 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MUSTANGS VS ROSEVILLE SECTION QUARTERFINALS
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Section 2 AAAAA |
W-L-T
|
PF
|
PA
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Totino-Grace |
8 -1 - 0
|
307
|
125
|
| Mounds View |
8-1 - 0
|
205
|
68
|
| White Bear Lake |
7 -2 - 0
|
208
|
148
|
| Stillwater |
7 - 2- 0
|
217
|
141
|
| Irondale |
5 - 4- 0
|
179
|
195
|
| Tartan |
4 - 5 - 0
|
126
|
227
|
| Roseville |
2 - 7 - 0
|
183
|
255
|
| North St. Paul |
2 - 7 - 0
|
119
|
212
|
In a game full of explosive plays, the Mounds View Mustangs rolled to their seventh straight victory by defeating Roseville 35-15 in the opening round of the Section 2 AAAAA playoffs on October 25 at Mustang Stadium. The win sets up a showdown between the 8-1 Mustangs and the 7-2 Stillwater Ponies in a section semi-final game this Saturday night, October 29 at Mustang Stadium. The winner will play for the section championship against the winner of Saturday night's other section semi-final game between Totino-Grace and White Bear Lake.
It didn't take long for the Mustangs to get on the scoreboard. Running back Tyler Hansen took a pitch around left end on the first play from scrimmage and sprinted 74 yards for a touchdown just 19 seconds into the game. The extra point by kicker Alec Tolson (who was 5 for 5 on extra points) was good, giving the Mustangs an early 7-0 lead. The Mustangs then scored on their next two possessions of the first quarter. The second and third touchdowns came on runs of 17 yards and 1 yard by running back Austin Smestad, the latter score having been set up by another explosive run of 54 yards by Hansen. We led 21-0 after the first quarter. The Raiders fought back in the second quarter with a big play of their own, a 35-yard touchdown run to make the score 21-7 at the half. In the second half, the teams exchanged possessions until outside linebacker Ethan DeCaster broke the game open with an 32-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter, making the score 28-7. The Mustangs had at least one more explosive play in them. Quarterback Mitch Frederickson connected with a wide-open Justin Ortt, and the tight end outran the Raiders defenders, going 88 yards for the score that gave us a 35-7 fourth quarter lead. Roseville added a late touchdown and two-point conversion to make the final score 35-15 in favor of the Mustangs.
We had one of our best offensive games of the year, amassing 415 yards of offense, which included 240 rushing yards on 40 carries (a 6 yards per carry average) and 175 passing yards on 15 pass attempts ( an 11.7 yards per pass average). Thanks to our offensive line, our running backs had holes to run through and our quarterbacks had time to throw. The Mustangs also excelled on defense, giving up just 96 rushing yards on 28 carries ( a 3.4 yards per carry average), and holding the Raiders to 210 yards passing on 51 passes (a 4,1 yards per pass average). The defense also came through in the turnover department. In addition to DeCaster's pick- six touchdown, outside linebacker Drew Rens intercepted a Raiders pass and inside linebacker Neal Callinan recovered a Raiders fumble. We were a plus one for the day on turnovers and had fewer penalties (four) than Roseville (six).
It's no secret that one of the best rivalries we have is with the Stillwater Ponies. Every game against them is close and hard fought. They are a well-coached team that is comprised of many excellent football players with size, strength and athletic ability. Although it seems like a cliché, we will need to play our best game of the season--and win the battle of turnovers--to win this game. We have been fortunate to have won the last four match-ups with the Ponies, and they will be seeking to avenge their 21-14 loss in the regular season. We also are fortunate to be taking on Stillwater at Mustang Stadium. We believe playing before our home crowd always gives us a big boost on the field. Encourage all the Mustang fans you know to get out to Mustang Stadium this Saturday night, October 29, to support your team and see a great football game.