SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University football team erased an 18-0 deficit early in the third quarter and turned that into a 25-18 victory over New Mexico Highlands Saturday afternoon to retain the Warrior Helmet.


The first half was a big struggle for both teams, with wind gusts upwards of 30 miles per hour, both teams fought to a scoreless tie after one quarter.


NMHU (4-6, 2-6 RMAC) tallied the only points of the half, as a blocked punt setup good field position.


Niko Aumua got through the line for the Cowboys and not only came away with the block, but he also recovered it and returned the ball 13 yards down to the 17 of the Mustangs.


NMHU would move the ball seven yards before Ernesto Guerra, kicking with the wind at his back, connected on a 28-yard attempt to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead with 10 minutes to go before halftime.


The second half started out quick for the Cowboys, as the first pass play of the half by David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) was intercepted by Aumua and returned 32 yards for a touchdown and after the extra point was good, NMHU held a 10-0 lead 16 seconds into the half.


WNMU (5-5, 4-5 RMAC) was bit by another big play, as after a three-and-out, Kameron Drawhorn (San Diego, CA/Fallbrook HS) was set to punt, but he bobbled the snap and then was tackled for a loss of seven giving the Cowboys the ball at the Mustang 36.


The very next play, Kevon Williams broke free down the far sideline 36 yards for a touchdown. The ensuing try after turned into an adventure. The Cowboys lined up to kick the extra point, but the kick was blocked, WNMU then tried to return the ball, but it was fumbled and Williams ended up grabbing the ball and getting into the end zone for the two-point conversion and an 18-0 lead at the 13:32 mark.


Following an interception thrown by Ingram, NMHU moved the ball out near midfield, but were forced to punt. Punting into the wind, Jordan Campbell's punt only netted two yards giving the Mustangs momentum and good field position right at midfield.
Ingram then went to work, completing a 12-yard strike to Abraham Macias (El Paso, TX/Socorro HS) and a 7-yarder to Markis Sumpter (Oceanside, CA/Fallbrook High School) moving the ball to the Cowboy 31.


A roughing the passer penalty followed to move the Mustangs down to the 16 and after the Cowboys went offside, Ingram found a wide open Sumpter in the back of the end zone for the first WNMU points of the afternoon. Drawhorn converted the extra point to make it a 18-7 lead for NMHU with nine minutes to play in the third.


The Mustangs kept the pressure, as the Cowboys, playing without several quarterbacks, elected to run the ball on almost every down, went three-and-out on the ensuing possession giving the Mustangs the ball at the Cowboy 45.


Three incompletions followed to bring up fourth-and-10. WNMU elected to go for it and Ingram had time to step up in the pocket throwing a strike down the seam of the field to Donald Byrd (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly) in stride who took it 45 yards into the end zone to trim the lead to five, 18-13. To try to get within three, the Mustangs went for two, but Ingram's pass attempt was knocked away.


The teams would trade possessions over the next several series eventually moving the game into the fourth quarter when the Mustangs mounted another drive.


Beginning at their own 31 with 13 minutes to go in the contest, a big pass interference penalty helped move the chains for WNMU on third-and-three out to the NMHU 47.


After a short four-yard completion to Macias and two incompletions, a fourth-and-six came to the forefront for the Mustangs.


WNMU lined up to punt, but instead Drawhorn took the snap, rolled out and passed to an open Bernard Williams at the Cowboy 25 for an 18-yard completion and a big first down to keep the drive alive.


WNMU would end up moving the ball eight yards down to the 17 over the next three plays leaving a fourth-and-two.


After a Mustang timeout, Ingram ended up taking a QB draw out of the shotgun for six yards and another fourth down conversion at the 11.


A couple of incompletions followed, even a close one that Byrd almost pulled in on second down in the end zone, but was ruled out-of-bounds. On third down, Ingram's pass to the end zone drew a pass interference penalty moving the ball to a two for a first-and-goal.


On the second play from the two, Macias pounded his way in for the touchdown to put the Mustangs in front, 19-18. WNMU tried another two-point conversion and again NMHU rose up to stop the try, as Sumpter caught the ball just outside of the goal line leaving it a one-point game with eight minutes to play.


The Mustangs then got tricky on the kickoff, as Drawhorn kicked on onside kick straight up the middle of the field that several Cowboys couldn't corral and eventually the Mustangs recovered the ball at the Cowboy 39. A personal foul on NMHU moved the ball down to the 24.


