SILVER CITY, N.M. – It became the trip of all trips. Most trips for the Western New Mexico football team take several hours, but don't involve having to change buses due to a fire.


“I stopped at Sports Authority to get a few things for the game and in the process we let everyone else go ahead saying 'We will just catch up with you,'” Head Coach Adam Clark said. “I never thought I would get the call I would just moments later.”

The call that came later on was from Coach David Hubbard who was driving right behind the bus and began to notice some sparks coming off the back of the bus.

“I was actually asleep when Coach Ronnie McDougle woke me up saying 'Look at this,'” Hubbard said. “I woke up to see the tire flying off and thought the bus was pulling over, but it kept going for a little bit until it came completely off.”

By this time, the bus driver had fully pulled off the road to see what was going on when smoke began to fill inside the bus which juniors Kameron Drawhorn (San Diego, CA/Fallbrook HS) and Anthony Phillips (Houston, TX/Dobie HS) were on the back of the bus with the smoke beginning to fill the bus.

“I was asleep when a teammate woke me up,” Drawhorn said. “When I woke up, being in the back of the bus I could see the smoke filling up and knew we had to get off the bus.”

Like Drawhorn, Phillips was also asleep when he was awakened by a teammate telling him something wasn't right.

“I remember hearing some teammates saying 'There is smoke on the bus, there is smoke on the bus,'” Phillips said. “I just knew at that point it didn't matter about our personal belongings, it was all about getting everyone of the bus safely.”

Phillips also remembered his time of being in New Orleans and knew that he could draw on those experiences to lead the team in a time of need.

“Having been from New Orleans, I knew that I had been through things that some of the players hadn't and I could use that to help the team through this,” he recalled.

While the players were still adjusting to getting off the bus, Coach Clark had just talked to Coach Hubbard and was still trying to adjust to what he had heard.

“After I got off the phone with him, I had to hang up and just get everything figured out in my head that this was all going on before I called him back,” Clark said. “At that point I called back knowing that it was really going on, as I could see the smoke in the air from several miles away and at that point, it was all about just making sure that everyone was OK.”

With the players beginning to get off the bus and having made it all the way off, it then became time to reflect on what was exactly going on.

“I was just in complete shock that it was really burning,” Drawhorn said. “I just feel blessed and thank God that we all made it off OK, as personal items are replaceable.”
 

“I just remember standing out there watching it burn down,” Hubbard said. “You see it only happening in the movies, but it was really happening right in front of me and I just couldn't believe it; never been a part of anything like this before.”

While the bus burning down derailed not only the trip, but several other things including equipment and personal belongings, the show had to go on with Coach Clark keeping the logistics in order.

“I talked with Coach Mark Coleman and President Joseph Shepard about everything and then had to make sure we had another bus ride and that we could actually play the game Saturday,” he said.

The Mustangs were helped along the way by Bloomfield, as they helped bring along a school bus to take them to the school cafeteria and allowed the team to get some food while watching a volleyball tournament at the high school.

“Bloomfield Principal Cody Diehl did a great job in taking care of us,” Clark said. “They brought us into their school and gave us time to get everything together before proceeding on to Durango that night.”

The team would finally make it to Durango in the early morning hours Saturday, which meant the players had a quick curfew and the coaching staff went out to get the essentials for the team that was lost on the bus.

Equipment also came in from all over, including the other equipment that was still at WNMU that was brought up to Albuquerque by the golf team on its way to Alamosa in which two coaches were there to grab and take it back to Durango. Durango High School added helmets and shoulder pads, while cleats were brought in by RMAC Commisioner J.R. Smith.

“Everyone really came through in a tough situation,” Clark said. “Fort Lewis let us push the game back so that we had some time to hopefully get everything to the field in time for kickoff.”

Kickoff moved to 3 p.m., but by the time the team made it to the field and got through preparing, they were on the field only 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

“We are usually out on the field 50-55 minutes before kickoff, so getting out that late pushed us further behind on preparing for the game,” Clark said. “But we were all ready to go at that point, as I think most of us were running on adrenaline.”

“I think we were all just able to put it aside and play the game,” Drawhorn said. “Once we all knew that the game was going to be played, we were all excited and just ready to go.”

“I always play the game with emotions, so this time was no different for me,” Phillips said. “With the way the game ended, it just made everything seem fantastic.”

The game was close, but the Mustangs came through with big plays in the fourth quarter to pull out a very important win, not only in the standings, but for what happened in getting to Durango.

“I just kept thinking how big this game was, not only to win to help us this season, but even more so with what happened,” Clark said. “I could only imagine how tough it would have been riding back with a loss, so it felt so much better to be on the bus with a victory.”

“Coach Clark handled the whole situation with a lot of composure,” Hubbard said. “He gave all of us someone to look up to in a tough situation and he kept us on course and got it all done.”

With all that happened, Coach Clark hopes that all of this left an indelible mark for the players.

“I hope this goes down as a lasting memory for all of them and how well they handled the situation,” Clark said. “They fought through a tough situation that arose and came out on the other side ready to go.”

A relief fund has been setup to help the football team that has been titled the Athletic Fire Relief Fund which donations can be sent to. Please contact Athletics Assistant Alma Arellano at 575-538-6223 or at arellanoa@wnmu.edu

“I am just happy that everyone made it off safe,” Athletic Director Mark Coleman said. “The equipment is replaceable, but lives aren't. We will move on as a program and as an athletic department. The team did a great job persevering in getting the win given the tough circumstances.”