How to watch Texas high school softball: Lamesa vs
May 3Data SkriveLamesa High School will host Muleshoe High School on Saturday
How to watch Muleshoe vs. Lamesa softballMuleshoe and Lamesa will take the field on Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. CT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network
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Jodey Arrington’s (R-TX) bill “to prohibit the implementation of a Land Protection Plan for Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.” If enacted
Fish and Wildlife Service’s “Land Protection Plan” to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
based on 15 years of collaborative research with the local community
allows for refuge expansion under land acquisition agreements with surrounding landowners who are willing to work with FWS
Arrington is more concerned with pointing blame at the federal government than supporting the people and wildlife of Texas,” said Robert Dewey
vice president of government relations at Defenders of Wildlife
“The expansion of the Muleshoe refuge will provide much needed protection for Texas lands and wildlife with long-term benefits including clean water and air
Muleshoe is the oldest National Wildlife refuge in Texas
It protects important habitat in the Southern High Plains which includes Texas
and serves as a breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife
a Texas landowner within the Muleshoe acquisition boundary can choose to sell or protect their land as part of the Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge
“The Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge is a jewel of Texas
with an abundance of nature and wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else in the world,” said Dewey
“This bill would compromise the future of Texas wildlife and the entire Southeast High Plains region and undermine the sound management of the National Wildlife Refuge System.”
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During a special board meeting Thursday afternoon
Muleshoe ISD introduced Bo Dickinson as the new athletic director and head football to guide the Mules athletic program going forward
Dickinson takes over for former head coach Jason Richards who left in mid-January to start up the new Frenship Memorial High School in Wolfforth
This is the first head coaching job for Dickinson who geared up to take over at the young age of 29 years old
“This is a dream come true,” Dickinson said
“The goal is to always climb the ladder at any job
I’m very excited and grateful about being named the next head coach to lead this program
I want to carry the torch and build on the tradition already established here.”
has had previous stops as an assistant at Panhandle
He was the offensive coordinator at Spearman and has spent the past two years as the offensive coordinator and assistant athletic director at Borger High School
One thing that enticed Dickinson into interviewing and accepting his first head coaching role at Muleshoe was the steeped years of excellence the program has built
“I’ve always thought Muleshoe had some deep-rooted tradition,” Dickinson said
“Being from Canadian I understand that climate and there is always a sense of building a tradition and sustaining that tradition and Muleshoe has done that.”
Dickinson was also very enamored in the upgrades Muleshoe has done with the facilities which include a state-of-the-art multi-purpose indoor
“That indoor is something special,” Dickinson said
“That shows me the community is willing to invest in their kids
That’s a top-notch facility.”
Richards stated there were 65 applicants vying for the Muleshoe opening and a committee interviewed seven candidates that were very strong
Richards says Dickinson was the one the committee felt best about steering the Mules into the future
“Bo did a great job interviewing with the committee,” Richards said
“The committee felt he was the best fit for the district
The school board also thought he was the best fit
It’s a great situation to have Bo and his family come into Muleshoe and we’re excited to have them onboard.”
As for what the community can expect from Dickinson
“I’m a very positive person and very energetic,” Dickinson said
“I’m all over the practice field and the game field
I’m someone who is going to care for kids and lead with a passion and a purpose.”
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college and professional sports impacting the Texas Panhandle
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FIGHTING FOR TEXAS FARMLAND: THE BATTLE AT MULESHOE
An Editorial by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
Our nation’s agriculture industry is under siege
and the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear in the Texas Panhandle
pushing for another major land grab at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
While the feds like to dress up their land acquisitions as conservation and habitat protection
it’s clear this move is about more government control
and it comes at a high cost for Texas farmers and threatens our agriculture industry
We must fight to keep every acre of farm and ranch land in the hands of Americans
LITTLEFIELD — It would've been hard to tell the Muleshoe softball team was on the verge of making history Saturday afternoon
The looks on the Mules' faces resembled that of a team playing a pick-up game for the heck of it rather than looking for the program's first trip to the third round of the playoffs
But that's part of the reason why the Mules have had just a historic season
which continued with the 10-2 win over former district rival Lamesa to claim the Class 3A Division II area-round title
Whether it's hitting a no-doubter home run to take the early lead or slipping on the turf on a relay throw
players like Adalie Agundis have found ways to smile throughout the season
It's something the Muleshoe head coach has had to embrace through it all
"because we are the goofiest group of girls
To have that ability to keep practices light
to have a good attitude and keep the spirits up when the game's not going so well
"The fact that we can rein it in when we need to just makes us really hard to get down
There's a reason for the Mules to look on the bright side this year
The team captured its first district title since 2015 during the regular season
and Saturday's sweep-clinching win over the Golden Tors brought the team full circle
Lamesa got the better of Muleshoe to take the district title
The Mules got a dose of revenge this weekend
downing the Golden Tors by a combined score of 24-5 in the two games
"I have a lot of respect for the coaches and the players at Lamesa," Villanueva said
was a statement I think the girls really wanted to make."
