Phantom Stang
09-22-2008, 09:36 AM
Mustangs leave Clyde grounded
Written by Ron Howell
Sunday, 21 September 2008
By putting two good halves together for the first time this season, Sweetwater got some revenge against a former district opponent here Friday.
It also helped that the Mustangs came up with five turnovers, and were complete ball-control monsters as they avenged a 2007 loss with a convincing 24-6 victory over Clyde before an appreciative homecoming crowd.
You want ball control? Check this out: Sweetwater ran an incredible 75 plays — and, yes, they actually ran on 72 of them, for a total of 358 yards. Clyde, due to its inability to hold on to the ball and also stop the Mustangs' machine-like running game, ran just 32 plays and gained a total of 176 yards.
Sweetwater's time of possession was also amazing, as the Mustangs held on to the ball for over 37 minutes — 37:34 to be exact — to Clyde's 10:26.
Sweetwater had six possessions which lasted at least four minutes, and the Mustangs scored on four of them; Clyde's longest possession lasted just 2:47, and four others lasted 69 seconds or less.
Both teams are now 3-1 this season, but Sweetwater is the one that will be riding some big momentum into its final non-district game. The Mustangs, who have won three straight, will host Big Spring this week before taking some time off to get ready for their Oct. 10 district opener at Breckenridge.
Clyde got to Sweetwater's 35 on its opening possession, but Bulldog receiver Jeremy Gordon fumbled after catching a 5-yard pass and the Mustangs recovered. That set the stage for the first of Sweetwater's four scoring drives, and the only one in which the Mustangs attempted or completed a pass.
Daniel Jackson ran for two yards on fourth-and-1 from Clyde's 11, and two plays later fullback Rufus McCann scored from the 9 to complete a 14-play drive and make it 6-0. The kick was no good, but — at least on this night — it wouldn't really matter.
Clyde ran just two offensive plays before fumbling again, and this time Sweetwater recovered at Clyde's 48. Jack-son converted a fourth-down run on the first play of the second quarter to keep the chains moving. then gained 18 yards on his next two runs to get Sweetwater to the 1. From there, quarterback Zach Bird-well scored to increase the lead to 12-0. A pass for two points failed, but — you guessed it — it wouldn't really matter.
After a Clyde punt, Sweet-water ate up almost seven minutes of the second quarter on its next possession. However, the Mustangs didn't score and Clyde had time to make a serious attempt at cutting into their lead before halftime. But it wasn't meant to be.
On fourth-and-four from Sweetwater's 23, quarterback Jacob Gonzales threw to Gordon in the end zone, but the ball bounced off his hands and right to Mustang A.J. McCoy, whose interception ended the half and protected the shutout.
Sweetwater's first turnover early in the third quarter gave Clyde another golden opportunity to cut into the lead, as the Bulldogs recovered a fumble at the Mustangs' 10. But Clyde's Colby Smith was hit and fumbled as he was running to the end zone, and Sweetwater regained possession at its 1 to end the threat.
Sweetwater would fumble again on its next possession, but Clyde still couldn't take advantage as the Bulldogs threw four straight incomplete passes after getting the ball at the Mustangs' 38. Sweetwater didn't waste its next opportunity, driving 62 yards in 11 plays to open an 18-0 lead. McCann scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 1:31 left in the third period.
Clyde finally got on the scoreboard with the help of a pass interference call on Sweetwater, which came after a fourth-down pass from Sweetwater's 6 fell incomplete. Smith scored two plays later from the 2 to narrow the lead to 18-6 with plenty of time — 10:40 — still left on the clock.
Sweetwater ended the suspense with yet another ball-control drive which resulted in a 19-yard Steven Fields touchdown run, making it 24-6 with 3:34 to play. The 13-play, 67-yard drive featured two fourth-down conversion runs, the first by Jackson from Sweetwater's 42 and the second by McCann from Clyde's 21.
Fittingly, the game ended this way: the ensuing kickoff bounced off a Clyde player and was recovered by the Mustangs at Clyde's 29, and Sweetwater proceeded to run the final 3:31 off the clock while converting yet another fourth-down run.
