CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO – Four Western New Mexico University football players and assistant coach Robert Rodriguez were selected to participate in the Tazon Aztec Bowl that took place during the Thanksgiving holiday break.

"Being able to coach in this game was a great opportunity as I got to meet some great players and great coaches," Rodriguez said. "Coach Frank Haege, the head coach, takes pride in winning this game and helping the players out.  It's like the Super Bowl to the people of Mexico and they make sure to put on a show for the game. In attendance there was over 22,000 and another 15,000 watching online. Our players that represented WNMU represented well and all played very well. Every one of them started the game for team USA and I'm proud of our guys and the way they played and carried themselves." 
 
WNMU players Deshawn Hathorn (Temecula, CA/Chaparral), Eldrick Bright (Deland, FL/Deland HS), Cleavon Barnes (Lancaster, CA/Lancaster ) and Brandon Perkins (Tucson, AZ/Desert View ) joined Coach Rodriguez on the trip.

"Getting to play in this game was one of the best experiences of my life," Perkins said. He recorded four tackles and two pass breakups.

Playing as part of the Team USA All-American Eagles, the Mustang players helped lead the team to a 24-21 victory in front of 26,673 fans. Team USA played against the ONEFA All Stars from the Mexico University system.

"Going to Mexico was an experience that I will never forget," Bright said. "Being able to play another football game with new brothers is a blessing. Not everyone can still play ball (at this point in the season). What I enjoyed most was being able to represent the United States." Bright recorded three tackles and added one pass breakup.

The victory marked the fourth straight win in the series that started back in 2011.

"The experience was unbelievable because of the way the people treated us," Barnes said. "The game was great because it was their Super Bowl and their halftime show was a concert by a famous Mexican Singer with a fireworks display immediately after. The experience could really only be explained as "You had to be there." Barnes rushed for 68 yards on 12 carries and also caught five passes for 47 yards.
 
The All-American Eagles were selected by 360 Sports and Events/All-American Bowl Executive Director Terry Sullivan and have been nominated by head coaches from colleges throughout the United States to participate in the bowl game.

"This was a real good experience, it was a lot of fun," Hathorn said. "The people showed us a lot of respect and love for playing in the game. There was a big crowd which made us play even better. I ended up playing offense and scored the first touchdown which was really cool." Hathorn ended up with three total catches, along with that TD and also rushed once for 12 yards.