Villanueva is especially glad to have this experience and success with seniors like Heaven McMullen
a four-year varsity member who's been through it all with the Mules
McMullen said the team's ability to stay loose through everything has been a big piece to how the Mules have been able to succeed this season
Agundis — who went 5-for-7 with six RBI at the plate and struck out nine batters in 10-plus innings in the series — said the five seniors on the team have played a big role in getting the Mules to the third round of the playoffs for the first time
"it's a big accomplishment to know that we made history in Muleshoe."
(This story was updated to add new information: quotes from Canadian head coach Andy Cavalier
Canadian athlete Julian Dominguez and Muleshoe coach Jason Richards.)
CANYON — The Canadian football team won the Region I-3A Division II bi-district championship with ease Friday night
taking down Muleshoe 53-6 inside Happy State Bank Stadium
2-2) met on Thursday for the second time during the 2024 season
Senior Julian Dominguez led the way for Canadian
scoring five touchdowns and notching an interception on defense
ran for two scores and returned a kickoff for a touchdown
The Mules played without their starting signal caller
and were quarterbacked by junior Brayton Butler
After forcing a turnover on the Wildcats' opening drive
the Mules scored first on a 1-yard run by sophomore running back Joaquin Arias
Canadian responded as Dominguez returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and ran in a score from six yards out later to give the Wildcats a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter
Dominguez notched a hat trick with more than seven minutes left in the second quarter
hauling in a 34-yard pass from Clay Kendall on third down to extend Canadian's advantage to 21-6
The Wildcats added two more touchdowns before halftime
including another scoring run from Dominguez
Canadian scored twice in the third quarter and held a 46-6 lead heading into the fourth
The Wildcats put another touchdown on the board in the final quarter to cap off a 53-6 win
They said itCanadian head coach Andy Cavalier: "You just build a little confidence with each win and it gives you another opportunity to practice together
You come to this time in the year and it just takes one slip up
That means this team will never play together again and so we're trying to keep focused on the idea that we're trying to be the best we've ever been
That's the only way for us to continue playing together
One win after another is how you get there
so this one hopefully gives us some momentum and confidence as we go on to the next one.'
Canadian senior Julian Dominguez: "I'm just seeing a lot of my teammates making a lot of good plays out there for me
and that's just allowing me to go out there and do my job and finish the plays."
Muleshoe head coach Jason Richards: "I'm just proud of (the team) man
Canadian advances to the area round of the playoffs where they will take on the winner of Coahoma and Compass Academy
Class 3A Division II Bi-District Championship GameCanadian 53
M — Joaquin Arias 1-yard run (kick failed); 8:02
C — Julian Dominguez 89-yard kick return (Julius Gonzalez kick GOOD); 7:46
C — Julian Dominguez 6-yard run (Julius Gonzalez kick GOOD); 2:41
C — Clay Kendall 34-yard pass to Julian Dominguez (Julius Gonzalez kick GOOD); 7:49
C — Julian Dominguez 3-yard run (kick failed); 3:06
C — Clay Kendall 25-yard pass to Riggs Pennington (kick failed); 2:09
C — Julian Dominguez 21-yard run (kick failed); 10:23
C — Chris Flores 8-yard run (Fabian Diaz kick GOOD); 4:25
C — Weston Mitchell 23-yard pass to Zach Bryant (Fabian Diaz kick GOOD); 8:35
WOLFFORTH — Jason Richards' longtime goal is about to be fulfilled
who spent the past five seasons at Muleshoe
will be the first head football coach for Frenship Memorial High School
The hire will become official after school-board approval Wednesday
native said developing a program from scratch is a dream come true
"It's kind of always been a dream of mine to start my own program," Richards said
what you hang your hat on as far as your sayings
Creating a culture of toughness and competitiveness is just very appealing to me."