WNMU couldn't score on the drive, but Drawhorn delivered a clutch punt into the wind that was downed by Dylan Fitzgerald (Spring Valley, CA/Steele Canyon HS) at the one.


After NMHU moved the ball out to their 15, which included their first two pass attempts of the game, they were forced to punt giving WNMU the ball at the Cowboy 45 following a four-yard Sal Garcia return.


The Mustangs padded their lead, as Ingram found Ronnell Pompey (Los Angeles, CA/Fairfax Senior HS) for an eight-yard completion and after Macias ran for three yards and a first down, Daveon Barner (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Polytechnic) and Ingram combined for five yards on the ground over the next two plays to setup a third-and-five at the 29.


Ingram had time to survey the field and hit a streaking Garcia wide open in the middle of the field, as he had a couple steps on the defender and he went in for the 29-yard touchdown to move the lead to seven, 25-18, with under six minutes to play. The extra point was missed, leaving the spread at seven.


WNMU again went with the onside kick up the middle of the field on the ensuing kickoff and it worked to perfection once again, as the Cowboys failed to secure the ball before John De La Rosa (Vinton, TX/Canutillo HS) fell on the ball at the Cowboy 29.


WNMU would chew up clock and eventually punt the ball back to the Cowboys, with Drawhorn again delivering a nice kick into the wind that Fitzgerald again downed, this time at the 10.


Left with 1:35 and no timeouts, NMHU was faced with going 90 yards to try and tie the game. After two incompletions, on third-and-10 QB Clint Barnard scrambled for 14 yards for a first down out to the 24.


That's where the drive would stall, as a four-yard rush followed and then two incompletions brought up fourth down.


Drawhorn came through on the next pass, intercepting Barnard at the Cowboy 44 to end the game and give the Mustangs the win and once again the Warrior Helmet.


NMHU had 195 yards of total offense, with 185 coming on the ground, as they attempted only six passes. WNMU chewed up 222 yards and in contrast to the Cowboys, 219 came through the air.


Macias had 12 carries for 13 yards and one touchdown.


Through the air, Ingram completed 19-of-47 for 201 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.


Macias led the receivers with five catches for 26 yards, while Sumpter added four for 26 yards and a touchdown. Byrd had only two catches, but one was a big one for 45 yards and a touchdown as he finished with 55 receiving yards.


Aaron Kleinpeter (Phoenix, AZ/Red Mountain HS) and Jacob Cross (Bakersfield, CA/Centennial HS) led the defense with 12 tackles apiece, as both also had five solo stops and Kleinpeter added a sack. Nicholas Cook (Winnetka, CA/Bishop Alemany HS) added nine tackles and Dashaun Briggs (AZ/) six.


Fifteen Mustang seniors were honored before the game in tribute of their final home game as a Mustang.


WNMU will close the 2011 season next Saturday when they will play at RMAC leader CSU-Pueblo in Pueblo with kickoff set for 2 p.m.
 

  Score by Quarters     1  2  3  4   Score
  -----------------    -- -- -- --   -----
  New Mexico Highlands  0  3 15  0  - 18       Record: (4-6,2-6)
  Western N.M.........  0  0 13 12  - 25       Record: (5-5,4-4)
 
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  Scoring Summary:
  2nd 10:17 NMHU - Ernesto Guerra 28 yd field goal, 4-7 1:35, NMHU 3 - WNMU 0
  3rd 14:44 NMHU - Niko Aumua 32 yd interception return (Ernesto Guerra kick), , NMHU 10 - WNMU 0
      13:32 NMHU - Kevon Williams 36 yd run (Kevon Williams rush), 1-36 0:09, NMHU 18 - WNMU 0
      09:05 WNMU - Markis Sumpter (Oceanside, CA/Fallbrook High School) 11 yd pass from David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) (K. Drawhorn kick), 4-50 1:29, NMHU 18 - WNMU 7
      06:31 WNMU - Donald Byrd (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly) 45 yd pass from David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) (David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) pass failed), 4-45 0:25, NMHU 18 - WNMU 13
  4th 08:31 WNMU - Abraham Macias (El Paso, TX/Socorro HS) 2 yd run (David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) pass failed), 14-69 4:55, NMHU 18 - WNMU 19
      02:55 WNMU - S. Garcia 29 yd pass from David Ingram (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge HS) (K. Drawhorn kick failed), 5-45 2:34, NMHU 18 - WNMU 25