SILVER CITY, N.M. — Western NM lost to N.M. Highlands 55-32 on Thursday at Ben Altamirano Field. Western NM moved the ball with 30 first downs, 317 passing yards and 261 rushing yards, but N.M. Highlands rushed for 454 yards.
Western NM erased an early deficit with two takeaway-backed touchdown drives in the first quarter. After N.M. Highlands went ahead 7-0,
Masumbe Netongo (Albuquerque, NM/West Mesa High School) intercepted a third-down pass and Western NM drove 68 yards, with
Jase Ashley's (Phoenix, AZ/Horizon High School) 2-yard touchdown pass to
Isaiah Abeyta (Las Cruces, NM/Centennial High School) and
Karsten Dombrovski's (Peoria, AZ/Liberty High School) PAT making it 7-7.
Anthony Coleman (Destrehan, LA) later forced and recovered a fumble at the WNM40, and Ashley hit
Zakkarii Black (Sacramento, CA/Charter Oak High School) for a 60-yard touchdown as Western NM finished the quarter ahead 13-7.
Western NM's main answer in the second quarter was a 14-play, 94-yard drive from its own 6, with Ashley converting fourth-and-1 at the N.M. Highlands 30 and finishing it on an 18-yard rushing touchdown with 46 seconds left to make it 21-19. N.M. Highlands immediately answered after an 83-yard kickoff return set up a short touchdown, and Western NM reached the N.M. Highlands 20 before Dombrovski's 30-yard field goal attempt missed. N.M. Highlands led 28-19 at halftime.
Western NM was held scoreless in the third quarter, with its best scoring chance ending on a fourth-down incompletion at the N.M. Highlands 14 after Abeyta's 11-yard punt return set up a short field. N.M. Highlands scored the quarter's only points on a 59-yard rushing touchdown and extra point that made it 35-19. The quarter ended with N.M. Highlands ahead 35-19.
Western NM's fourth-quarter highlight came with 5:38 left, when Ashley found
Demarion Postell (Tolleson, AZ/Tolleson Union High School) for a 72-yard touchdown and
Nathan Flores' (Albuquerque, NM/La Cueva High School) kick made it 49-32. Earlier,
Joshua Gaines (Chandler, AZ/Basha High School) capped a 59-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, but N.M. Highlands also scored touchdowns on its first two full drives of the quarter. N.M. Highlands added two field goals in the final 2:28, and Western NM finished with a 55-32 loss.
Ashley completed 20 of 37 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while adding 91 rushing yards and a score on 10 carries. Black caught four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and added 15 rushing yards. Gaines rushed 18 times for 95 yards and a touchdown and added four receptions for 17 yards. Postell finished with four catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Matthew McGuiggan rushed 11 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Jaden Montalvo added 163 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Kadyn Parr completed 5 of 13 passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Daniel Estrada converted both field-goal attempts, including a 26-yarder, and went 7-for-7 on PATs.
Western NM is 1-1 overall. N.M. Highlands is 2-0 overall.
Up next, Western NM football team travels to Odessa, Texas, to face Texas Permian Basin on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 5 p.m.
***
Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (X, TikTok & Instagram).