Richards said the backing of Frenship ISD is a major perk
He said the Tigers have "had success forever" in both extracurriculars and academics
The district's standing attracted a number of candidates
"We had a huge pool of really qualified people
and as we started going through the process
there's just something about him that's infectious
Regardless that he's a great football coach
We felt like he was the right guy to get Memorial off to a good start."
who will be Memorial's boys athletic coordinator
got his first position of head football coach and athletic director at Muleshoe
The Mules were 1-19 the two seasons leading into Richards' arrival
including a winless campaign before he started in 2020
Richards was 31-25 at Muleshoe and won playoff games in three consecutive seasons before last fall
Richards said the experience taught him lessons he'll carry into his next role
"Always build relationships with kids," Richards said
I want to build relationships with all the entire campus
I think we hired really good coaches (at Muleshoe) and let them do their jobs."
Gerlich said the next objective is to hire Memorial's girls athletic coordinator
Sports other than football will be in UIL districts from the beginning
when the school starts with freshman and sophomore students
The Panthers' classification is to be determined
The football program will play an outlaw schedule of subvarsity teams or possibly small-school varsity squads
Finalizing a schedule is among the first priorities for Richards
"Immediately I want to get out and meet the kids," Richards said
Creating community within the school is huge to me."
As President Joe Biden's administration seeks to increase protections for natural lands and waters across the United States
some critics are wary of a new plan to expand one wildlife refuge in Texas
Department of the Interior announced earlier this year its plans to expand four national wildlife refuges
to conserve habitat and protect native species
But the finalized plan for the expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
in the Panhandle approximately 30 miles east of the New Mexico border
More: Texas changes mountain lion hunting rules after 50 years. What it means for the wild cat
Fish and Wildlife Service released a final plan in April that would increase the protection of up to 700,000 acres of wildlife habitat as part of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge — about 110 times its current size of 6,440 acres
The effort would support populations of sandhill cranes, pronghorn and lesser prairie-chicken, which Congress voted to delist last year to allow for increased drilling in their habitats, a decision upended by a Biden veto
The initiative would preserve playa wetlands, saline lakes and large patches of grasslands — among the most imperiled ecosystems in the U.S. Data indicates that in the past century more than 60% of native grasslands
have vanished due to agriculture and energy development
The initiative relies on the cooperation of private landowners who are interested in selling land or granting easements for conservation efforts
It does not impose mandatory regulations or expropriate land in proximity to the refuge
More: West Texas lizard listed as endangered after 42 years. Will it affect oil and gas?
and some stakeholders believe that the expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge will take cotton acres from farmers and producers
stating that he doesn't "believe this is a good use of taxpayer dollars" and alleging that "there's no such thing as a 'voluntary government program.’ ”
“I have shared my serious concerns with the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee
and will fight to defend West Texas against even a hint of federal overreach," Arrington said in the release
His statement followed criticism from American Stewards of Liberty
which dedicated a page on its website to what it called the "Muleshoe Land Grab."
In an interview with Plains Cotton Growers
who serves as manager of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and will oversee the expansion project
denied that the effort would take land from producers
"Some of my best friends are cotton farmers," Smith told the organization
"We're just looking to expand our conservation endeavors for wildlife and wetlands
While American Stewards of Liberty acknowledged that the program is voluntary
the executive director told Plains Cotton Growers that the group was "concerned that land will be taken under federal control through conservation easements or regulatory pressure from the government."
the Fish and Wildlife Service reaffirmed that this is not a circumstance of eminent domain
in which landowners are forced to sell their property
and the selling landowners would receive "fair compensation," although they are "under no obligation" to participate
Arrington released a new statement last week that included a letter he wrote to the Fish and Wildlife Service
citing local residents' concerns about property values and taxes
The expansion is part of the Biden administration's $1 billion "America the Beautiful" initiative to accelerate conservation efforts across the U.S
using federal conservation and restoration investments in partnership with private and philanthropic contributions
The initiative aims to conserve and restore at least 30% of U.S
The America the Beautiful initiative seeks to conserve up to 850,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Texas
including the 700,000 acres for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
The additional 150,000 acres sit among the Gulf Coast prairies and marshes on the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Austwell and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge in Wadsworth
Lawmakers in Washington are considering a bill that would shut down a plan to potentially expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge covers 6,440 acres of the Panhandle
The vast grassland is dotted with playas and saline lakes
It’s an indispensable resource for sandhill cranes
“Somehow we think we need to spend more money on behalf of the taxpayers to buy up more land that we don’t manage
We don’t manage the land that we have well,” Arrington said last week at a subcommittee hearing of the House Committee on Natural Resources
The hearing included testimony on H.R. 839
which would prevent the plan to expand the refuge from being implemented
In his view, because of the size of the national debt, the federal government has no business acquiring additional land. And if it does, there could be serious ripple effects for the surrounding rural community. Bryan Baker, a cotton farmer in nearby Sudan and board president of the Texas Producers Cooperative
told the subcommittee that managing the land for conservation rather than agriculture would erode the local tax base
“With 700,000 acres potentially being vacated from private landowners and taxpayers
including the reduction in the number of teachers
as fewer children will be enrolled in local schools,” Baker said
there will be nobody left to live and farm on these acres.”
