Mules look to rebound from opening loss

MULESHOE — The Muleshoe Mules didn’t get off to the kind of start they’d hoped for Friday night.

The smaller, quicker Mules held a bigger Seminole team in relative check most of the way, but couldn’t break through on any of their own handful of scoring opportunities in absorbing a 7-0 homefield loss to the Indians.

“The defense played well, especially on the goal line,” Muleshoe senior quarterback-safety Landon Sheets said. “Offensively we did some things right, but it seemed like we always had one person (breaking down) on every play.”

The Mules, who return to action on Thursday night against Caprock at Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, are looking for a seventh consecutive trip to the Texas Class 3A playoffs under eighth-year coach David Wood. They are just three years removed from advancing to the playoff semifinals at Texas Stadium.

Wood said the Mules graduated 14 seniors from last year’s squad, but said many of them were playing in backup roles.

“We played a lot of kids last year, and a lot of those kids are back,” he said. “We’re young, but we’ve got to start making things happen on the offensive side of the ball.

“Our defense is playing well. I think we’ll get things going.”

Muleshoe has seven players starting both ways, Wood said, and will have to get in better shape to be able to handle that.

He said that while Thursday’s game is not a make-or-break situation, a win would be good for the team’s confidence. The Mules beat Caprock 32-0 last year at home.

“I think it’s real important, if nothing else for our confidence,” Sheets said. “The main thing I’m scared of is we’ll do something dumb, like taking them for granted.

“We’re definitely shooting for the playoffs. We’re not taking (a playoff berth) for granted, but we definitely want to make it. I don’t want us to end that tradition.”

Littlefield is probably the team to beat in District 2-3A, according to Wood.

“Littlefield has a good program year in and year out,” he said. “They seem to be very solid right now.”