2005 Year in Review

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Mustangs Tackle Bruins for Homecoming Victory

The Mustangs did what they had to do on Friday night. Playing from behind for most of the game, the Mustangs never panicked and stuck to their guns. Trailing 7-6 with less than nine minutes remaining in the game, the Peru St. Bede Bruins looked to be driving downfield to put the game away, instead the Mustang defense took the ball away and the offense ground it out on the ground and went ahead. Following the two-point conversion, the Mustangs led 14-7. The Bruins tried to mount a drive only to have their hopes ended when Ryan Schisler intercepted John Bellino’s pass and returned it 38 yards to ice a 14-7 Homecoming victory.

The first quarter passed quickly with both teams trading possession until the Bruins dropped back to punt with just less than five minutes left in the quarter. Trying to field the punt, Sammy Biggs fumbled the ball and the Bruins recovered in the Mustang red zone. Two plays later, Michael Kelly charged into the end zone from three yards out. The extra point was good and the Bruins led 7-0.
The Mustangs started to drive at the end of the quarter with runs of 13 and 20 yards by Nick Vandermyde before the drive stalled and the ‘Stangs were forced to punt. PSB started to drive the field but following the quarter break were forced to punt when the Mustangs tightened up on third down and stopped the Bruins short of the marker. The Mustangs immediately started the drive starting on the third play of the drive when Ryan Schisler rambled 25 yards for a first down. Nate McBride followed with a 32-yard scamper around end to set the Mustangs up with first and goal. From there Schisler would be sacked twice putting the Mustangs out of scoring range and forcing a turnover on downs.
St. Bede would be forced to punt on their next possession, but the Mustangs would give the ball right back. On just the second play of the drive, Schisler flipped a pass out into the flat for Biggs only to have it intercepted. The Bruins would be driven back on their attempt at the end zone. The Mustangs would hold onto the ball and go into halftime trailing for just the second time this season with the score still at 7-0.
Morrison came out firing in the third quarter willing to be patient but not wanting to. On the opening possession of the half, the Mustangs got rolling on the first play on an 18-yard run by Nick Vandermyde. Vandermyde followed with runs of nine and seven yards to give Morrison a first down on the St. Bede side of the field. On the next play, Vandermyde took it up the middle, broke a tackle, and finished his 35 yard jaunt to the end zone with no one around him. Shaun Vegter’s extra point was no good and the score was 7-6 Bruins.
PSB went back to their original game plan and put the ball on the ground again. While having some success, the Mustangs seemed to slowly be building steam and momentum despite the Bruins moving the ball downfield. Finally, the Mustangs held on third and short again forcing a punt. Peru St. Bede was 0-7 on third down conversion gaining only four yards on their seven attempts. The Mustangs would be unable to sustain a drive and punt back to the Bruins, but the stage was set and the Mustangs were hungry.
As the quarter closed, the Mustangs confidently came to the sidelines just waiting for their chance to attack the Bruins. That chance came midway through the fourth quarter. Following an exchange of possession, the Bruins went to the air looking to move the ball. Bellino found his receiver down the left sideline only to have the ball stripped by Biggs and recovered by Nathan Neighbour with just over eight and a half minutes left.
It was a matter of time until the Mustangs scored from there. Backed by the huge swell of Mustang fans, the locals connected with their first blow on the second play on a 20-yard scamper by Biggs that put the ball inside the PSB 25. Vandermyde ran for three yards and Biggs six more to bring up third and one. Schisler kept the ball on a quarterback sneak for the first down and a pick-up of three yards inside the 15-yard line. McBride ran for four yards on a counter to bring up second and six from the seven. On second down, Schisler took the snap and pitched it out to McBride who thanks to a great seal block by Vegter and Austin Rickels, headed seven yards and put the ball inside the pylon for a touchdown. Following a time-out, the Mustangs ran the same pitch play to McBride who cut it right off Vegter’s block and right into the end zone to make it 14-7 with just 6:19 remaining and set off pandemonium on the Mustang side line and in the stands.
St. Bede’s first chance to draw even would be cut short when the Mustangs stopped the Bruins on fourth down. Morrison could not take advantage but Schisler pinned the Bruins inside their own 20-yard line with a booming punt. The Bruins quickly picked up one first down before the drive slowed slightly. On fourth down, the Bruins were able to get dangerously close to the marker. Once the chains were brought out, the ball rested less than half an inch past the marker and resulted in a Bruin first down. The measurement would not come back to haunt the Mustangs as Schisler intercepted Bellino’s pass two plays later and returned it 38 yards to seal the deal. Schisler dropped to a knee twice to give the Mustangs a nice 14-7 Homecoming win.
Nick Vandermyde led the Mustang ground game with 143 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Nate McBride ran 10 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. Sammy Biggs carried eight times for 43 yards. Ryan Schisler racked up eight yards on seven carries and Greg Frickenstein had one carry for two yards. Schisler was 2-10 passing for 27 yards. Both of those pass were completed to Biggs.
The Campaign for Champaign rolls on towards the playoffs making its final regular season stop for Senior Night. With second place in the conference on the line, the Mustangs (7-1) will host the Newman Comets (7-1) on Friday night, October 21, at 7:30 p.m.

by rustinl
2005-10-16 22:36:08