SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2015-3

By Bill Engelhardt

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Last Friday evening, September 11, the Mustangs of South Western hosted the Mid-Penn Keystone Division Colts of Cedar Cliff at the Mustang Corral and were out scored 42-14.  Quarterback Brock Geiman threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Noah Staub for the Mustangs but the obviously playoff bound Colts were relentless and could not be denied.

The Mustangs opened the game with a 35-yard drive, featuring a 30-yard pass from Geiman to Staub, but ended up having to punt.  The Colts then drove 65-yards in six plays, featuring a 38-yard pass from Grant Breneman to Manny De Los Santos, and ending with an 8-yard touchdown run by Jayden Demmy.  Dominick Haley’s extra point kick put the Colts up 7-0 at the 7:37 mark in the first quarter.

The Mustangs went three and out and punted.  The Colts started from the Mustangs 24-yard line but their drive ended when Jeff Green recovered a fumble and the Mustangs took over on their own 21-yard line.  The Mustangs punted again and the Colts drove 61-yards in four plays, ending with Demmy’s 21-yard touchdown.  Haley’s extra point kick upped the score to 14-0 with 1:18 left in the first quarter.

The Mustangs had a nice drive going, featuring a 20-yard pass from Geiman to Staub, only to fumble and De Los Santos recovered it and returned it for 43-yards and a touchdown.  Haley’s extra point kick put the Colts up 21-0 at the 11:30 mark of the second quarter.

 The Mustangs then drove from their own 28-yard line to the Colts 17-yard line in 11plays, only to have Mike Viti intercept a Geiman pass and return it for 64-yards.  The Colts were in business at the Mustangs 25-yard line.  Two plays later Grant Breneman threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Demmy and Haley’s extra point kick put the Colts up 28-0 with 4:11 left in the first half.

The second half opened with Mike Farace intercepting a Breneman pass and returning it for 17-yards for the Mustangs on the first play.  Three plays later Geiman threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Staub.  Wes Sneeringer’s extra point kick made the score 28-7 at the 10:14 mark of the third quarter.

The Mustangs had the Colts on the ropes after Corbin Byers recorded a sack for a 9-yard loss.  But, with 18-yards to go for a first down, Breneman threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Viti.  Haley’s extra point kick put the Colts up 35-7 at the 8:04 mark of the third quarter.

The Mustangs had another nice drive going, featuring a 13-yard pass from Geiman to Zach Hughes, only to have Demmy intercept a pass for the Colts and return it 27-yards, putting them on the Mustang’s 17-yard.  Three plays later Chris Thompson plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown.  Haley’s extra point kick put the Colts up 42-7, invoking the running clock, at the 4:14 point of the third quarter.

Both teams then substituted liberally.  Bryn Neal’s interception for the Colts ended another Mustangs drive, that had started off with Nigel Williams returning a kickoff for 29-yards.  The Mustangs returned the favor when Quan Marshall recorded a tackle for a 6-yard loss and the Mustangs took over on downs at their own 25-yard line.  A 75-yard drive, featuring runs of 13 and 12 yards by Jacob Muir, ended six plays later with a 21-yard touchdown run by Nigel Williams.  Wes Sneeringer’s extra point kick made the final score 42-14 with 5:52 left in the game. 

Wes Sneeringer kicked off 3 times for 144-yards, with the longest going for 51-yards, and Brock Geiman punted 3 times for 93-yards (for an average of 31-yards) with the longest going for 35-yards.  DeSean Crump returned 3 kickoffs for 38-yards (for an average of 12.7-yards), with the longest going for 14-yards, Michael Johnson returned 1 kickoff for 32-yards, and Nigel Williams returned 1 kickoff for 29-yards, for the Mustangs.

Mike Farace, with 6 tackles and an interception, led the Mustang defense, followed by Corbin Byers, with 6 tackles, 1 sack and 1 pass hurry, Tyler Fulmore with 6 tackles and 1 caused fumble, Nate VanCampen with 5 tackles, Matt Smolko with 4 tackles, Jeff Green with 3 tackles and 1 recovered fumble, Kaiden Gaylord, Zach Hughes, and Michael Johnson with 3 tackles each, Bubba Carbaugh with 2 tackles and 1 pass hurry, Tommy Aumen, Shareef Jakes, Zach Mehring, Carson Perry, and Noah Staub with 2 tackles each, Skylar Bowman with 1 tackle and 2 pass hurries, Nigel Williams with 1 tackle and 1 pass defended, and Scotty Dickmyer, Kurt Eichhorn, Evan Raubenstine, Chris Steckel, and Logan Toms with 1 tackle each.

