VIENNA —
For the Mathews Mustangs, to be able to run 22 plays in Pymatuning Valley territory in the first half, the chances of being even scorewise with the Lakers seemed all but given.
Instead, a blocked field goal and two drives that died inside the 10-yard line sealed the Mustangs’ fate as they trailed, 21-0, en route to a 49-0 setback in Northeastern Athletic Conference play.
While the Mustangs were trying to control the flow of the game, it was the Lakers (2-4, 1-0) who took momentum away multiple times.
After the Lakers took an early 7-0 advantage, the Mustangs’ (1-5, 0-1) first play from scrimmage, a 49-yard run from Austin Arnal, would set the offense up at the Pymatuning Valley 20.
Though the first of many opportunities deep in Laker territory died as the Laker’s defense stiffened to force the Mustangs into a 20-yard field goal attempt from Wyatt Ford.
Instead of answering the early score by the Lakers, pressure on the right side of the line from Tim Cross resulted in his block of Ford’s kick and 80-yard return to make it 14-0 Lakers.
Mathews would go on an 11-play time consuming drive just to see it die again at the Pymatuning 9 as a fourth down pass from Alex Bagaglia to Ford would come up a yard short.
A fumble on the very next play by J.T. Willis would give the Mustangs some life again at the Laker 4-yard line.
Again, the Mustangs couldn’t punch it from the 6, as Bagaglia’s sneak on fourth-and-goal would get stuffed and give possession back to the Lakers.
From their own 1-yard line, Grant Nowakowski found Cross at the 30-yard line and from there he was untouched on a 99-yard pass to make it 21-0 halfway through the second quarter.
“Before that, we had trouble handing the ball off, and I was like let’s go over the top and we knew it would be open,” Pymatuning Valley coach Neal Croston said. “They were crowding us inside. It was a nice ball and a nice catch.”
This started an avalanche the Mustangs would not recover from as six plays later, Nick Holt intercepted Bagaglia’s pass at the Laker 28-yard line and returned it 72 yards up the Mathews’ sideline to make it 27-0.
“We had big explosive plays and were able to get outside on them,” Croston said. “They had two freshmen out there and so we took advantage of that. That big touchdown with Timmy Cross and Grant (Nowakowski) and the blocked field goal got us going.”
Fortune is a freelance writer from McDonald.
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