Link (http://www.sweetwaterreporter.com/content/view/111750/122/)
Written by Ron Howell
Sunday, 21 September 2008
By putting two good halves together for the first time this season, Sweetwater got some revenge against a former district opponent here Friday.
It also helped that the Mustangs came up with five turnovers, and were complete ball-control monsters as they avenged a 2007 loss with a convincing 24-6 victory over Clyde before an appreciative homecoming crowd.
You want ball control? Check this out: Sweetwater ran an incredible 75 plays — and, yes, they actually ran on 72 of them, for a total of 358 yards. Clyde, due to its inability to hold on to the ball and also stop the Mustangs' machine-like running game, ran just 32 plays and gained a total of 176 yards.
Sweetwater's time of possession was also amazing, as the Mustangs held on to the ball for over 37 minutes — 37:34 to be exact — to Clyde's 10:26.
Sweetwater had six possessions which lasted at least four minutes, and the Mustangs scored on four of them; Clyde's longest possession lasted just 2:47, and four others lasted 69 seconds or less.
Both teams are now 3-1 this season, but Sweetwater is the one that will be riding some big momentum into its final non-district game. The Mustangs, who have won three straight, will host Big Spring this week before taking some time off to get ready for their Oct. 10 district opener at Breckenridge.
Clyde got to Sweetwater's 35 on its opening possession, but Bulldog receiver Jeremy Gordon fumbled after catching a 5-yard pass and the Mustangs recovered. That set the stage for the first of Sweetwater's four scoring drives, and the only one in which the Mustangs attempted or completed a pass.
Daniel Jackson ran for two yards on fourth-and-1 from Clyde's 11, and two plays later fullback Rufus McCann scored from the 9 to complete a 14-play drive and make it 6-0. The kick was no good, but — at least on this night — it wouldn't really matter.
Clyde ran just two offensive plays before fumbling again, and this time Sweetwater recovered at Clyde's 48. Jack-son converted a fourth-down run on the first play of the second quarter to keep the chains moving. then gained 18 yards on his next two runs to get Sweetwater to the 1. From there, quarterback Zach Bird-well scored to increase the lead to 12-0. A pass for two points failed, but — you guessed it — it wouldn't really matter.
After a Clyde punt, Sweet-water ate up almost seven minutes of the second quarter on its next possession. However, the Mustangs didn't score and Clyde had time to make a serious attempt at cutting into their lead before halftime. But it wasn't meant to be.
On fourth-and-four from Sweetwater's 23, quarterback Jacob Gonzales threw to Gordon in the end zone, but the ball bounced off his hands and right to Mustang A.J. McCoy, whose interception ended the half and protected the shutout.
Sweetwater's first turnover early in the third quarter gave Clyde another golden opportunity to cut into the lead, as the Bulldogs recovered a fumble at the Mustangs' 10. But Clyde's Colby Smith was hit and fumbled as he was running to the end zone, and Sweetwater regained possession at its 1 to end the threat.
Sweetwater would fumble again on its next possession, but Clyde still couldn't take advantage as the Bulldogs threw four straight incomplete passes after getting the ball at the Mustangs' 38. Sweetwater didn't waste its next opportunity, driving 62 yards in 11 plays to open an 18-0 lead. McCann scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 1:31 left in the third period.
Clyde finally got on the scoreboard with the help of a pass interference call on Sweetwater, which came after a fourth-down pass from Sweetwater's 6 fell incomplete. Smith scored two plays later from the 2 to narrow the lead to 18-6 with plenty of time — 10:40 — still left on the clock.
Sweetwater ended the suspense with yet another ball-control drive which resulted in a 19-yard Steven Fields touchdown run, making it 24-6 with 3:34 to play. The 13-play, 67-yard drive featured two fourth-down conversion runs, the first by Jackson from Sweetwater's 42 and the second by McCann from Clyde's 21.
Fittingly, the game ended this way: the ensuing kickoff bounced off a Clyde player and was recovered by the Mustangs at Clyde's 29, and Sweetwater proceeded to run the final 3:31 off the clock while converting yet another fourth-down run.
Link (http://www.sweetwaterreporter.com/content/view/111750/122/)