The New Mexico Military Institute Bronco football team evened up their record to 3-3 on the season, downing Southwest Junior College Football Conference opponent Tyler Junior College on the road, 66-21.
NMMI exploded for 31 unanswered points in the first quarter alone, thanks to excellent play in every aspect of the game: The offensive unit put together five scoring drives with 94 yards and a TD on the ground, and another 88 yards and three more TDs via the air; the Bronco 'Black Swarm' defense had two interceptions and gave up just 31 total yards on 18 plays by the Apache offense; and on special teams, the Institute had a huge return on the initial kickoff, along with a blocked punt.
"We started well," said head Bronco football coach Joe Forchtner simply after the win. "It began with the opening kickoff, took it down to like the 10 yard line."
Freshman wide receiver Malik Phillips had that initial return, then later in the game a had 94 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
"We didn't get any points on that drive, so I was kind of worried that we were coming out flat," continued Forchtner. "But we weren't, we came out focused. Everything was clicking in the first half. The kickoff unit was on point today, as was the punt-block team."
NMMI's initial touchdown came on their second possession of the game. A short punt by Tyler gave the Broncos the ball at their own 49 yard line. After a one-yard carry by freshman running back James Bolden, freshman quarterback Diego Pavia aired one out to yet another freshman, wide-out Terrence Moore for the 50-yard score.
"That one came a bit of a surprise," laughed coach Forchtner. "I was making some adjustments on the sidelines with our defensive unit when I heard the call for the PAT team. That's a nice surprise to get."
NMMI's next score came after their first of two punt-blocks, giving the Broncos a first-and-ten at the Tyler 15. That drive stalled at the 10, but freshman placekicker William Testa split the uprights for the 27-yard try.
The Institute 'D' set up the next touchdown – freshman linebacker Chance Starling intercepted a pass at the Tyler 34 yard line and took it back five to the Tyler 29.
This time the Broncos went to their rushing attack, eight carries by three different backs: Pavia, Bolden, and soph running back Tyrique Thompson. Pavia got the score, diving past the corner pylon on a naked bootleg from two yards out.
A failed fourth-and-two by the Apaches gave NMMI the ball once again with a short field. This time the Broncos needed just three plays to hit pay-dirt. Pavia got the lion's share with a 44-yard keeper, then connected with Bolden from 6 yards out for the TD.
The final Institute score of the first period came after another NMMI interception. Freshman Lemario Larry got the pick, his first of two on the day, to give the Broncos the ball on their own 49. The offense began their 7-play touchdown drive with five straight rushes, taking it down to the Tyler 39 on a carry by freshman Jaylin Smith. Two passes by Pavia took it the rest of the way: a 10-yard completion to Bolden, then a 22-yard catch-and-carry by freshman Tyrese Hall for the remainder.
The Broncos scored seven times more in the contest and had a 38-0 lead at halftime.
The first Apache score came on the opening kickoff to start the third quarter. The Tyler return man muffed the catch on the kick and the ball bounced forward about seven yards. The NMMI defenders broke from the pursuit lanes to try and go for the fumble, but the Apache back scooped up the ball, dodged two NMMI tackle attempts, then ran into the end zone for the 76-yard return.
"Our weak spot right now is just our consistency of focus," explained Forchtner about the play. "That was the first touchdown we've given up on a kickoff during my time as head coach."
Due to the large lead, several players got to see the field for the Broncos in the second half. NMMI finished with 10 backs with rushing attempts totaling 291 yards, led by Pavia's 10 carry, 2 TD and 91 yard performance. Three Institute QBs had passing stats, throwing to seven different receivers 18 times with nine completions, 4 TDs and 176 yards.
Coach Forchtner was extremely happy his team came out strong and got the conference road win, but cautioned that there's still two games left in the season. "We need to win out and that's not going to be easy," said the coach. "We've got NEO [Northeastern Oklahoma A&M] next week and they are good. Their record doesn't reflect that, but they lost to both Kilgore and Cisco by one point, the top two teams in the conference."
That match vs. NEO is set to take place at Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, TX on Saturday, May 8th at 2 pm CDT.
The Broncos will close out the regular season back in Roswell at the Wool Bowl, hosting RPA College Prep on Saturday, May 22nd at 2 pm MDT.
Finishing the season strong with a pair of wins would give NMMI a winning record, which is one of the NJCAA's requirements to participate in a postseason bowl game. Although junior college bowl games are limited in number this season due to COVID, Forchtner and his squad are hoping their exciting brand of football, ability to compete with the top-ranked teams in the nation, and their season record will all factor into a bowl-committees' decision.