The New Mexico Military Institute Bronco football team blitzed SWJCFB opponent Blinn College for their second win of the season, 35-16.
Playing in the their second 'home' game of the season at Wigwam Stadium in Seminole, TX, the Institute defense didn't give up a single point to the Buccaneers in the first half, while on the other side of the ball, NMMI pounded out 268 total yards of offense and scored all 35 of their points in the same two-quarter period.
The Broncos scored on their opening possession of the game, using a combination of rushing and passing to move the ball 75 yards in seven plays for the touchdown. Sophomore running back Tyrique Thompson closed out the drive with an 11-yard rush.
Blinn bounced right back with their own 74-yard, 11-play drive, but it stalled on the NMMI seven yard line and the 21-yard field attempt was blocked by sophomore Jaden Amasiu.
NMMI scored again at the 3:08 mark in the first quarter, a 5-play, 50-yard TD drive, capped by a 12-yard catch by freshman tight end Logan Compton from fellow frosh QB Diego Pavia.
The Bronco defense then forced a three-and-out and NMMI's offense once again went back onto the field. Thompson got his second rushing TD with 10:39 left in the first half, finishing off a 7-play, 58-yard drive.
An interception by Jayden Oliver quickly gave NMMI the ball back at the Blinn 18. The offensive unit went back to work and scored after just a pair of plays: a three-yard rush by soph RB Anthony Grant and then a 15-yard Pavia to Grant TD pass.
NMMI's final score came on a mammoth 14-play, 80-yard grindhouse that ate up all but 33 seconds of the time remaining in the half. This time Pavia took the TD plunge on a fourth-and-goal from the one yard line.
"That's about as good of a first half of football that we'd played since I've been here," said 9th-year NMMI head coach Joe Forchtner. Forchtner came to NMMI in 2006 as the linebackers and defensive line coach. "The energy was good, the focus was good, we were clicking everywhere. The offense was moving the ball, the defense was getting stops, and special teams blocked a field goal. It was about as good as we can play. This game was the exact opposite of last week at Kilgore."
Blinn did manage three scores in the second half – a field goal and touchdown with a missed try for two in the third quarter; and a single TD and PAT kick in the waning moments of the fourth – but it was too little, too late.
With the win, NMMI evens up their overall and conference record to 2-2 on the season.
They'll next face conference opponent Trinity Valley Community College, on the road in Athens, TX on Saturday, May 24 at 2 pm CDT.