Skylar Bowman, Corbin Byers, Bubba Carbaugh, Scotty Dickmyer, Mike Farace, Tyler Fulmore, Zach Hughes, Quan Marshall, Austin Reusing, Matt Smolko, and Josh Zeroth manned the offensive and defensive line and linebacker positions, with help from Chris Steckel, Logan Toms, and a host of other players coming in.

DeSean Crump, Brock Geiman, Jeff Green, Noah Staub, and Nate VanCampen patrolled the secondary for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs gained 142-yards rushing and 136-yards passing for a total of 278-yards of offense. Senior quarterback Brock Geiman completed 11 of 23 passes for the 136-yards and 1 touchdown, 5 for 84-yards to Noah Staub (including a 23-yard touchdown), 3 for 21-yards to Jeff Green, 2 for 21-yards to Zach Hughes, and 1 for 10-yards to DeSean Crump, for the Mustangs.  Nigel Williams led the Mustangs rushing attack with 5 carries for 60-yards, followed by Jacob Muir with 3 for 25, Tyler Fulmore with 6 for 20, Hughes with 5 for 16, Green with 1 for 11, Michael Johnson with 1 for 11, Carson Perry with 1 for 10, Crump with 4 for 4-yards, and Geiman with 5 carries for minus 15-yards.

Wes Sneeringer kicked 2 extra points, Mike Farace intercepted 1 pass and returned it 17-yards, Jeff Green recovered 1 fumble and returned it 4-yards, Corbin Byers recorded 1 sack for a 9-yard loss and recorded 1 pass hurry, Skylar Bowman recorded 2 pass hurries, Bubba Carbaugh recorded 1 pass hurry, and Tyler Fulmore caused 1 fumble, for the Mustangs.

The Cedar Cliff Colts rang up 149-yards rushing and 185 yards passing for a total of 334 yards gained.  Quarterback Grant Brenneman completed 9 of 11 passes for the 175-yards and 2 touchdowns, 2 for 70-yards to Mike Viti (including a 63-yard touchdown), 1 for 38-yards to Manny De Los Santos, 2 for 20-yards to Tre Neal, 1 for 19-yards and a touchdown to Jayden Demmy, 1 for 17-yards to Trysten McDonald, 1 for 8-yards to Chandler, Heiple, and 1 for 3-yards to Cole Whalen, and quarterback Bobby Whalen completed 1 of 2 passes for 10-yards to Alex Lance, for the colts.  Jayden Demmy led the Colts rushing attack with 15 carries for 108-yards (including touchdowns of 8 and 21 yards), followed by Mike Dubas with 7 for 28-yards Chris Thompson with 5 for 20-yards, Breneman with 3 carries for no yards, Bobby Whalen with 1 carry for minus 6-yards, and a team loss of 1-yard.  Manny De Los Santos returned a fumble 43-yards for a touchdown, Dominick Haley kicked 6 extra points, and Demmy and Viti each intercepted a pass, for the Colts.

The10-time Cavalcade of Bands, 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 2015 field show “What If,” a musical and visual depiction of the process of implementing a change and making a difference.  The music is based on Michael Kamen’s “The New Moon in the Old Moon’s Arms.”  The show began with the inception of the idea or change, represented with the theme played by trumpet soloist Veronica Hurst.  Further numbers reflected the encountering of obstacles and challenges standing in the way of goals and a moment of reflection on the purpose and nature of change.  The closer continued to build upon the hope of this change and reached a climax where the change was successful.  The show ended with the fleeting sounds of the musical theme played by trumpet soloist John Dyson.

The 22 member Mustangs Cheer Leading Squad and the Colts Cheer Leading squad were both very impressive as they roused the faithful.

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

The Mustangs have a career record of 347-215-8.  The results of the 570 games played in the history of the South Western Mustangs are a career .617 winning percentage and a .623 non-losing percentage.

Next week the Mustangs host the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division’s Thundering Herd of Carlisle (2-0 overall, 0-0 league).  Carlisle bested the Patriots of Red Land 54-49 this week in a shootout.  The Mustangs are looking to resume their winning tradition.  GO MUSTANGS GO.