Unbeaten NMMI Knocks Down Navarro, 39-31

By MIKE MONTFORT

Unbeaten, 12th-ranked New Mexico Military Institute (3-0) won its Southwest Junior College Football Conference opener here Saturday by rallying past the Navarro Bulldogs, 39-31, at Tiger Stadium.

 

First-year coach Kurt Taufa'asau's Broncos used a ball-control offense and timely defensive play at the outset of the second half as they defeated Navarro for the second consecutive season and spoiled the Bulldogs Hall Of Fame game. While Navarro now leads its youngest, ongoing series 9-4, Saturday's win was the Institute's first in Corsicana since it joined the SWJCFC, and only its second here since the late 1960s.

 

NMMI effectively used its storehouse of weapons in a variety of ways Saturday, collecting 503 yards offense overall.  Five rushers pounded out 349 yards on a dizzying 59 carries

 

Jaylin Smith ran just once -- but it was for a touchdown and he also caught scoring passes of 20 and 16 yards from Diego Pavia.  Pavia, an Albuquerque sophomore dual-threat quarterback  accounted for 243 tandem yards in workmanlike fashion, hurting the Bulldogs' defense repeatedly with big plays that resulted in 98 rushing and 155 passing yards.  Returning NJCAA Second-Team All-American running back Anthony Grant gained a team-high 115 yards from 19 carries, while Terrence Moore complemented with 72 yards on 12 carries that included scoring runs of one and four yards. 

 

Coach Scott Parr's Bulldogs (1-2/0-2) dropped their second straight conference game despite a quick start and a pair of noteble team single-game perrformances at the finish.

 

Navarro scored after its first two possessions, totaled 22 first-half points and amassed 300 yards, but it wasn't enough to fend off NMMI's steady, grinding option running game.  The Broncos trailed 22-17 at half, but turned momentum as they gained 153 yards during a 15-point quarter that made the difference.

 

NMMI gained a firmer hand through speciality teams play and a fumble recovery bu Jontrell Oliver.  

 

Navarro drove 62 yards to the NMMI 17, but the Broncos blocked Alexis Lopez' 35-yard field-goal attempt and created points quickly.  Pavia twice hit Smith during NMMI's countermarch -- the final 16 for the go-ahead score (23-22).  Pavia scrambled and dove over the goalline for a two-point conversion that reinforced their lead (25-22). 

 

Freshman defensive end Jontrell Oliver's fumble recovery stopped Navarro seven-play, 30-yard drive to the Bronco 30 on the next series. More NMI points were manufactured after an eight-play, 73-yard march as Terrence Morgan's four-yard plunge opened up a 32-22 lead with 3;21 left in the third period. 

 

Almost lost in the frustrating finish were outstanding efforts by quarterback Qua Gray and wide receiver Jeremiah Aaron.

 

Gray completed 29-of-44 passes for 521 yards and touchdowns of 39 and 96 yards to Aaron.  Gray's 521 yards represent the third highest single-game pass yardage total at Navarro, just behind Parker McNeil (552 v TVCC, 2018) and Adrian Nelson (542 v TVCC, 2011).

 

Aaron, meanwhile, grabbed 10 of Gray's passes for single-game high 276 yards. Aaron becomes the fifth Bulldog with 200-yard-plus recetion games.  His Saturday total surpassed Kendrick Starling's 22-year-old mark of 10-234-4 against the Hardin-Simmon JV in the 1999 season opener at Abilene.

 

The Bulldogs (1-2/0-2) journey next Saturday to Miami, Ok., for a 6 p.m. conference game against the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen at Red Robertson Field.     

