Game Recap: Football | | Nicolle Holcomb
PORTALES, NM – The Eastern New Mexico football team fell, 44-24, in the 33rd Wagon Wheel game to West Texas A&M University on Saturday night in Greyhound Stadium.
Both teams traded touchdowns early in the first quarter to make it a 7-7 game. The Buffs went on to score a field goal late in the frame to take a slim 10-7 advantage after one quarter.
West Texas opened the second quarter with another field goal, before the Greyhounds answered with one of their own to make the score 13-10.
Through the remainder of the half and third quarter then into the fourth, the Buffs tacked on 31 points to gain a 44-10 lead.
The Eastern offense got going as time ticked down in the fourth quarter with touchdowns from Justin Manyweather and Currie Thomason but the push was too late as West Texas held on to the 44-24 victory to hoist the Wagon Wheel.
NOTABLE STATS
- Nathan Valencia finished the game 18-32 passing for 228 yards.
- Howard Russell led the Hounds on the ground with 45 rushing yards.
- Justin Manyweather paced the Eastern receivers with 62 yards and one touchdown, while Bryzai White and Zachery Fields were close behind with 52 and 49 yards, respectively.
- Defensively, Cameron Santa Cruz led the way with eight tackles and an interception. Beau Burns, Vicen’te Walker, and Rakeem Hatchett recorded six tackles each.
- Kelon Ferdinand and Mazin Richards each had a sack.
- Cooper Hamilton finished the game with a 40-yard field goal and 3-for-3 on extra point attempts.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Eastern drops to 3-4 overall on the season and 1-3 in Lone Star Conference play.
- West Texas A&M improves to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the LSC.
- The Buffs take a 17-16 Wagon Wheel series lead with tonight’s victory, and 18-17 overall series lead.
- The Greyhounds are back on the road Saturday, October 23 for a 5 p.m. contest at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
