan Trevino at the Mules’ 17-yard line with just over eight minutes to play in the quarter. The Wildcats needed just three plays to capitalize on the turnover, as Garcia dropped back on third down and hit Trevino for a 15-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion pass to West was no good, leaving the score, 26-14, with 6:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Everything was going the Wildcat’s way, as Herrera was pinned deep on the kick-off, giving Muleshoe the ball at their own 12-yard line.
The Mules misfortunes continued, as Hasley was sacked for a safety by senior, Tavion Ivery, and sophomore, Sam Hill, making the score, 28-14, with 6:02 to play in the quarter.
Littlefield’s magic came to a screeching halt on their next possession, as their drive was derailed on third and long when Garcia was picked off by Judas Reyes with 4:49 to play in the quarter.
The turnover did not hurt the Wildcats, as their defense forced a three and out, as Hasley punted the ball away with just under four minutes to play in the quarter.
Littlefield was unable to do anything with the possession, as junior punter, Javen Jimenez, flipped the field with his punt, giving Muleshoe the ball at their own 21-yard line with 2:32 remaining in the third.
Hasley wasted no time capitalizing this time for Muleshoe as he connected with Torres down the field for a 79-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to, 28-20, after the failed two-point conversion, with 2:19 to play in the quarter.
Littlefield took over at their own 32-yard line after the kick-off, as Chambers broke free for a big run, but he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Mules at their own 37-yard line with just over two minutes to play in the quarter.
The Wildcat defense would stiffen again forcing a turnover on downs on fourth and one, taking the game into the final quarter of play.
Littlefield drove the ball down to the Mules’ 19-yard line to start the fourth quarter, but on fourth and 10, Garcia’s pass for Trevino fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with 7:54 left to play in the game.
Muleshoe would tie it up on their next possession, as Zach Radloff rushed up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown. The throwback from Hasley to Davis was good on the twopoint conversion, knotting the game up, 28-28, with 6:28 to play in the game.
The Wildcats had the ball in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, as Garcia broke loose down the Littlefield sideline for a 98-yard touchdown run, but the play was negated by a penalty, bringing it all the way back to their three-yard line. The Wildcats would run two plays and take the game to overtime.
Littlefield got the ball first in overtime, but the Mules forced a turnover on downs. They took over at the Littlefield 25-yard line, but a bad snap was recovered by Daniel Garcia, as they switched fields for overtime number two.
Muleshoe got the ball to start the second overtime period and needed just two plays to find the endzone, as Hasley hit Torreson a slant for a 20-yard touchdown. The Mules used their only timeout of overtime and out of the break, Hasley connected with Torres for the two-point conversion to make the score, 36-28.
Littlefield got the ball at the 25-yard line, as Garcia picked up seven yards on a first-down run. A flag on second down, backed them up to second and eight, as Garcia dropped back and hit Trevino on a slant, but he was tackled for no gain on the play, as Littlefield used their timeout to talk things over.
Out of the break, Garcia hit Jimenez on a screen to the left for a 23-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion pass from Garcia to Trevino was good, tying the game, 36-36.
For the third overtime period, the ball was placed at the three-yard line for each team to run a two-point conversion play. Littlefield got the ball first and Garcia’s pass to Trevino fell incomplete. Muleshoe decided to keep it on the ground, as Hasley faked the hand-off to Radloff, taking it to the left for the two-point conversion to take down the Wildcats, 38-36.