» MORE: Major expansion of Panhandle wildlife refuge criticized as government overreach
where landowners keep their property but follow certain rules to protect the land
These rules could include prohibiting subdivision of the property
or limiting the amount of impermeable cover that can be built
The wildlife refuge will not grow through the government seizing property
“I think it’s just really important to understand that a conservation easement is voluntary and that nobody can force you into a conservation easement,” said Kathryn Tancig
a lawyer from College Station who helps people set up conservation easements for a living
her clients are people who want to protect family land from being developed in the future
Agreeing to a conservation easement is not necessarily incompatible with farming and ranching
“If the landowner wants to keep the property open and available for agricultural use
a lot of times conservation easements allow for those uses of the property,” Tancig said
She did not respond to an interview request for this story
The group linked the expansion plan to the Biden administration’s 30×30 initiative
which sought to federally protect 30% of the country’s land and water by 2030
“The Biden Administration has targeted this region for permanent protection as a part of their unauthorized 30×30 land grab,” American Stewards of Liberty wrote on their website
For a while, a rumor circulated that the expansion could include not 700,00 acres, but 7 million, and that figure is still up on the American Stewards of Liberty website
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Byfield has been critical of conservation easements
“There’s a lot of really good intentions behind the conservation easement program. However, when you really understand the device, you find out that those purposes are not what it accomplishes,” she said on the Tennessee Stands podcast in 2024
In August, American Stewards of Liberty held a public meeting in Littlefield to rally opposition against the Muleshoe refuge expansion. The speakers included Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who released an op-ed afterward opposing the expansion and linking it to the Biden administration’s agenda
“While the new land purchases to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge are supposedly ‘voluntary,’ the real question remains: why on earth does the federal government need more land
The answer is that it doesn’t,” Miller wrote
Cassie Gresham
a land lawyer based in Austin who also helps set up conservation easements
said she’s never encountered private property being seized for conservation purposes
“I’ve never seen that happen,” Gresham said
my family’s done this for a really long time
or I want to protect the stewardship and legacy.”
Fish and Wildlife Service has not taken on any new land as part of the Muleshoe expansion
Arrington’s bill to prevent that from ever happening has a long way to go: It still needs to be passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee
and then the full House before being considered in the Senate
Muleshoe Ranch / Hatchet Ranch crowned 2024 WRCA world championsAmarillo Globe-NewsThe Muleshoe Ranch / Hatchet Ranch team from Kirkland and Paradise, Arizona, earned top honors at the 29th World Championship Ranch Rodeo held this weekend in Amarillo
the world champion team members include Logan Anderson
and the team won the Stray Gathering category
Reserve World Champion Team is the EC Cattle Co
/ Mule Creek Cattle from Santo and Breckenridge
Davis earned Reserve Top Hand honors and won in the Ranch Bronc event
The group also won in the Team Penning category
Coming in third was Circle M8 Land & Cattle from Silverton
earned honors for Rodey Wilson of Wilson Cattle LLC from Canyon
with Tristan Grantham – Daube Ranch / 3C Cattle Co
Jolly Ranch / S&L Cattle from Agate and Lamar
and Blackmore Ranch / Rail 3 from Hillside and Florence
Hat Creek Cattle won the 2024 Youth World Championship Ranch Rodeo
with Double Check Cattle as Reserve World Champions and Baca Antelope in third
Top Hand honors went to Blaine Roberts with Hat Creek Cattle Co.
