Ron McMath’s first career win as a head football coach couldn’t have come at a better time.

Of the seven new prep coaches in the metro area this season, McMath was the second-to-last to get his first win. But his first was more important than any of the others’ first, as his West Mesa Mustangs thrashed Rio Grande 42-0 in a District 5-5A opener Thursday night at Milne Stadium.

“It’s been a long road,” an emotional McMath said, “but these kids just kept working hard.”

West Mesa (1-5, 1-0) got 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns from senior tailback Gary Thibeaux, who barely stepped on the field in the second half.

Indeed, most of the Mustangs’ starters watched a majority of the second half from the sidelines.

It was one-sided from the start. West Mesa had 371 yards of total offense, while limiting the struggling Ravens (1-5, 0-1) to just 60 total yards.

West Mesa scored on two of its three first-quarter drives. Thibeaux capped the first drive, which covered 65 yards, with a 3-yard scoring run. Quarterback Dominic Davis had a key fourth-down completion moments earlier to keep the drive going.

Thibeaux added a 2-yard run in the final 20 seconds for a 14-0 lead.

The night’s signature play was also authored by Thibeaux.

After Romolo Salazar picked off a Rio Grande pass, West Mesa had the ball at its own 2 late in the first half. On a third down from the 7, Thibeaux took a pitch left, located the hole and sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown with 2:02 left in the second quarter.

Davis hit Salazar with an 8-yard scoring pass on the final play of the first half for a 28-0 halftime lead. And that was pretty much it for the West Mesa starters.

Marcus Bush and Mike Archuleta added TD runs for the Mustangs in the second half.

The Mustangs next play Highland on Oct. 20.

HIGHLAND 62, ALBUQUERQUE HIGH 6: At Wilson Stadium, the Hornets (2-4, 1-0) won their District 5-5A opener, routing the winless Bulldogs (0-6, 0-1) in a game that never made it past halftime.

Highland had six different players score in the game.

Quarterback Bryan Medina threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, and Mustafa Mudada ran for two TDs while gaining 125 all-purpose yards.

“If they can do that for me in the district, I’m gonna be happy,” Highland coach Derek Maestas said of Mudada and Medina.

The Hornets had all of their starters out of the game by the middle of the second quarter, Maestas said.