Hounds trounce Sul Ross, await Western Oregon

ALPINE, Texas – For the second week in a row, Eastern New Mexico University’s football team raced out to a big halftime lead. This time, though, there were no late dramatics.

Trailing 6-0 early, the Greyhounds (2-0) responded with 31 unanswered points and went on to dismantle future Lone Star Conference member Sul Ross State 51-12. It was in contrast to their season opener against New Mexico Highlands at Greyhound Stadium, in which the Cowboys erased most of a 21-0 halftime deficit and fell a 2-point conversion short in the end in a 28-26 ENMU victory.

“We played much better,” ENMU coach Kelley Lee said after the contest. “We came here to play four quarters of football today.”

Lone Star Conference play kicks in now, with the Hounds welcoming Western Oregon (1-1) in a noon kickoff on Saturday at Greyhound Stadium.

Lee expects the competition to ratchet up a couple of notches.

“Now the Lone Star starts, and there are no easy games in the Lone Star,” he said. “We’re excited about the game here this week.”

Sophomore quarterback Mario Sanchez threw for two scores and posted his fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns of the young season against Sul Ross (0-2). Meantime, ENMU’s defense held the Lobos to 218 total yards, including a minus-49 yards rushing total that included three sacks for 24 yards.

Junior running back Jonathan Watson rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, including a 71-yard run in the third quarter to set up freshman Elijah Zeh’s 2-yard TD run on second down.

The Lobos, who move up to from Division III to Division II and into the LSC next season, scored first, going 77 yards in eight plays following the opening kickoff for a 6-0 lead on a pass from sophomore quarterback Andrew Martinez to sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Pena at the 10:28 mark on the opening stanza.

But the Lobos missed the PAT attempt and, suffice it to say, little went right for them the rest of the day.

Sanchez, who was 4-for-7 through the air with two TDs, tallied on a pair of short runs, six other Hounds scored touchdowns. Freshman kicker Kaden Bell was 7-for-8 on PAT kicks and added a 37-yard field goal late in the second segment.

Western Oregon (1-1), which routed the Hounds 46-7 last season at Monmouth, Ore., is coming off a 29-14 victory over Lincoln (Calif.) in which the Wolves led 29-0 early in the third quarter. Their loss was to FCS (NCAA Division I-AA) defending national champion South Dakota.

Lee has a pair of wins over WOU during his previous stint as Hounds coach.

“They’re always a really good football team,” he said. “Their linebackers are physical and they run to the ball well.

“Offensively, they’re still trying to find their identity.”

Western Oregon scored on six of its first seven possessions against Lincoln, the last three coming on third-quarter field goals of 30, 25 and 28 yards by sophomore Charlie Shulkin.