FOOTBALL: Munday's big plays too much for McCamey

SWEETWATER McCamey could have mailed it in after falling behind by 22 points early in the second quarter Saturday, or when Munday returned a kickoff for a touchdown to start the second half. The Badgers’ chances of winning were slim at those points, and when Munday poured it on with two quick scores late in the third quarter.

But the Badgers never played like a team that was out of the game, not at any point. They kept getting back up, kept fighting for extra yards and kept scoring themselves.

They didn’t concede defeat until the clock at the Mustang Bowl finished ticking and Munday walked away with a 60-39 win in a Class 1A Division II area-round playoff that could have been over long before it was.

“We didn’t give up,” said McCamey senior Britton Hale, who rushed for a career- and game-high 263 yards. “We kept on fighting, we kept on trying to come back, and that’s why I’m very proud of my teammates.”

McCamey coach Chris McWilliams said that’s the type of attitude he tried to instill during his first season with the Badgers (7-4), who won a share of the District 5-1A Division II title and had a first-round bye in the playoffs. He also tried to install a bruising, clock-controlling running game and a tough, suffocating defense.

The Badgers ran the ball well against Munday (10-2), gaining 402 yards on the ground. But their defense, which allowed fewer total yards per game than any other Permian Basin team during the regular season, had no answer for the quick-strike Moguls.

Munday had four touchdown runs of at least 33 yards and four TD drives that took no more than two plays. The Moguls also scored on kickoff returns by Dee Paul and Garrett Weaver.

“We tackled poorly,” McWilliams said. “When you give up huge plays on special teams and on defense to a team that has that type of talent and speed, you’re not going to win.”

The quarterback, Paul, and running back Roddrick Taylor did most of the damage for the Moguls, who advanced to face Crosbyton in the regional round at 2 p.m. Friday at Colorado City. Paul rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns, and fellow junior Taylor finished with 161 yards and two TDs.

They gained those yards on just nine carries apiece.

“They’re both pretty fast cats,” Munday coach Patrick Corcoran said. “If they get a seam and a couple guys get blocks like they did, they’re going to go. They’re good backs, and we’re glad to have them.”

The speed and strength of the Moguls, who gained all 440 of their yards on the ground, was too much for McCamey. But McWilliams said he was proud of his players for continuing to battle, and he already was thinking of ways his team can improve next year.

Corcoran said the Badgers will only get better as long as McWilliams — who beat Corcoran as Petrolia’s coach two years ago — is roaming their sideline.

“Hopefully we’re building something and have a good offseason and continue to get these kids stronger and quicker and, the main thing, mentally tougher,” McWilliams said. “It’s an ongoing process. It’s still not where I want it to be, but it’s getting better.” 

>> Munday 60, McCamey 39 

CLASS 1A DIVISION II AREA PLAYOFF

At Mustang Bowl, Sweetwater

Munday               14    15    21    10    —    60

McCamey              0    12      7    20    —    39

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

Munday: Dee Paul 18 run (Dewayne Castorena kick); 8:00.

Munday: Roddrick Taylor 33 run (Dewayne Castorena kick); 4:04.

Second Quarter

Munday: Dee Paul 57 run (Roddrick Taylor run); 8:09.

McCamey: JJ Casarez 39 run (kick failed); 7:16.

Munday: Dee Paul 75 kickoff return (Dewayne Castorena kick); 7:01.

McCamey: Britton Hale 33 run (run failed); 3:57.

Third Quarter

Munday: Garrett Weaver 72 kickoff return (Dewayne Castorena kick); 11:44.

McCamey: Quaid Gunnells 37 pass from Chris Ortiz (Josh Molina kick); 3:22.

Munday: Roddrick Taylor 61 run (Dewayne Castorena kick); 3:11.

Munday: Tyrone Neskorik 47 run (Dewayne Castorena kick); 0:52.

Fourth Quarter

McCamey: Jaimen Lopez 4 run (Josh Molina kick); 11:57.

Munday: Dee Paul 2 run (Dewayne Castorena kick); 10:05.

Munday: FG Blanford Paul 37; 5:34.

McCamey: Britton Hale 44 run (Josh Molina kick); 5:14.

McCamey: Jaimen Lopez 11 run (kick blocked); 2:53.

———

TEAM STATISTICS

Yardstick                    Munday        McCamey

First Downs......................... 16                    20

Total Yards....................... 440                  501

Rushes-Yards............. 39-440             58-402

Passing Yards...................... 0                    99

Passing......................... 0-4-0               5-9-0

Punts-Avg..................... 1-32.0              5-24.6

Fumbles-Lost.................... 2-1                   4-0

Penalties-Yards.............. 9-80                 8-41

———

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Munday: Roddrick Taylor 9-161, Dee Paul 9-126, Tyrone Neskorik 8-83, Garrett Weaver 5-27, Trey Stinnett 4-26, Jake Myers 3-16, Dewayne Castorena 1-1.

McCamey: Britton Hale 18-263, JJ Casarez 6-47, David Pineda 13-44, Jaimen Lopez 7-37, Erik Ortiz 1-10, Josh Molina 1-3, Chris Ortiz 12-(-2).

Passing

Munday: Dee Paul 0-4-0 – 0.

McCamey: Chris Ortiz 3-7-0 – 73, Erik Ortiz 1-1-0 – 17, Jordan Zarate 1-1-0 – 9.

Receiving

McCamey: Quaid Gunnells 1-37, Britton Hale 1-32, Bubba Greer 1-17, Jaimen Lopez 2-13.

>> Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter at @OAZuvanich