SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2014-6

By Bill Engelhardt

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Last Friday evening, September 26, the Mustangs of South Western visited the den of the Panthers of Central York and were edged 20-13 in overtime.  The Panthers scored a touchdown on Terrance Carter’s 10-yard run and then the Mustangs’ Brock Geiman threw a pass into the end zone.  One official signaled touchdown, one signaled incomplete pass, and one signaled interception.  Many observers thought the pass was incomplete because the players were out of bounds but the game ended when the interception call stood.

The Mustangs opened the game with a 14 play 84-yard drive, featuring runs of 16 and 11-yards by Geiman.  Drew Hartlaub ended the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run.  Andrew Slater kicked the extra point and the Mustangs led 7-0 at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter.

The Panthers then drove from their own 35-yard line to the Mustangs 14-yard line, featuring a 24-yard run by Terrance Carter.  They had actually reached the Mustangs 3-yard line but Luke Baugher sacked Nik Strine for an 11-yard loss.  Carter Luckenbaugh then kicked a 31-yard field goal for the Panthers to make the score 7-3 with 2:38 left in the first quarter.

The Mustangs and the Panthers exchanged punts and then the Mustangs drove 66-yards in five plays, featuring a 45-yard pass from Geiman to Hartlaub and a 15-yard run by Bret Hertzog.  Geiman ended the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge, upping the score to 13-3 in favor of the Mustangs.

The Panthers then drove from their 46-yards in seven plays, featuring a 30-yard run by Pearson Hinkle.  The drive stalled and Luckenbaugh kicked a 37-ysrd field goal, making the score 13-6 with 7:05 left in the second quarter.

The Mustangs ten muffed the Panthers kickoff and Elzir Stroman recovered the ball for the Panthers.  With a short field, the Panthers drove 27-yards in three plays, ending with Carter’s 13-yard touchdown run.  Luckenbaugh kicked the extra point and the score was tied at 13 with 6:14 left in the first half.

In a hard fought battle, the teams went back and forth with no more scoring in regulation play.  The entire second half was scoreless.  A long drive by the Panthers was thwarted when the Mustangs’ Brady Thayer intercepted a Nik Strine pass and returned it for 20-yards.

In the first play in overtime Terrance Carter dashed10-yars for a touchdown and Luckenbaugh’s extra point kick put the Panthers up 20-13.

Then came the controversial game ending play on the Mustangs first play in overtime.

Andrew Slater kicked off 2 times for 80-yards, with the longest going for 43-yards, and Brock Geiman punted 5 times for 180-yards (for an average of 36-yards) with the longest going for 49-yards.  Drew Hartlaub returned 3 kickoffs for 49-yards, with the longest going for 21-yards, for the Mustangs.

Tyler Jachelski, with 9 tackles and 2 pass hurries, led the Mustang defense, followed by Tyler Fulmore and Hunter Palmer with 7 tackles each, Ryan Krebs with 6 tackles and an interception that was returned for 11-yards, Josh Zeroth with 6 tackles, Brady Thayer with 5 tackles, 1 interception returned for 20-yards, and 1 pass defense, Nate VanCampen with 5 tackles, Luke Baugher with 4 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pass hurries, Seth Janney with 4 tackles, Miles Francis with 3 tackles and 1 pass hurry, Drew Hartlaub with 1 tackle and 1 pass defense, and Corbin Byers, Matt Helwig, Bret Hertzog, Gus Landis, Josh Martin, Matt Smolko, and Jonas Walter, with 1 tackle each.

Luke Baugher, Corbin Byers, Scotty Dickmyer, Mike Farace, Miles Francis, Tyler Fulmore, Matt Helwig, Bret Hertzog, Tyler Jachelski, Seth Janney, Gus Landis, Josh Martin, Austin Reusing, Matt Smolko, Chris Steckel, and Josh Zeroth manned the offensive and defensive line and linebacker positions.

Drew Hartlaub, Ryan Krebs, Hunter Palmer, Brady Thayer and Nate VanCampen patrolled the secondary for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs gained 150-yards rushing and 11-yards passing for a total of 267-yards of offense. Junior quarterback Brock Geiman completed 4 of 13 passes for the 118-yards, 2 for 78-yards to Drew Hartlaub and 2 for 39-yards to Noah Staub, for the Mustangs.  Hartlaub led the Mustangs rushing attack with 9 carries for 54-yards (including a 24-yard touchdown), followed by Geiman with 9 carries for 33-yards (including a 1-yard touchdown), Miles Francis with 6 carries for 29-yards, Robby Harbison with 10 carries for 20-yards, and Bret Hertzog with 1 carry for 15-yards.

Andrew Slater kicked 1 extra point, Brady Thayer intercepted a pass and returned it 67-yards for a touchdown and defended 2 passes, Brady Thayer intercepted a pass and returned it for 20-yards and defended 1 pass, Ryan Krebs intercepted a pass and returned it for 11-yards, Luke Baugher recorded 1 sack and 2 pass hurries, Tyler Jachelski recorded 2 pass hurries, Miles Francis recorded 1 pass hurry, and Hartlaub recorded 1 pass defense, for the Mustangs.

The Panthers gained 214-yards rushing and 141 yards passing for a total of 355 yards gained.  Quarterback Nik Strine completed 9 of 18 passes for 214-yards, 3 for 53-yards to Braden Neal, 3 for 38-yards to Jeremiah Dadeboe, 2 for 38-yards to Terrance Carter, and 1 for 12-yards to Pearson Hinkle, for the Panthers.

Carter led the Panthers rushing attack with 22 carries for 145-yards (including touchdowns of 13 and 10-yards), followed by Hinkle with 12 carries for 48-yards, and Strine with 7 carries for 21-yards.

Carter Luckenbaugh kicked 2 field goals (for 31 and 37-yards) and kicked 2 6 extra points, Elzir Stroman intercepted a pass to end the game and recovered a fumble, and Jackson Loring caused a fumble, for the Panthers.

The 10-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, presenting their 2014 field show “Nevermore,” based on “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe.  The show opened with the Overture from “Sweeney Todd” by Stephen Sondheim.  Mozart’s 25th Symphony provided the musical material for the first impact before melding into a minor treatment of the “Johanna” theme.  The madness continued with a return to the Overture that dissolved into a final solution.  The Central York Panthers Marching Band gave a crowd-pleasing pre-game performance on Band Night.

The 25 member strong Mustangs Cheer Leading squad (24 girls and a guy) and the Panthers squad were very impressive as they roused the faithful.

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

The Mustangs have a career record of 342-213-8.  The results of the 563 games played in the history of the South Western Mustangs are a career .616 winning percentage and a .622 non-losing percentage.

Next week the Mustangs will host the Lions of Red Lion (3-2 overall, 2-0 league).  Red Lion is coming off of a 21-14 victory over the Bobcats of Northeastern.  The Mustangs are still looking to get back on the winning track.  GO MUSTANGS GO.