McCool Junction Mustangs beat Heartland Huskies 36-24
There was no give-up in the Huskies Friday night in their matchup against McCool Junction, but the Mustangs prevailed, winning 36-24.
The Mustangs came to town hot and scored twice in the first quarter, leading Heartland 16-0. The Huskies started driving the ball, and on third & long, quarterback Hudson Regier connected with Carter Siebert for a 35-yard gain for the touchdown. Siebert also scored the double extra points, bringing the score to 16-8 with McCool still leading.
Near the end of the first quarter, the Mustangs quarterback Carson McDonald went for it on 4th & 8, setting them up for another touchdown, and they went for the extra points, making it 24-8.
In the second quarter, it looked like the Huskies’ offense was going nowhere when Regier kept the ball on 3rd & long and scampered in for a much-needed first down. Again, Regier came through with a big play on 4th & long rushing for the first down. He then completed a long pass to Nick Thieszen for the touchdown, and Siebert converted for two points. The Huskies were back in the game, only down by one score, 24-16.
The Mustangs were hard to stop offensively when Ryland Garretson made a 39-yard play to score. They were assessed a holding penalty on the extra points attempt, and their next try was stopped by the Huskies. With 6:32 to go in the half, the Mustangs led 30-16.
The Huskies got a break when the Mustangs had a short kick, giving them good field position at the 37-yard line. The Huskies made it down to the goal line, and just when it looked like an easy score, they were assessed a pushing penalty (still illegal in high school) and denied the touchdown. They were stymied by the Mustang defense, unable to get the ball in the end zone, ending the first half.
The second half had the Huskies coming out with a big run from Regier followed by what was a touchdown pass, only to have it denied due to another penalty. Regier overthrew a pass near the end zone on 4th & 7, ending their chance to score. The flags were flying all night, not helping the Huskies to get on the scoreboard.
The Mustangs saw their share of flags during the game and were called for a false start twice during a drive in the third quarter. They were able to overcome the penalties, and Garretson scored a touchdown, making the score 36-16. They did have a delay of game penalty on the extra points attempt and were unable to convert.
The Huskies weren’t giving up. With a little over five minutes in the game, Regier ran in for a touchdown, and the Huskies went for two, scoring 36-24. With only 4:11 left in the game, the Huskies had more gas left in their tank.
They recovered a successful onside kick and were back in action again offensively on the 36-yard line. They were unable to capitalize on the turnover and turned the ball back to the Mustangs after a failed 4th downplay.
The final score was 36-24, and the Mustangs got their first win of the season against Heartland. It was an exciting game, and both teams played hard, with the Mustangs coming out ahead. Heartland (1-3) will travel to Sutton next Friday night.
RUSHING:
Heartland – 219; McCool – 232
PASSING
Heartland – 155; McCool – 50
Hudson Regier – 24 attempts – 12 completions – 155 yards
TACKLES:
Carter Siebert – 12, Kaleb Ostrander – 7, Hudson Regier -6, Andrew Franz -6, Sam Quiring -5, Hunter Perez – 5.
CATCHES:
Louis Alvarez – 4 – 45 yards
Carter Siebert – 4 – 52 yards
Nick Thieszen – 1 – 30 yards
TOUCHDOWNS: Hudson Regier – 1, Carter Siebert – 1, Nick Thieszen – 1
Photos courtesy Deb Mierau
