NMMI Sports Press
The Broncos followed up their 2021 NJCAA national championship with another solid campaign in '22 that ended with a 28-26 victory over Lackawanna College in the rebooted Wool Bowl and a top-10 national ranking.
As one of just 10 Division-I junior college football teams that participated in the national postseason, by most accounts 2022 would be considered a success. And while third-year head coach Kurt Taufa'asau is proud of what his team accomplished, the new standard at NMMI is a national title.
"Winning the Wool Bowl was great, an awesome feeling for those kids that have never experienced playing in a college bowl game," Taufa'asau explained. "Any time you earn postseason games, that's a plus, but winning the national championship — there's a different kick to it. Once you've been there, you want to get back."
One of the biggest returning pieces to the championship puzzle is sophomore quarterback Kobe Muasau. The Washington state native completed 155-of-286 passing attempts for 2,045 yards and 19 touchdowns, good enough to finish sixth in the nation in both categories.
"Having a guy like that back, with all his experience from last year, it's huge for us," explained Taufa'asau. "He's going to be more familiar, more comfortable with what we're doing. He's familiar with most of the guys on the offensive line and has been working with the returning receivers, so we expect that chemistry to be an asset."
Most of the top offensive skill players from last season are gone, including the entire stable of running backs, but Muasau will have a few familiar faces running routes for him.
Last year's receiving touchdown leader Treyvion Beamon is back on the outside, along with former Goddard Rocket standout Diego Nunez, who was sidelined with injury for much of '22, but has been training throughout the summer and looks ready to finally make an impact with his hometown college team.
Taufa'asau has high hopes for his offensive line, which features several familiar faces and has shown promise during training camp. Matt Henry and Anthony Faiivae return after playing sparingly last season, while red shirt guys Malik Aliane, Dominique Maiava and Tom Smith are primed to earn a spot. Promising newcomer Sione "Tini" Ma'u from New Zealand could also work his way into the trenches.
On the defensive side, the Black Swarm lost the majority of its key contributors, including defensive end Vili Taufatofua (University of Utah), linebacker Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State) and linebacker Horacio Moronta (Harding University).
The top returning tackler is linebacker CJ Tuliloa, a versatile player with good agility for his size, who racked up 57 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception in 11 games last year. Linebacker Dawson Chapman saw action in eight games with 20 tackles and a forced fumble.
The only experienced D-lineman returning is Clinton Mahoni who played in nine games and recorded 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
"I'm excited for the guys returning on defense. Their veteran leadership will be crucial with all the young guys on that side of the ball," said Taufa'asau. "We also have some good transfers and redshirt guys that should be ready to step in and start contributing right away."
One of those red shirts is defensive lineman Guillermo Gallardo, who Taufa'asau believes will improve the strength in the trenches. Newcomer Sila Unutoa, a big defensive tackle that had interest from UNLV, should help shore up the middle.
Central Michigan transfer Joshua Washington is a long, athletic defensive end with plenty of potential. Angelo State transfer Stilton McKelvey and Utah State transfer Socrates "Saco" Alofipo will help lead an all new defensive backfield.
This year's squad is a little lighter on sophomores than past teams (29 for '23 compared to 38 in '22), but that is to be expected with the recent success. The Broncos are attracting better freshmen that play well enough to move on to bigger schools after one season.
There are 29 players from New Mexico, including former Goddard Rocket utility man Adrian Solis and Roswell High running back Christian Hernandez. Two former Artesia Bulldogs, wideout Zaden Lopez and running back Luis Pando, return as sophomores.
There are also 28 players of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island descent, a pipeline opened by American Samoa-native Taufa'asau that has tremendously improved the Broncos' size and depth on the lines. These players come from Australia, American Samoa, Samoa, New Zealand and several western states.
The visibility of winning a national title has opened new opportunities for the Broncos, like playing on national streamer ESPN+ three times last season. More ESPN+ games are sure to follow, giving much-needed exposure to players looking for their next football home. If ESPN isn't in town, all home games are streamed free at KSVPtv.com.
"We hope Roswell will continue to come out and support us," Taufa'asau said. "We always have a few local players and we want to represent this program, this school and Roswell and show that there is good football in our little corner of the world. If we do our jobs, we hope to see you all in Little Rock in December."
The Broncos scrimmage Garden City CC in Canyon, TX on Aug. 17 before the official start to the 2023 season on Aug. 26 against the St. George Eagles at the Wool Bowl. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.