September 13, 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Judy Willson, SID or Bobby Wheeler, Student Assistant
505.562.4309 or 356-4755

Greyhound's Upset Cowboys On Last Second Heroics

(Blackwater Draw, N.M.) --- The Eastern New Mexico University football team showed some poise and never quit, and it paid off. The Greyhounds won the football game 34-31 against New Mexico Highlands on a last second 80-yard touchdown run by return specialist Charlie Ragle (Sr., Playas). This ended a fourth quarter that saw no end to excitement. With 13:14 left in the game, ENMU linebacker Mason Dool blocked a Sean Hagerty punt out of the end zone for a safety. This increased the Greyhound score to 24-20. On the next Highlands drive, the Hounds pinned the Cowboy's back on their own goal line again and linebacker Michael Walton sacked Highland's quarterback Eric Roanhaus in the end zone for another safety. This increased the Greyhound score to 28-20. The Cowboy's next drive stalled and the Greyhounds got the ball on their own eight yard line. The Greyhounds did the smart thing by slowly driving and running time off the clock. With less than two minutes left, Greyhound quarterback Cam Sanders fumbled the ball on the Highland 25 and Cowboy left end Mike Palmieri recovered and took it 70 yards for a touchdown. Conan Smith successfully converted the 2 point attempt to tie the score at 28. The Greyhounds faltered and gave the ball back to the Cowboys. The Cowboys drove down to the 19 yard line and Sean Hegarty kicked the seemingly winning field goal, 31-28 with nine seconds left in the game. On the insuing kickoff, Todd Wallis successfully lateraled the ball back to Charlie Ragle at the Eastern 20. Ragle raced down the field for an 80-yard kickoff return for the winning touchdown with no time left on the clock.

Final Score: ENMU 34, NMHU 31.

Eastern New Mexico University wins the unofficial New Mexico small college state championship with the win over Highlands. The Greyhounds are now 2-0. New Mexico Highlands is 1-1.

Up Next for the Hounds...ENMU hosts 1996 NAIA Divisin I national champions Southwestern Oklahoma State at Greyhound Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 6:00 pm. The Bulldogs lost tonight to West Texas A&M, 34-7.

-scoring summary, offensive stats-