Mustangs tree wildcats in gridiron action

The Malta Mustangs headed west to Harlem last Friday night and conquered the Wildcats in a 51-0 victory in their final regular season road contest of the year.

The Mustangs came into the game with some players dinged-up at some key positions and Malta Head Coach Jim Benn said his younger players stepped up and helped out.

"I am really pleased with some kids that had to step in and fill some starting roles," Coach Benn said. "We've been bitten by the injury bug a little bit and those kids played well."

While Malta was precise on offense and the defense earned a shutout, the Mustang special team's play shined all night. Harlem's strategy on the night was to control the ball on offense and they did just that in the first half, including holding onto the ball for 10:42 of the first 12 minutes of the game.

"They had a really nice game plan and slowed things down which is what we wanted to do against Fairfield," Coach Benn said. "They managed the clock well and they deserve a ton of credit because their kids played well."

Once Malta got the ball, it didn't take long for them to score as a five-play drive - highlighted by a 46-yard pass from Kooper Oxarart to Cormac Benn - was punctuated with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Oxarart to Kolter Schipman. Mustang placekicker Cordel Salsbery booted a successful extra point to give Malta a 7-0 lead with 5:49 to play in the first frame.

Harlem's next drive drained the first quarter clock and ticked-away into the second before the Mustangs pushed the Wildcats off the field on fourth down. The Mustangs followed with one of the few three-and-out possessions of the night on offense and were forced to punt.

Rex Williamson, a freshman filling the role of punter for the Mustangs on the night as starter Andres Lopez (who also starts at running back and linebacker) was sidelined with an injury, booted a sky-high punt that traveled some 40 yards in the air before bouncing and rolling for almost another 20, pinning the Wildcats at their own 6-yard line.

"It felt good," Williamson said of the punt leaving his foot. "I felt like I kicked it hard and then it just bounced and rolled toward their end zone."

"It was a huge punt," Coach Benn added. "It swapped the field position and put them in a hole."

Three plays later, Malta linebacker Ty Murphy pounced on a fumble, giving the Mustangs the ball at the Harlem 24-yard line and three plays later, Oxarart again hooked-up with Benn for a 4-yard touchdown pass to push the score to 13-0.

Four plays after the Mustang touchdown dive, Mustang Cash Salsbery intercepted a pass and returned it 28-yards for a defensive touchdown.

"I read run first, and they faked it," Salsbery said. "I dropped back, hooked a curl, and the ball just came to me. I caught it and took it back for six."

Salsbery said that once he retrieved the interception, there was a huge wall of his teammates in front of him and lots of Wildcat-free range to run in. The interception touchdown was the first defensive score for Salsbery in his varsity career.

"It seemed like it got us all pumped up," he said. "That, and I had a hit where the kid's legs went up in the air and that really got me through the game."

Malta again moved Harlem off the field with a four-and-out on the ensuing drive and on offense -following an impressive 22-yard scamper by Callan Mears - Mustang Kevin Henry took a handoff around the left end and followed a troop of blockers downfield on a 38-yard touchdown run. Cordell Salsbery added the extra point to give the Mustangs a 27-0 lead, where the score would sit at halftime.

Before the contest, Malta captains Payton Clausen, Schipman, Henry, and Rhett Simanton won the coin toss and deferred to Harlem, setting the Mustangs up to receive the ball to start the second half. The move paid off in spades as Benn returned the kick 75-yards for a touchdown.

"One of the things we talked about at halftime was how to respond (to Harlem controlling the ball on offense) and one way to do that was with a kick return," Coach Benn said.

Tanner Smith ran the ball in for a successful 2-point conversion to give Malta a 35-0 lead which kept the clock running for the entirety of the second half.

With many second-string players on the field the next time Malta got the ball, the Mustangs plodded down the field on a 13-play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown-plunge from Smith. Benn in at quarterback on the drive, completed a successful 2-point conversion pass to Simanton to give the Mustangs a 44-0 lead.

Harlem's second to last drive of the game was halted when Mears intercepted a Wildcat pass and returned it to the opposing 2-yard line. One play later, Cash Salsbery scored his second touchdown of the night (this one from halfback) and Mears added a 2-point run to make the final score 51-0.

All told, the Mustangs amassed 138 rushing yards on 19 attempts and the two quarterbacks combined to complete 9-of-13 passes for 97-yards. The Mustang defense allowed just 192 yards on the night (137 on the ground and 55 passing) on their way to the shutout. (Stats were compiled by the PCN and are not official.)

Next up for the Mustangs is the final regular season home game of the year, Senior Night, when the Glasgow Scotties come to town. The Mustangs have already secured a post-season spot, but a win against the Scotties would allow them to play at least one playoff game at home. Coach Benn said the game plan for Friday night's game is fairly simple.

"We will need to take care of the ball, concentrate and take care of business," he said.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mustang Field.