SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2009-9

By Bill Engelhardt
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Last Friday evening, October 23, the Mustangs of South Western visited the den of the Panthers of Central York and were edged 13-12 on the strength of a successful extra point kick in a driving rainstorm. Charles Anderson dominated the Panthers game by running up and down the field almost at will but the results of his two long touchdown runs and 310-yards rushing were matched on the scoreboard with two long touchdown passes by Ian Smith for the Mustangs.

The Panthers came out of the gate on the run as Charles Anderson scampered 65-yards for a touchdown on the third play from scrimmage. Aaron Goodyear’s extra point kick, the only successful extra point try of the night, put the Panthers up 7-0 at the 10:40 mark in the first quarter.

The Mustangs ended up punting, got the ball back when David Messinger recovered a Panthers fumble, and drove 36-yards in 5 plays, featuring Levi Sager’s 32-yard jaunt. With first and goal at the 5, J. R. Mummert rushed to the 1 but three plays failed to punch it in and the Mustangs turned the ball over on downs at the Panthers 1-yard line.

The Panthers punted and the Mustangs drove 30-yards in two plays, a 1-yard run by Sager and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Ian Smith to Mike Felton. The extra point attempt failed and the Panthers hung onto a 7-6 lead at 3:06 in the first quarter.

After exchanging punts, the Panthers drove 81-yards in 2 plays, a 24-yard run and a 57-yard touchdown run, both by Charles Anderson. The extra point attempt failed and the Panthers led 13-6 at the 9:53 mark of the second quarter. The first half ended with no further scoring.

After a series of punts and a 42-yard drive by the Panthers that saw them turn the ball over on downs at the Mustangs 27-yard line, the Mustangs drove 73-yards in 4 plays, featuring a 3-yard run by J. R. Mummert, an incomplete pass, a 10-yard penalty against the Panthers, a 1-yard run by Kyle King, and a beautiful 61-yard touchdown pass from Ian Smith to Jimmy Nicklas. The extra point attempt failed and the Panthers still held a 13-12 lead with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.

There was no further scoring in the game but the never say die Mustangs gave the Panthers all they could handle. Jimmy Nicklas recovered a Panthers fumble at the Mustangs 32-yard line. Ian Smith launched a 33-yard pass to Kyle Mahorney to the Panthers 35-yard line. Smith then ran to the 27-yard line and then to the 25-yard line. Following an incomplete pass, Brandon Kenny intercepted a Smith pass with 1:03 left in the game, ending the Mustangs hope for a spectacular finish.

Mike Felton led the Mustangs defense with 11 tackles, followed by Levi Sager with 10, Dan Laird and Ryan Sexton with 9 tackles each, Colby Fuhrman with 6, Jake Myers and Jake Shaffer with 5 tackles each, Kyle King and Billy Utz with 4 tackles each, Aaron Bosley, Cody Fricke, Kyle Mahorney, Tyrell McCleary, David Messinger, and Jimmy Nicklas, with 3 tackles each, Tommy Nicklas with 2 tackles, and Norton Redding with 1 tackle. David Messinger and Jimmy Nicklas each recovered a fumble for the Mustangs. Jimmy Nicklas was credited with 2 pass defenses and Kyle King was credited with a pass defense for the Mustangs.

Levi Sager returned 2 kickoffs 35-yards, with the longest going for 18-yards, and Cody Kephart returned 1 kickoff for no-yards for the Mustangs. Jeb Shipley fair caught 2 punts for the Mustangs. Norton Redding kicked off 3 times for 155-yards, with the longest going for 54-yards for the Mustangs. Mike Felton punted 8 times for 224-yards, with the longest going for 42-yards, for the Mustangs.

Aaron Bosley, Mason Brady, Cody Fricke, Colby Fuhrman, Dan Laird, Kyle Mahorney, David Messinger, Jake Myers, Ryan Sexton, Jake Shaffer, Billy Utz, and Anthony Wildasin manned the offensive and defensive line and linebacker positions. Mike Felton, Kyle King, Tyrell McCleary, Jimmy Nicklas, and Levi Sager patrolled the secondary for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs gained 86-yards rushing and 123-yards passing for a total of 209- yards of offense. Levi Sager led the Mustangs rushing attack with 9 carries for 39-yards, followed by Kyle King with 6 carries for 23-yards, J. R. Mummert with 8 carries for 19-yards, Ian Smith with 6 carries for 8-yards, and Jeb Shipley with 4 carries for minus 3-yards. Quarterback Smith completed 3 of 19 passes for 123-yards and 2 touchdowns, 1 for 61-yards and a touchdown to Jimmy Nicklas, 1 for 33-yards to Kyle Mahorney, and 1 for 29-yards and a touchdown to Mike Felton, for the Mustangs.

The Panthers gained 311-yards rushing and 24-yards passing for a total offense of 335-yards. Charles Anderson led the Panthers rushing attack with 38 carries for 310-yards (including touchdowns of 65 and 57-yards), followed by Parrish Fells with 1 carry for 11-yards, Chris Englar with 2 carries for 1-yard, and Brandon Baker with 6 carries for minus 11-yards. Quarterback Baker completed 2 of 8 passes for 24-yards, both to Fells, for the Panthers. Aaron Goodyear kicked the game winning extra point for the Panthers. Brandon Kenney intercepted a pass for the Panthers to end the Mustangs last chance for a score, and Kyle Baublitz and Karl Rice each blocked a punt for the Panthers.

Kyle Baublitz led the Panthers defense with 15 tackles, followed by Brian Hunter with 11, Nate Emig with 9, Karl Rice and Dylan Wanner with 8 tackles each, Brady Roche with 6, Jacob English with 5, Charles Anderson and Brittan Jones with 4 tackles each, James Culp with 2, and Korey Bosley with 1 tackle.

James Culp returned 3 kickoffs 62-yards, with the longest going for 27-yards, and returned 2 punts for 11-yards, with the longest going for 7-yards, for the Panthers. Aaron Goodyear kicked off 3 times for 130-yards, with the longest going for 52-yards, and punted 6 times for 166-yards, with the longest going for 41-yards, for the Panthers.

The 83 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,” a lullaby of “All The Pretty Little Horses,” and “The Red Pony.” The Central York Panthers Marching Band put on a spirited pregame performance of their show entitled “The Final Frontier.” It featured a medley of theme songs from the TV shows Star Trek, Lost in Space, and the Jetsons; a chorale from “Jupiter,” part of Gustav Holt’s suite “The Planets;” and closed with the overture from the movie “Star Trek Generations” and selections from “E. T.” The 24 member strong Mustangs Cheerleading squad and the Panthers Cheerleaders were fantastic in rousing their fandom. Both bands and the cheerleaders are to be commended for performing in a monsoon.

The Mustangs of South Western are 7-1-0 overall and 4-1-0 in York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (YAIAA) Division I league play.

Don Seidenstricker has a 180-78-1 (.698) record as coach of the Mustangs, who have a career record of 321-196-8. The results of the 525 games played in the history of the South Western Mustangs are a career .621 winning percentage and a .627 non-losing percentage.

Next week the Mustangs continue league play and host the 6-2 overall, 3-2 YAIAA Division I Bearcats of York High (William Penn). The Bearcats are coming off of a 28-0 loss to the Rockets of Spring Grove. From here it looks like the Mustangs are poised to resume their winning ways. GO MUSTANGS GO.