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Javelinas hand Hounds 43-10 setback

KINGSVILLE, Texas — It was another long night for Eastern New Mexico University’s football team. It may not get a whole lot easier for a while.

Texas A&M-Kingsville scored 33 unanswered points and handed the Greyhounds their third consecutive loss, a 43-10 Lone Star Conference thumping on Saturday night.

Since beating New Mexico Highlands in their season opener on Sept. 1, the Hounds (1-3, 0-2 LSC) have faced preseason conference favorite Midwestern State, FCS (formerly Division I-AA) foe and ex-LSC rival Tarleton State and Kingsville in succession and have been outscored in the process 112-30.

But while the previous two losses included some moments to try to build on, second-year coach Tye Hiatt said there was nothing to take away from this one.

“We didn’t show up,” he said. “It was a completely embarrassing loss.”

On tap the next two weeks are Central Washington (2-0, 2-1) in a 6 p.m. start at Greyhound Stadium on Saturday and Angelo State (4-0, 2-0) on Oct. 7 at San Angelo, Texas.

ENMU pulled to 7-3 early on a 30-yard field goal by sophomore Cooper Hamilton, but it was all Kingsville after that. The Javelinas (4-0, 2-0) got two touchdown runs from senior running back Toniel Carter and a touchdown run and scoring pass from freshman quarterback Jacob Cavazos, who finished 17-of-25 through the air for 207 yards.

“I thought they played well,” Hiatt said of the Javelinas. “(But) our kids did not respond to the road trip and did not handle things well. We came out flat and did not execute in any phase of the game.”

Junior quarterback Kason Martin left the contest in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, with sophomore backup Mario Sanchez going the rest of the way.

“I thought he (Sanchez) played really well (for) getting thrown into the fire,” Hiatt said.

Hiatt called Martin “doubtful” for this week’s matchup with Central Washington. In addition, the team’s top receiver, junior Asa Wondeh, was ejected in the second quarter following a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

By halftime, it was 31-3. Cavazos scored on a 38-yard run in the third stanza, and the Javelinas added a safety late in the period when senior defensive back James Bell brought down Hounds running back Isaiah Tate in the end zone to make it 40-3.

ENMU got its only touchdown with about six minutes left when junior running back Tafari Gomillion scored on a 20-yard run, capping an eight-play, 79-yard drive.

Martin finished 7-of-10 for 88 yards while Sanchez was 3-of-7 for 34 yards. Senior running back Kiante Stoker had 77 yards rushing on 14 carries while Wondeh caught three passes for 84 yards — all of it coming in the opening canto.

Central Washington dominated ENMU 66-24 in last year’s opener at Greyhound Stadium, although Hiatt said his team was playing a bit shorthanded that night due to some COVID issues.

“I think they’re really good,” he said of the Wildcats. “They’re a disciplined team, and they’re well-coached.”

 
 
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