NMMI Year in Sports Review

           What a year filled with nationally ranked players, statistics, and records for Bronco Athletics in the past year! With some ongoing sports in the midst of playoff races currently, it is certainly a great foundation for all of the sports at New Mexico Military Institute for years to come.

                                      

Delvon Carpenter goes for the ball while being tackeld by the defender.

            The Bronco Football team had one of the best years in school history. They tackled the challenges of the regular season with ease and went to the El Toro Bowl in Yuma, Texas. NMMI went 7-4 during the regular season. According to NJCAA National News archive, the key players during the season were Delvon Carpenter, with 39 receptions for 868 yards and 12 TDs, Quinn Billerman, who threw for 2,697 yds and 31 touchdowns, and Greg Morris, with 903 rushing yards and 6 TDs. They blew the competition away in the El Toro Bowl with a score of 32 to 16. Head coach Forchtner said, I was very proud of how our guys performed this year. They came together as a team to get us a playoff win.” Quinn Billerman was the decided Offensive MVP with 283 yards and 21 completions.

            Of all of the sports, arguably the most impressive was NMMI’s Volleyball squad. They finished the year at a solid 21-16 record. They made the playoffs, and then clinched a spot in the National NJCAA Tournament. Nationally, they finished in the top 10 among some of the best competition junior college has to offer at the Division 1 level. No one can doubt the potential of this team because they reached it this year. Even though they did not win the tournament, they placed higher in regular and post seasons.

            The Bronco Baseball team set many rerecords this year as well. They finished the year with a 19-37 record. Most would say this does not sound like a team that would be placed in National statistics. Despite the record, NMMI won more conference games than any previous baseball team in school history, as well as Division 1 wins in school history. Jeremy Mortenston, a lefty starter for the squad, was named Bronco Baseball Pitching MVP. Correy Davis, Troop Commander of Kilo Troop, was the decided Offensive MVP for the team hitting at an even .400 Batting Average. Coach Cook noted, “We had a chance to do something great this year. Even though it didn’t happen, the boys played their hardest and broke many school records this year.” With no playoff berth, the Bronco Baseball team has shifted their focus to next year to hopefully win more games than the 2014 spring season.

            NMMI has a tough school and academic environment for all of the athletes. Going through the strictness of the institute has made all of them play harder on the field, as it is shown in many National and Conference statistics for each team. With this being said, this has laid a great foundation for the next group of athletes that enter the school. It is safe to say that New Mexico Military Institute Athletics in all aspects will be in good hands for years to come.