and the Top Horse was ridden by Brody Grigsby with California Creek Cattle
For more information about WRCA and the rodeo, visit https://wrca.org/wcrr-2-2/
More: WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo puts teams' skills to the test
Thursday's regular-season finale between the Muleshoe and Shallowater softball teams didn't mean a thing
The Mules had already claimed the outright District 2-3A championship — the program's first since 2015 — after the Fillies suffered a loss to Slaton a week ago
the two teams were simply playing out the strings before heading to opposite divisions for the playoffs next week
which knew it let a chance at the district crown slip away
Coach Kayla Rodriguez also wanted her team to head into the postseason with some momentum
Safe to say the Fillies will be riding high next week
Gracie Banks took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and struck out 10 of the first 14 batters she faced
Shallowater utilized a six-run fourth inning to break the game open
Brinley Currington sent everyone home early with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth
giving Shallowater the 10-0 run-rule victory
Banks finished the game with 11 strikeouts
limited Muleshoe to one hit and was 3 for 3 at the plate with two RBIs
but their path was predestined to go a different direction
"These kids are really special because they're all mine," Rodriguez said
"I've coached them since they were freshmen
so I know that they're going to do whatever it takes to win and what matters now is the momentum we have going into the playoffs."
It was a different story in the opposite dugout
11-1) had been experiencing a magical season
winning the district title a year after falling short in a battle with Lamesa
Thursday's game presented Muleshoe a chance to earn an undefeated run through district play as well
"We came out and did not handle winning the district championship very well at all," Villanueva said
Shallowater is a good team and if you play like that against anybody
Villanueva thinks Thursday's result may have been what his team needed
we played like we had to win," Villanueva said
"and we handled that pressure all year long
And then this is the first time we didn't have to win and we did not show up
I think we kind of took it as a game where we didn't have to win and we played like it."
Rodriguez was also impressed by her team's ability to battle back after the 14-4 loss to Slaton cost the Fillies a shot at the title
Shallowater won its final three regular-season games by a combined score of 42-2
"I told them you can do one of two things when you lose," Rodriguez said
"You can put your big girl pants on and show everybody who you really are
I told them that I'll be a fighter until the day I die
ACUFF — One week after a 29-point loss to Dalhart
the Muleshoe football team responded with a victory over Roosevelt to begin District 3-5A Division II competition
who were 5-1 heading into Thursday night's matchup
marked another tough test for the Mules — this time on the road
coach Jason Richards acknowledged that his team would have to be better on the ground to have a chance at starting district play with a win
After a lackluster rushing performance against the Wolves in Week 6
Muleshoe responded with a few big performances out of the backfield
Richards and senior quarterback Nathan Martens both knew where the team needed to improve going forward: on the ground
To help Muleshoe find answers in the backfield
Richards and company moved sophomore running back Davian Sital from the JV team to the Mules' varsity squad
Sital performed well in his first taste of varsity action
carrying the ball 17 times for 101 yards and the game's opening touchdown
Sital was extremely effective in the first half
helping keep Muleshoe's offense in rhythm while running against a lighter box
as Roosevelt's defense devoted more defenders to pass coverage
the Mules had beaten defenses with their air raid offense
playing fewer defenders near the line of scrimmage
Sital and company were able to take advantage of Roosevelt's defensive scheme and consistently move the ball down the field with big gains on the ground
senior wide receiver Mauricio Herrera was a big contributor in the pass game and out of the backfield
The Mules' standout caught 11 passes for 83 yards
and notched eight carries for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns
While Herrera usually impacts the game as a wideout on the perimeter
Richards' said his star receiver offered to play tailback after the team's loss to Dalhart
"When he has the ball in his hands he can do a lot of different things
I can play running back.' I want to also brag on Davian Sital
Brought him up from the JV this week and he stepped up."
More: Nathan Martens leads Muleshoe football to thrilling victory over Roosevelt on the road
More: Dumas High School wins $25,000 in national competition, aims for $2 million grand prize
More: Amarillo High girls' cross country wins district, Palo Duro's Saidgurhan takes boys' title
Martens also noted that he was prepared to be a bigger part of Muleshoe's run game after the team's loss to Dalhart
but also made a huge impact on the game with his legs
The senior signal caller carried the ball seven times for 86 yards and a touchdown to go along with his 254 passing yards and two scores
Martens carried the ball two times in the first half
but helped put the game away in the fourth quarter with multiple big runs
including a 34-yard touchdown to start the final frame
Martens also picked up multiple first downs on the ground in short-yardage situations
Herrera and Martens began to gash the Eagles on the ground
Roosevelt dedicated more defenders to stopping the run
and the Mules' quarterback was able to attack the home team's secondary in the pass game
"I thought we saw what we were going to see," Martens said
so we had the game plan and we established the run game
They gave us a heavier box and we threw the air raid on them a little bit
Muleshoe's offensive line paves the wayWhile Herrera and Sital both had solid performances running the ball
the two skill position players were led by a strong outing from Muleshoe's offensive line
junior Daniel Mendoza and junior Jake Villanueva started up front for the Mules and created huge running lanes for Sital
Herrera and the rest of Richards' offense all night
The Mules' group created a strong push up front against a tough Roosevelt defensive line
Herrera and others multiple yards of open space before being touched by a defender
when the Eagles began to bring more defenders into the box to stop the run game
allowing one sack all game and giving Martens plenty of time to deliver his passes
"I'm very proud of our offensive line and our offensive line coaches Aaron Simon and AJ Villanueva," Richards said
"They just keep getting better every single week
and (Roosevelt is) a physical football team
(This story was updated to add new information: quotes from Roosevelt
Muleshoe coaches and Muleshoe QB Nathan Martens.)