 

 

(12) New Mexico Military (3-0/1-0) ....7....10....15....7 -- 39

Navarro (1-2/ 1-2)..........................15......7......0....9 -- 31

NC -- Jeremiah Aaron, 39-pass from Qua Gray. (Elijah Hines, 2xp run). 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:41. (12:21)

NMMI -- Jaylin Smith, 2-run. (William Testa kick) 17 plays, 60 yards, 7:21 (4:26)

NC -- Elijah Hines, 4-run. (Alexis Lopez kick). 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:38 (2:48)

NMMI -- Terrence Moore, 1-run. (William Testa kick). 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:52 (10:18)

NC -- Isaiah Robinson, 16-run. (Alexis Lopez kick) 8 plays, 94 yards, 3:07 (7:01)

NMMI -- William Testa, 28-FG. 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:37 (1:16)

NMMI -- Jaylin Smith, 16-pass from Diego Pavia. (Pavia, 2xp run). 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:25. (9:37)

NMMI -- Terrence Moore, 4-run. (William Testa kick). 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:40 (3:21)

NC -- Jeremiah Aaron, 96-pass from Qua Gray. (2xp run failed). 1 play, 96 yards, 0:13. (12:09)

NMMI -- Jaylin Smith, 28-pass from Diego Pavia. (William Testa kick) 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:50 (9:19(

NC -- Alexis Lopez, 35-FG. 10 plays, 62 yards, 2:24 (1:13)

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Points.....................39.....................31

Offensive Plays........75.....................70

Rushes-Yards........59-348-3........26-120-2

Passing Yards...........155...................521

Comp-Att-Int........11-16-0...........29-44-0

Total Offense............503.................641

Return Yards.............54...................82

.......By Kickoff..........54...................45.

.......By Punt..............0....................47

.......By Fumble..........0.....................0

.......By Intercept........0.....................0

----By Blocked K..........0....................0

Fumbles-Lost.............0-0................3-1

Punts-Yardage...........3-150............2-81

Punt Average.............50................40.5

Penalty-Yardage.........7-41............7-55

3rd Down Conv..........7-11............1-10

4th Down Conv...........0-0...............5-7

RUSHING: NC -- Isaiah Robinson 14-91-1; Elijah Hines 6-32-1; Qua Gray 5-(-3)-0; Adonis Scott 1-0-0. NMMI -- Anthony Grant 19-115-0; Diego Pavia 15-98-0; Terrence Moore 12-72-2; Montajh Joseph 12-61-0; Jaylin Smith 1-2-1.

PASSING: NC -- Qua Gray 29-44-521-2-0. NMMI -- Diego Pavia 11-15-155-2-0. Anthony Grant 0-1-0-0-0.

RECEIVING: NC -- Jeremiah Aaron 10-276-2; Zavion Taylor 5-83-0; Isaiah Robinson 4-7-0; Quentin Lee 3-59-0; Karl Reynolds 3-48-0; Louis Moore 2-49-0; Elijah Hines 2-(-1)-0. NMMI -- Jaylin Smith 6-125-2; Anthony Grant 2-2-0; Logan Compton 1-21-0; Montajh Joseph 1-5-0; Terrence Moore 1-2-0.

 

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NAVARRO 500+ PASSING GAMES
1. Parker McNeil (29-45-552-6-0 v TVCC, 2018)
2. Adrian Nelson (28-44-542-6-0 v TVCC, 2011)
3. Qua Gray (29-44-521-2-0 v NMMI, 2021)
4. Parker McNeil (30-47-508-6-3 v Cisco, 2019)

 

NAVARRO 200+ RECEIVING GAMES
1.  Jeremiah Aaron (10-276-2 v NMMI, 2021)
2.  Kendrick Starling (10-2234-4 v Hardin-Simmons JV, 1999)
3.  Kaylon Geirger (9-208-1 v TVCC, 2018)
4.  Del'Michel High (9-202-1 v Tyler, 2015)
5.  Kendrick Gibson (6-200-1 v Hardin-Simmons JV, 1998)

 

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NMMI 39, Navarro 31
Kilgore 34, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 0
Blinn 27, Cisco 26

(Non-Conference)
TVCC 60, Southern-Shreveport 18
Tyler 48, Rezolution Prep Academy 7

 

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UPDATED SWJCFC STANDINGS

As of Sunday, September 19
TEAM...........Season......Conf
NMMI..............3-0..........1-0
TVCC...............3-0..........1-0
Kilgore.............2-0..........1-0
Tyler................2-1..........1-0
Blinn...............1-1...........1-1
Cisco...............1-2...........0-1
NEO.................0-1..........0-1
Navarro............1-2..........0-2