Athletic Report
September 15, 2001

SANDERS SCORES THREE TOUCHDOWNS AS GREYHOUNDS EDGE INDIANS, 36-33
WICHITA FALLS, TX — Junior wide receiver Cale Sanders (Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) caught 9 passes for 206 yards, and scored three touchdowns covering 42, 30 and 45 yards, as Eastern New Mexico University overcame an early 13-0 deficit to defeat Midwestern State University, 36-33, in a Lone Star Conference crossover game, Sept. 15.

ENMU trailed 19-14 at halftime, but scored 22 unanswered points, then held off a late rally by Midwestern State. Sanders secured the win by grabbing an MSU onside kick with just 20 seconds left in the game. ENMU, ranked #22 in NCAA Division II, improved to 3-0 on the season and to 1-0 in the LSC overall standings. Midwestern State fell to 1-2, including 0-1 in the LSC.

Sanders has now caught 17 passes for 380 yards, and is averaging 22.4 yards per catch. He ranks 2nd in the LSC in with 126.7 receiving yards per game and is 3rd in the LSC with 5.7 receptions per game. Last year, he led the Hounds with 22 catches for 399 yards in 10 games. His first touchdown catch against MSU covered 42 yards and completed a 5-play, 57-yard drive. Mike Trimble (Sr., PK, Houston, TX/Adams State) kicked the extra point, giving ENMU the lead, 14-13, with 10:07 left in the first half.

The Hounds fell behind quickly when MSU scored two touchdowns just 52 seconds apart in the first quarter. One touchdown was scored on a special teams play, and the other came on a 1-yard run following a turnover. Midwestern’s first score came after stopping ENMU at its own 3-yard line. MSU blocked the punt, and Shaddri Carter recovered the ball before it rolled out of the end zone near the Eastern sideline.

The PAT by William Clark was blocked, and MSU led, 6-0, with 5:34 left in the quarter. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, ENMU running back Antoine Lacy (Sr., Richmond, CA/ Contra Costa College) fumbled on a pitch play and Shadra Jackson recovered for MSU at the Eastern 1-yard line.

Mark Howder scored on the next play, and Clark kicked the extra point. Eastern began its comeback with a 12-play, 77-yard drive that lasted 5:35. Junior quarterback Heath Ridenour (Lovington, NM/Lovington H.S.) dove into the end zone on an 8-yard run with 14:07 left in the half, and Trimble kicked the PAT.

Sanders’ first touchdown gave Eastern the lead exactly four minutes later, then neither team scored until the final minute of the half. Toby Zachary of MSU punted off the side of his foot with less than 2:30 remaining in the half. As the ball bounced into ENMU territory, Sanders attempted to pick it up. The ball skipped off his hands and was recovered by Ben Rowe for MSU at the Eastern 38-yard line.

Two plays later, quarterback Cedric Jackson hit Darrell White with a 46-yard TD strike. Clark missed the extra point kick, but the Indians took a 19-14 lead into the intermission. ENMU, rushed for minus 8 yards on 20 carries in the first half, but gained 125 yards on 13 carries in the third quarter. The rushing success helped Eastern regain the lead on an 8-play, 83-yard drive on its first possession of the half.

Lacy scored on a 1-yard run with 8:33 on the clock, then added a 2-point PAT, giving the Hounds a 22-19 advantage. Midwestern State drove from its own 20 to the ENMU 9 on its next possession, setting up 1st-and-goal for the Indians. Jackson ran to the 2-yard line on first down, and Howder reached the 1-yard line on second down. Howder was stopped for no gain on third down.

Eastern’s goal line stand was completed when Jackson’s pass for Russ Bannister fell incomplete. The Greyhounds then drove 99 yards on 11 plays to extend their lead to 29-19. The drive reached a critical point on 4th-and-2 at the MSU 32-yard line, but Ridenour picked up the first down on a 2-yard carry. On the next play, Ridenour threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Sanders. Trimble, who converted 4 of 4 PATs on the evening, kicked the extra point.

Eastern added another touchdown with 11:16 remaining to take a 36-19 lead. Sanders scored the TD on a 45-yard pass from Ridenour. Midwestern countered with a 12-play, 64-yard drive that culminated in a 3-yard pass from Jackson to Howder with 6:50 left. Jackson’s 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

With 1:09 remaining, the Indians began their final scoring drive a their own 21-yard line. Jackson opened the drive with a 38-yard pass to Kendrick Gibson, and threw a 10-yard TD pass to Demond Daniels four plays later. Demarcus Calhoun scored on a 2-point pass, cutting the MSU deficit to three points, 36-33, with 20 seconds left. Sanders hauled in the ensuing onside kick to clinch the win for the Greyhounds.

In addition to catching 9 passes, Sanders ran 4 yards on a reverse and returned 2 punts a total of 13 yards. Ridenour was 10 of 19 passing for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns. Lacy led the ENMU running attack with 11 carries for 51 yards. The Hounds gained 161 yards on 45 carries overall.

The Hounds limited MSU to just 105 rushing yards on 35 carries (3.0 avg.), but the Indians gained 295 passing yards. Jackson was 18 of 30 for 275 yards through the air, while Phillip Boggs went 3 of 5 for 20 yards. Daniels caught 5 passes for 38 yards, Darrell White caught 4 passes for 80 yards and Pierre Johnson grabbed 4 passes for 66 yards.

ENMU plays at the University of Central Oklahoma next Saturday (Sept. 22) in another LSC crossover game. Kickoff in Edmond, Okla. is set for 1:00 p.m. (MST). Last year, Eastern slipped past the Bronchos, 21-16, at Greyhound Stadium.