ROCKY ROAD TRIP FOR RANGERS | KC gives NMMI a battle, but slips in Roswell, 36-22
ROSWELL, NM. – You’ve gotta give the New Mexico Military Institute Broncos credit.
This place is a difficult place to be when you’re the visitors.
It’s not necessarily because the students fill it up, either. It might just be the road trip.
Whatever it is, NMMI – affectionately referred to as “Nemmi” by the teams in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference – has been a tough opponent, and the Broncos are about four years removed from winning the NJCAA’s national championship in their first year as a member of the conference.
Kilgore College, who has had success in Roswell and against NMMI both at home and on the road, didn’t find it on Saturday. KC, which went into the contest ranked No. 12 after an open date, lost on Saturday to the Broncos, 36-22. That gives the Rangers a 1-1 overall record on the season, and an 0-1 record in the conference.
They’ll host Navarro at 5 p.m. this coming Saturday, Sept. 20, at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium. Navarro was ranked eighth nationally before Saturday’s 28-16 win over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NEO).
The new NJCAA poll will be released on Monday.
As for the loss at NMMI, KC trailed 13-7 at halftime, and 20-7 after three quarters. But the Broncos put 16 points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, and pulled away.
Brayden West had an interception for KC early in the game, and gave the Rangers a good opportunity. KC’s James Johnson scored on a 13-yard run, and that gave KC a 7-0 lead.
It didn’t last long. Geramyah Porter took the kickoff at his own 1-yard-line – and returned it all the way back, a 99-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-all, with 4:33 left in the quarter. That would wrap the first-quarter scoring, though.
KC returned the favor by throwing an interception of its own, to NMMI’s Ricky Harding, early in the second quarter. Broncos quarterback Jake South got free for a 14-yard touchdown to break the tie, and give his team a 13-7 lead – the extra point was missed.
KC quarterback Jahrik Jones was intercepted again before the half was up, again by Harding, but neither team would add any other first-half points, and 13-7 was the halftime score.
KC reclaimed the lead on a 51-yard pass play in the third quarter, from Liam Oczkowski to Devontae Mozee, putting the Rangers back in front, 14-13.
NMMI punched back, though, with a long TD pass of its own: Jake South found Samuel Monfre, who took the ball in from 47 yards out. The point after was good, and NMMI led 20-14, with 6:41 left in the third.
The Broncos’ best move, though, might have been their first drive of the fourth quarter. It only went 39 yards, but it was over 12 plays and ate up 6 ½ minutes of valuable time. Daniel Skoog hit a 38-yard field goal to give the Broncos a cushion, 23-14, a nine-point lead.
Bronco running back Dylan Donahoe upped that to 30-14 on a 3-yard score, but KC didn’t go away. Oczkowski helped lead the Rangers on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended in points – a 4-yard run by the quarterback – and get KC within eight (30-22).
But Donahoe would put the icing on the cake for NMMI on the next possession, getting free for a 47-yard touchdown run. That gave the Broncos a 36-22 lead, the eventual final score.
