Mustangs pound Panthers

The Mustang's ground attack churned-up a total of 458 yards and the Malta defense was stout in the season opener at home last Friday night, the boys in blue marching away with 41-14 victory over Roundup, giving first year Head Coach Jim Benn his first win.

"It's nice, I'll take it," Coach Benn said after the win. "Roundup does a fantastic job and it's an offense after my heart. We are running very similar things and they do a nice job, but our kids did a nice job taking away what they could do and I am happy with how the whole thing went."

Senior quarterback Trace Simonson, new to the position this year after three years as a running back, felt right at home running the ball and amassed a total of 191 yards rushing and four touchdowns while completing 4-of-7 passes for another 73 yards, a score, and an interception. Following the contest, Simonson said his success had everything to do with how the Mustang's offensive line played in the contest.

"They played really well," Simonson said. "They were probably outweighed by 50-pounds per kid, but they just kept fighting all night and made really nice up front."

Simonson said he enjoyed his new role as quarterback on the night, noting the differences, adding that Coach Benn made the transition for the senior a smooth one by adding a bunch of running plays. Of those new running plays, the quarterback option resulted in big chunks of yardage all evening long.

"It's hard to get ahold of at first," Simonson said of the play. "But once you know what you are looking for it starts to click."

Joining the Mustang rushing stampede on the night were Trey Simanton who gained 118 yards on 17 totes and a touchdown; Andres Lopez who had 12 carries for 88 yards; Tanner Smith who netted 31 yards on five carries; and Kevin Henry who carried the ball six times for 27 yards.

Kolter Schipman had two receptions on the night - the second a touchdown catch to give Malta their first points of the season - Konner Kuehn had one catch for 12 yards.

While the Mustang's offense managed to obtain over 500 total yards - an average of eights yards per play on the night - the Malta defense held the bigger Panthers to just 227 total yards in the contest (171 rushing and 56 passing) holding Roundup to just four yards per attempt and tackling Panther runners for zero or negative gains 16 times (and then limiting the opposition runners to one yard gains another four times.)

"That's a hard offense to defend," Simonson added, "but we held them pretty well, except for a few big plays, and that will happen."

Coach Benn said he was happy with how the Mustangs competed on the night but said there is always room for improvement, especially early in the season.

"We have got a lot of stuff to fix," Coach Benn said. "There were some really nice moments, but we could have taken advantage of a couple of situations earlier in the game to put the game a little further out of reach a little sooner. We turned the ball over a little too much and penalties took away a touchdown here and there."

Malta took the opening kickoff after team captain for the night Tel Jensen, Simanton, Simonson, and Smith won the opening coin toss. The Mustangs proceeded to march down the field on a nine-play, 66-yard drive which was punctuated with the touchdown pass from Simonson to Schipman. Simanton would make the first of three extra-point kicks on the night.

Where the Mustangs had no problem moving the ball in the first quarter, the Panthers hit a blue-brick wall in the Mustang's defense and managed just eight plays and 31 yards in the first frame.

A touchdown run by Simanton in the first quarter was followed by a touchdown run from Simonson early in the second giving the Mustangs a 21-8 lead at halftime.

The Panthers would find some success in the second and third quarters - out scoring the Mustangs 13-6 at one point - bringing the score to 27-14 before Henry recorded his first interception of the season to end one Roundup drive and a big sack on a fourth and goal by Malta's Kendall Koss kept the visitors for pay dirt en route to 41-14 win.

Conference play starts next Friday as Malta travels to Shelby to take on the Coyotes at 7 p.m. Coach Benn said the Mustangs have their work cut out for themselves.

"They have one of the best quarterbacks in the state of Montana," he said. "It's going to be a little bit different on the defensive side of things and we are going to have to be ready for a more balanced style of offense."