NMMI favored to win Southwest junior college football league

Published 2:44 pm Thursday, July 28, 2022

New Mexico Military Institute, fresh off winning its first national championship, is favored to win the Southwest Junior College Football Conference in coaches and media polls released on Thursday.

The Broncos were announced as the league pick during the annual SWJCFC Media Day at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler.

Although NMMI has numerous holes to fill after multiple players including NJCAA Player of the Year running back Anthony Grant (Nebraska) moved on to Division I schools, the Broncos are heavily favored to take the crown again.

The New Mexico school defeated Tyler Junior College in the SWJCFC championship and advanced to the NJCAA national playoffs. There the Broncos defeated Northwest Mississippi (49-30) in the semifinals and Iowa Western (31-13) in the title game.

In the Coaches Poll, the Broncos received seven first-place votes and 60 points. They were followed by Kilgore (1 first-place vote, 52 points), Tyler (41), Trinity Valley (40), Navarro (38), Blinn (32), Cisco (13) and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (12).

In the Media Poll, NMMI received eight first-place votes and 71 points. Trinity Valley garnered the other first-place vote and is picked fifth with 42 points.

Kilgore is slated to finish second with 50 points, edging Navarro (49) and Tyler (47). After TVCC, Blinn (33), Cisco (20) and NEO (12) round out the teams.

There are three new coaches in the league — TJC’s Tanner Jacobson, Navarro’s Ryan Taylor (moved from Cisco to the Corsicana school) and Cisco’s John O’Mera (formerly coach at Eastern Arizona).

Reporting day for players is Aug. 1 with the first game on Thursday, Aug. 25 as Trinity Valley plays at Snow (Utah).

TJC begins play on Saturday, Aug. 27 against Rezolution Prep on Earl Campbell Field at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Other games that day include: Navarro at Hutchinson (Kansas), 1 p.m.; Papagos at NMMI, 5 p.m.; Gordon’s Fine Arts & Sports Academy at Cisco, 6 p.m.; Louisiana Christian at Blinn, 7 p.m. and Southern Shreveport at NEO, TBA.

The first two home games for Kilgore College are scheduled to be played at Lobo Stadium in Longview as renovations are underway at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore, KC coach Willie Gooden said. The Rangers and Apaches meet at Lobo Stadium at 7 p.m. on Sept. 3 in a non-conference game and KC plays NMMI at 3 p.m. Sept. 17 in Longview.

JUCO NOTES: Two of the league’s coaches had different views on realignment in NCAA Division I. TJC’s Tanner Jacobson is excited about his alma mater BYU moving to the Big 12. He wished it had happened sooner when he was playing for the Cougars. New Navarro coach Ryan Taylor, who played at TJC and UCLA, was not happy about his Bruins moving to the Big Ten, noting he will miss rivalry games with California and Stanford. … Former TJC defensive coordinator and former Cisco head coach Russell Thompson is moving back to the Piney Woods. He will be the DC at Kilgore College under head coach Willie Gooden. … Jacobson said he will be calling the defense for the Apaches.