by: Alisa Boswell
If the Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds win this Saturday’s football game against Midwestern, they will be making university history, according to ENMU football players.
This football season, the team went from no ranking to ranking ninth in their region, which includes four division two conferences – Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), Northern Star Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and Lone Star Conference (LSC-ENMU’s conference) — consisting of multiple teams across the West, Midwest and Southwest. The Greyhounds have not been ranked since 2003.
Midwestern State University out of Wichita Falls, Texas, is 8-0 wins to losses right now, but are lacking a game due to Hurricane Irma. ENMU currently has an 8-1 standing.
If the Greyhounds win their game against Midwestern this Saturday, they will likely be playing in the Lone Star Conference championship, along with Texas A&M-Commerce.
“If we win, it’s going to be history for us,” said full back/wing back Paul Terry. “If we win, this is going to be the first year Eastern’s going to be in the national play list.”
In fact, the Greyhounds moving up the polls is such a big deal, it’s caught the attention of national television. ESPN will be at Saturday night’s game to film it live.
“I think our success is big, because we’re a pretty close team. We just gel well, offense and defense and everything,” said defensive tackle Dakota Montoya. “Everyone just knows how to do their job, and we just trust each other.”
“We’ve been close (in the past),” added Terry, but the team has gained even more focus with each other in the past year.
“We just play unselfish football. We have one goal out here,” said quarterback Wyatt Strand.
Plus there’s the continuing to train all throughout the summer, the players added.
Coach Kelley Lee agree that it is the close bond the players have that have made all the difference in their abilities.
“We’ve got good kids. They’re mentally tough. They prepare well, they play as a team; they love each other, and they play for each other,” he said.
It’s just another football game, they all chimed in, but “we’re excited,” said Terry of Saturday’s game. “If we take care of business, it’s going to turn out well.”
“Most of us have never played for a conference championship,” said Terry.
“And a lot of us have had this goal since the summer to win a conference championship and win the play offs,” said offensive tackle Isaiah Callahan. “A lot of people who stayed and worked out this summer, that was our common goal. It’s right in front of us. We’ve just got to go get it now.”
“I feel like this was a big year for people coming up (on the team), because they see now the potential we have,” Terry added.
“We haven’t lost a home game this season, so hopefully we can keep that going,” said Callahan
Alisa Boswell