ACUFF — Offense was not hard to come by Thursday night
especially when you consider the two teams facing off
The Muleshoe football team continued to keep the scoreboard operator busy as it took down Roosevelt 42-36 to kick off District 2-3A Division II competition
The Mules were led by senior quarterback Nathan Martens
who went 20 of 21 through the air for 254 yards and two touchdowns
Martens also added seven carries for 86 yards and another score on the ground
Muleshoe senior wide receiver Mauricio Herrera tallied more than 150 yards from scrimmage
in addition to a pair of interceptions on defense
junior running back Jaden Zuniga carried the load on offense
tallying 136 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage on just eight touches
Game-changing playsMuleshoe struck first with a 1-yard touchdown run from Davian Sital that was set up by a 72-yard screen pass from Martens to sophomore wideout Noah Hernandez
Roosevelt answered quickly with a 34-yard touchdown run from Zuniga
but couldn't convert the two-point conversion and trailed 8-6 early in the first quarter
After both teams traded scores later in the quarter
the game went into the second quarter with the Mules clinging to a 15-14 advantage
Muleshoe scored again on its first drive of the second quarter with a 15-yard run by Herrera to increase its lead to eight
this time on a 64-yard pass from Nathen Casarez to Zuniga
Roosevelt's Cristian Castillo ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 22 late in the second quarter
The Mules scored first coming out of the half when Martens delivered a 34-yard touchdown pass under pressure to Yahir Quezada
Casarez led the Eagles down the field and capped off the possession with a 6-yard touchdown run to give Roosevelt its first lead of the night
With around seven minutes left in the game
Martens took a quarterback keeper 34 yards for a score to give Muleshoe a 36-29 lead
The Mules were able to add another touchdown later in the fourth to make the score 42-29
Roosevelt also tacked on a score later in the quarter
but was unable to recover an onside kick and ultimately fell
Muleshoe football coach Jason Richards: "Hats off to Roosevelt
Roosevelt football coach Carter Robinson: "At no point did we think we were going to lose
I think they played hard until the last snap
Muleshoe quarterback Nathan Martens: "Initially they gave us a light box
so we didn't really pass but when they gave us a heavier box they kind of manned us up and played pretty off
we just took what the defense gave us and went from there."
Up nextThe Mules will look to continue their solid start to district play next week when Littlefield travels to Muleshoe
The Eagles will aim to rebound on the road against Idalou in Week 8
M — Davian Sital 1-yard run (Two-point attempt good)
R — Jaden Zuniga 34-yard run (Two-point attempt failed)
M — Nathan Martens 24-yard pass to Yahir Quezada (Mauricio Herrera kick)
R — Gavino Webster 25-yard run (Two-point attempt good)
M — Mauricio Herrera 15-yard run (Mauricio Herrera kick)
R — Nathen Casarez 64-yard pass to Jaden Zuniga (Two-point attempt good)
M — Nathan Martens 34-yard pass to Yahir Quezada (Two-point attempt failed)
R — Nathen Casarez 6-yard run (Carlos Marquez-Valdez kick)
M — Nathan Martens 34-yard run (Two-point attempt good)
M — Mauricio Herrera 2-yard run (Kick failed)
R — Nathen Casarez 40-yard pass to Cedric Murphy (Carlos Marquez-Valdez kick)
The United States Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned two leaders of a Russian hacker group believed to be responsible for infiltrating the public water system infrastructure of several small South Plains towns earlier this year
Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko are the leader and chief hacker, respectively, of a "hacktivist" group known as Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), according to the Treasury
Both have been added to the Treasury Department's sanctions list for their alleged role in the infrastructure hacks
CARR claimed responsibility for two hacks which caused water storage tanks in Muleshoe and Abernathy to overflow in January
In the Muleshoe incident, the town's water tower overflowed for 30 to 45 minutes after the hackers were able to remotely log into an industrial system that allows public works crews to control the tank, CNN reported
Utility operators were able to stop the overflow by switching the tank to manual control and securing the hacked machine
More: EPA urges water utilities to protect nation's drinking water amid heightened cyberattacks
City officials in Lockney and Hale Center confirmed the hacks in Muleshoe coincided with cybersecurity incidents in their towns
city managers said hackers tried to infiltrate the water utilities' SCADA system — a network that allows operators to remotely monitor and control water infrastructure
“CARR and its members’ efforts to target our critical infrastructure represent an unacceptable threat to our citizens and our communities
with potentially dangerous consequences,” Brian E
under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence
“The United States has and will continue to take action
to hold accountable these and other individuals for their malicious cyber activities.”
