NMMI Sports Press
The New Mexico Military Institute Bronco football team picked up their sixth, downing the Papago Pumas in the last scheduled game of the regular season, 41-21.
NMMI held a 27-7 lead at halftime, with a pair of touchdowns in each of the first two quarters.
The first NMMI score came on a 27-yard scoop-and-score by Aipolo Mahoni on a fumble forced by Fuatoelau Sasagi during the Pumas' second offensive play of the game.
NMMI struck again a few series later with an eight-play 49-yard drive, capped by a 17-yard TD toss from Kobe Muasau to Montahj Jospeh.
Papago came right back with a TD of their own to start the second quarter, in a very similar 8-play, 51-yard drive.
Two Muasau passes to Andre Hall amounted to 43 total yards during the Institute's next offensive series. Zahir Favors also had six carries for 32 yards, taking NMMI down to the Papago three. Muasau pushed the ball into paydirt on a keeper to make it 20-7 with 10:50 left in the half.
NMMI's managed one more TD right before going into the lockers, this time with freshman QB Kieran Meyer at the helm. Meyer ran for12 yards on two keepers and also completed three passes during the drive, including a 10-yard TD strike to Kendell Jones.
Papago had the lone score in third period, needing only 15 yards to drive into the endzone after a short NMMI punt.
The Pumas scored again with under a minute exipred in the fourth, making it a one-possession game, 27-21.
That quickly changed, however, with Favors breaking away with a 56-yard rushing TD on the next NMMI offensive play.
The Broncos added one final TD on a mammoth 15-play, 87-yard drive that ate up almost seven minutes of the clock. Meyer got the score with a 2-yard QB keeper.
Favors led the Bronco rushing attack with 106 total yards and the afore-mentioned TD, on 13 carries.
Julius Quinones was the top receiver with six catches for 66 yards; Andre Hall was close behind with five catches for 61 yards.
On the defensive side, NMMI was led by Sampson Alofipo's 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles-for-losses totalling 6.5 yards.
Jamrquis Johnson had two interceptions for the Black Swarm defense including one with a 47-yard return to stop Papago's final drive of the game.
With the win, NMMI moves to 6-4 on the season and next up is the Southwestern Junior College Football Conference's postseason playoffs. As the No. 4 seed, NMMI will travel to play No. 1 Kilgore College on Saturday, Nov. 11. The exact kickoff time has yet to be determined, but it will likely be an early afternoon start.