Malta defeats Shepherd in homecoming game

The Malta Mustangs Football is now 3-0 after the team defeated the Shepherd Mustangs 34-12 last Friday in Malta's long-awaited home opener.

"I was pretty nervous, but I am just glad to be be on our homefield and to see all of our fans here," Malta senior quarterback Kooper Oxarart said. "I am just glad everyone could come. It was a fun night."

The event doubled as a senior night for seniors of the Malta Football Team, Volleyball Team, Cross Country Team, and Malta Cheerleaders.

"I'm just glad that we got to play with all of the craziness and everything," Senior Beau Simonson said. "It's just a good feeling to be out here and have all of the support."

This Saturday, the Mustangs head to Harlem, who just lost 57-0 to the Glasgow Scotties on Friday, September 25. Prior to their loss to Glasgow, Harlem defeated Wolf Point 34-21 and Poplar 40-2 one week prior. Harlem's football team currently had less than 15 athletes.

In Malta's win over Shepherd, the Mustangs posted a total of 396 yards offensively.

The Mustangs' rushing attack, which totaled 288 yards was led by junior Rex Williamson, who had 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts. Williamson also had two catches for 70 yards. Cash Salsbery had nine carries for two touchdowns and 47 yards. Camryn Mears had 57 yards on six carries. Darrow Messerly had 29 yards on four carries and Shawn Gilkerson had seven yards on one carry.

K. Oxarart completed 5-of-9 of his passes for a total of 108 passing yards. One throw was a throw 60-yard completion to Williamson in the third quarter. The catch was made in between two defenders.

"It was just a good throw by Kooper, I guess," WIlliamson said of the play.

Williamson led in receptions catching two passes for 70 yards. Williamson had 50 yards on one punt return. Williamson had a total of 284 all-purpose yards. Messerly had one reception for 19 yards and Connor Tuss had one catch for 15 yards. Jeremiah Benson had one punt return for a 53-yard touchdown.

Malta's offense rolled to a 28-0 lead early into the second quarter, but the offense was slowed down until the fourth quarter as the team was locked in a defensive struggle with Shepherd, who scored 12 unanswered points.

"At first, we were doing pretty good and then after halftime, it just went downhill for a little bit," Williamson said.

In all, Malta gave up a total of 237 yards. Only five of those yards were on the ground, while Shepherd quarterback Shawn Garcia-Spindel threw for a total of 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception made by Mustang Jeramiah Benson.

"We just lost focus and thought we had it," Williamson said.

The Mustangs eventually scored in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard run from Williamson and the Mustang defense tightened things up.

"It always starts with the line," Senior Pierce Mortenson said. "We had to fire up to get back in there. You get some bad calls from the refs and it fires you up pretty quick."

Early in the game, the defensive line and linebackers were able to pressure Garcia-Spindel and also stop Shepherd's run game in the backfield.

"I don't think that they thought that we were as good as we really are," Mortenson said. "They thought that we were small and weren't really blocking."

Malta's blocking efforts could be seen throughout and in all three phases.

"We just came out, fired up and ready to go," Simonson said. "We got our (first home game) taken from us last week and it kind of got us fired up and ready to play. We came out and just wanted to hit some people."