SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2009-3

By Bill Engelhardt
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Last Friday evening, September 11, the Mustangs of South Western hosted the Mountain – Seven Mountains League’s Golden Tigers of Hollidaysburg and continued their celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mustang football by surviving a slow start in rainy conditions to roar back from a 14-0 deficit to a 34-14 win going away. Kyle King was responsible for the Mustangs turnaround as he returned a recovered fumble for a 12-yard touchdown as the time expired in the first half and intercepted a Golden Tigers pass, which he returned for 19-yards in the third quarter to set up the go ahead touchdown.

Levi Sager’s 40-yard touchdown run, Jeb Shipley’s 63-yard run to set up a touchdown and his 52-yard pass reception for a touchdown combined with Ian Smith’s 140-yards and a touchdown passing for the Mustangs were major highlights in the game. The defensive play that turned the game around was Anthony Wildasin causing the fumble that King returned for the touchdown.

The Golden Tigers were able to jump out front on touchdown runs of 17-yards by James Muir and 3-yards by Luke Rhodes. Ryan Sexton blocked the Golden Tigers extra point kick after the Muir touchdown and Muir rushed for a 2-point conversion after the Rhodes touchdown, to put the Golden Tigers up 14-0 with 7:36 left in the first half.

The Golden Tigers opened the second half and eventually punted. Jeb Shipley got the Mustangs off to the races with a 63-yard jaunt that set up J. R. Mummert’s 1-yard touchdown with 6:13 in the third quarter. Ian Smith ended another Mustangs drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 3:51 in the third quarter and Smith’s third extra point kick gave the Mustangs a 21-14 lead.

Smith’s 52-yard screen pass to Shipley at the 6:07 mark in the 4th quarter and Levi Sager’s 40-yard jaunt for a touchdown with 2:13 left in the game closed out the scoring at 34-14.

Kyle King returned 2 kickoffs for 54-yards, with the longest going for 31-yards, and Levi Sager returned a kickoff for 33-yards and fair caught a punt return for the Mustangs. Ian Smith kicked off 4 times for 177-yards, with the longest going for 60-yards and a touchback, and Kyle Mahorney kicked off once for 43-yards for the Mustangs. Jake Myers punted 2 times for 71-yards, for a 35.5-yard average, with the longest going for 38-yards, and Ian Smith kicked 4 extra points for the Mustangs.

Jake Myers, who had 15 tackles and 2 sacks for the night, led the Mustangs defense; followed by Jake Shaffer with 10 tackles, Colby Fuhrman with 7 tackles, Dan Laird and Kyle Mahorney with 6 tackles, Tyler Frederick with 5 tackles, Jimmy Nicklas and Levi Sager with 4 tackles each, Tyrell McCleary and Ryan Sexton with 3 tackles each, Aaron Bosley, Kyle King, David Messinger, Jeb Shipley, Leonard Sturgis, and Billy Utz with 2 tackles each, and Brady Conroy, Jeff Hacker, Ian Smith, and Anthony Wildasin with 1 tackle each. Kyle King recovered a fumble and returned it 12-yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass and returned it 19-yards to set up a touchdown, Matt Funk recovered a fumble, Anthony Wildasin caused the fumble that King returned for a touchdown, Ryan Sexton blocked a Golden Tigers extra point kick, Jake Myers recorded 2 sacks, Jeb Shipley recorded 3 pass defenses, Tyler Frederick, Tyrell McCleary, and Sexton each recorded a pass defense, and Kyle Mahorney recorded a pass hurry, for the Mustangs.

Aaron Bosley, Mason Brady, Colby Fuhrman, Tyler Frederick, Dan Laird, Kyle Mahorney, David Messinger, Jake Myers, Ryan Sexton, Jake Shaffer, and Anthony Wildasin manned the offensive and defensive line and linebacker positions, with help from Brady Conroy, Matt Funk, and Leonard Sturgis. Kyle King, Jimmy Nicklas, Levi Sager, and Jeb Shipley, with help from Tyrell McCleary, patrolled the secondary for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs gained 164-yards rushing and 140-yards passing for a total of 304-yards of offense. Quarterback Ian Smith completed 7 of 18 passes for the 140-yards, including 2 for 78-yards to Kyle Mahorney, 3 for 55-yards to Jeb Shipley (including the 52-yard touchdown), and 2 for 7-yards to Mike Felton, for the Mustangs. Levi Sager led the Mustangs rushing attack with 9 carries for 77-yards (including the 40-yard touchdown), followed by Jeb Shipley with 7 for 76-yards, J. R. Mummert with 12 for 20-yards, Ian Smith with 7 for 4-yards, and Jake Myers with 1 carry for minus 13-yards.

The Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers rang up 130-yards rushing and 56 yards passing for a total of 186 yards gained. James Muir completed 8 of 20 passes for 56-yards, including 4 for 41-yards to T. J. Keefer, 1 for 9-yarfs to Joel Redfoot, 1 for 7-yards to Scott Foreman, and 1 for minus 1-yard to Luke Rhodes, for the Golden Tigers. Rhodes led the rushing attack with 17 carries for 73-yards (including a 3-yard touchdown), followed by Muir with 14 for 51-yards (including a 17-yard touchdown), Chad Barton with 2 for 3-yards, and Keefer with 1 for 3-yards. Muir intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble, Keefer intercepted a pass and Sam Rhodes recovered a fumble for the Golden Tigers.

The 85 member 9-time Cavalcade of Bands Champions, Tournament of Bands Group IV Champion and US Scholastic Band Champion South Western Mustangs Marching Band put on a stirring half time performance. The field production of the 2009 edition of the Band, under the guidance of second year Director Ethan Clark, is titled “Horsing Around in the Mustang Corral” and is a 50th anniversary musical celebration featuring the school Alma Mater, “Magnificent 7,” and “Lullaby of All The Pretty Little Horses.” The 22 member strong Mustangs Cheer Leading squad was very impressive as they roused the faithful in the rain.

The Mustangs of South Western are 2-0-0 overall and 0-0-0 in York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (YAIAA) Division I league play.

Don Seidenstricker has a 175-77-1 (.694) record as coach of the Mustangs, who have a career record of 316-195-8. The results of the 519 games played in the history of the South Western Mustangs are a career .618 winning percentage and a .624 non-losing percentage.

Next week the Mustangs visit the Eagles of Bermudian Springs. The Eagles were defeated 30-13 by Northern York in their opener and their game this week with the Eagles of Dover was postponed until Monday night. From here it looks like the Mustangs will continue to win in their quest for a season to remember. GO MUSTANGS GO.