The Treasury Department said CARR "has conducted low-impact
unsophisticated DDoS attacks in Ukraine and against governments and companies located in countries that have supported Ukraine" and began claiming attacks on U.S
and European infrastructure late last year
The group is also believed to be responsible for a hack of the SCADA system of a U.S
CARR claimed responsibility for the overflow of water storage tanks in Abernathy and Muleshoe
posting video of the manipulation of human-machine interfaces at each facility on a public forum," the news release reads
"The compromise of the industrial control systems resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of gallons of water."
businesses and financial institutions from doing business with Pankratova and Degtyarenko
The Muleshoe football team has enjoyed plenty of regular season success in recent years
The Mules went 7-3 in the 2022 regular season and 8-2 during the 2023 regular season
Jason Richards' team is off to another strong start
Muleshoe will look to rebound on Thursday night when the Mules take on Roosevelt
to kick off District 2-3A Division II competition
More: District play ongoing in Amarillo area high school football schedule, scores for Week 7
More: Vote now: Who should be the Happy State Bank High School Athlete of the Week?
More: Texas high school football state rankings by Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Week 6
The Mules are led by standout quarterback Nathan Martens
The senior signal caller has put up gaudy numbers through the first six games of the 2024 campaign
Martens also quarterbacked Muleshoe to a 67-point outing in a loss to Canadian earlier this season
who produces impressive numbers and leads one of the most potent offenses in the region
Martens has established himself as one of the area's premier offensive threats
Roosevelt head coach Carter Robinson acknowledged the difficulties defending such a talented playmaker
adding that the Eagles' defensive line and secondary will have to play well to give the team a chance at slowing Martens down
"Our defensive line as a whole is going to have to step up," Robinson said
we're going to try to keep him in the pocket and make him throw the football
They're excited to get out there and get to play
So they're pretty excited to get out there and get put to a test and see what they can do."
Another challenge for Martens and the MulesIn Week 7
Martens will need to produce another dazzling performance to help the Mules take down a tough Roosevelt team on Thursday night in Acuff
In addition to dropping one game this season
the Eagles' defense has been solid throughout the year
Robinson's team has allowed more than 30 points only twice this season
first in a four-overtime victory against Denver City and most recently in a 30-point win against Lamesa
the Eagles' offense could keep the ball out of Martens' hands and limit the Mules' time of possession
Robinson and company run the "flexbone" offense
similar to the traditional wishbone or triple option offensive schemes
If the Eagles are able to sustain long drives with their rushing attack
Martens and company won't get many possessions on offense and will have to capitalize on each drive that Muleshoe's high-powered
"What Roosevelt does offensively is very hard to recreate in practice
really good at what they do," Muleshoe head coach Jason Richards said
"I think the big thing when you face somebody like that is getting stops when you can
and then you really have to take advantage of your offensive possessions
because they're going to try to limit the amount of possessions you get
Having quality offensive possessions is key when you face offenses like that."
The Mules' offense was halted by Dalhart last week
Richards' cited his team's lackluster rushing attack against the Wolves as the primary reason for Muleshoe's offense being slowed down last week
Richards and Martens believe they have the remedy for their woes in the run game
"Initially we're going to have to develop the run game first to kind of get some our receivers
because sometimes (teams) will load up the box
or take away the pass game and give us a little lighter box
As opposing teams commit more defensive backs to pass coverage in an effort to stop Martens and the Mules' lethal aerial attack
Martens' arm may help open running lanes for Martens when fewer defenders are playing near the line of scrimmage
If Muleshoe's quarterback is able to make plays with this arm and his legs against the Eagles on Thursday night
the Mules should have a solid chance at escaping Lubbock with a 1-0 record in district play
Canadian running back Slayden Dickinson (21) celebrates with teammate Brizan Wilmoth after a touchdown against Muleshoe on Chris Koetting Field at Wildcat Stadium on Friday night
[Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]CANADIAN – It was a Homecoming game that fans thought may never end and one that will certainly never be forgotten between Muleshoe and Canadian on Friday night on Chris Koetting Field at Wildcats Stadium
In a first ever meeting between the two traditional powers
the Canadian Wildcats and Muleshoe Mules (3-1) didn’t disappoint
the Wildcats (3-1) and Mules probably overachieved as one tried to outmatch the other
it was the Canadian Wildcats sneaking away with an unbelievable 74-67 shootout victory against the Mules
With defenses being completely outgunned by two high-powered offenses this clash went nearly four hours
seeing a total of 141 points which is the most points in a game across the entire state of Texas this season
Canadian quarterback Clay Kendall looks for yards against Muleshoe on Friday
[Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]Canadian head coach Andy Cavalier said in all his years of high school football
“It was a crazy game and maybe the wildest I’ve ever been a part of,” Canadian head coach Andy Cavalier said
we know we can do better and we have a lot to fix
but I’m so proud of these guys for finding a way to win.”
Muleshoe head coach Jason Richards echoed Cavalier’s comment
“I’ve never been a part of a game with this much scoring,” Richards said
“I’ve seen some 56-51 type games
It definitely came down to who had the ball last.”
The fourth quarter alone was a ballgame in itself with Canadian outscoring Muleshoe 33-16 in the final 12 minutes alone
but not 30 seconds into the final frame Canadian cut that deficit 51-47 on a Slayden Dickinson one-yard touchdown
After the Wildcat defense got their lone stop since the opening possession of the game on the next drive
Canadian took the lead on another Dickinson scoring scamper this time of 16 yards putting the Wildcats up 54-51 with still over 10 minutes to go
Disaster struck for Muleshoe on the ensuing kickoff
That allowed quarterback Clay Kendall to bust loose for a 44-yard keeper as the Wildcats went up 60-51 with 9:30 remaining
Muleshoe quarterback Nathan Martens delivers a pass against Canadian on Friday
as quickly as Canadian had the momentum Muleshoe grabbed it right back when quarterback Nathan Martens led a quick strike two-drive highlighted on a 63-yard pass connection to Yahir Quezada putting the Mules right back in it after a two-point conversion trailing 60-59
Dickinson scored his third touchdown of the quarter putting the Wildcats up 66-59 with six minutes left
Muleshoe rallied right back behind Martens
Martens led a near four-minute drive that resulted in a one-yard TD from running back Josue Sigala
After a Martens sneak for the two-point conversion
Muleshoe reclaimed a 67-66 advantage with 2:30 to play
Canadian took over at its own 12-yard line
Behind Dickinson and Kendall chewing up yards the Wildcat were down to the Muleshoe seven-yard line with 25 seconds left in the game
Canadian went back to a rare second half pass play with Kendall hitting Camden Cook for the eventual game-winner with 19 seconds remaining
After a Kendall to Riggs Pennington two-point pass
Canadian had taken the lead 74-67 and was able to survive
Canadian running back Slayden Dickinson scored seven touchdowns against Muleshoe
[Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]Dickinson outdid last week’s career outing and had one of the greatest performances of any Wildcat
The senior running back finished the contest toting the ball 36 times for an eye-popping 367 yards with impressive seven touchdowns
“We made a great adjustment in the second half,” Cavalier said
“We felt like we could be successful running the ball and we were doing our best to keep the ball away from Muleshoe’s explosive offense
Our offensive coordinator Hayden Merket called a great game
Running the ball starts up front and we were physical
Slayden was excellent and kept his body in great position with tremendous ball security
Slayden ran super hard and I’m proud of the effort.”
Kendall was masterful going 18-of-24 passing for 197 yards with a pair of touchdowns
Kendall also rushed for 169 yards with three more scores
Muleshoe’s Martens was incredible going 19-of-34 for 456 yards with four touchdown tosses
His go-to receiver was Mauricio Herrera who snagged 10 catches for 268 yards with three TDs
Running back Sigala used his speed for an 80-yard kickoff return on top of 111 rushing yards with three touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions
“Canadian has been the perennial power in this division for a longtime,” Richards said
“We wanted to come up here and see where we were at
Though the result didn’t go our way we proved a lot and competed our tails off
I’d love to see another matchup with them in the playoffs.”