Having been competitive with Sayre, and most recently, Holy Cross, while watching Ludlow experiencing a sub-par season, we felt good about our chances in Ludlow Friday night.  However, Nothing comes easy for this team, or any time that we play the Ludlow Panthers.  With 34 seconds remaining on the clock and the Panthers having just punched in a touchdown making the score 21-20, and following a flag on a seemingly blocked extra-point attempt, they went for the win from a yard and a half out, and our football lives passing in front of our eyes.  Our defense, which has been our calling card all season, was up to the task and we found a way to win, potentially securing that desirable home playoff game and escaping Rigney with a 21-20, one-point win.      

This game had an ignominious start, that similar to a year ago at the MAC, saw the Panthers score on a breakaway run to take a 7-0 lead before the crowd was comfortable in their seats.  This was followed by a Ludlow interception of a Landon Spaulding pass destined to be a Pick 6, until called back on a Block in the Back call – Thank You Very Much!  Brossart followed up with the interception of a Ludlow pass, a 90 yard Brady Boruske return and a Brossart (Bentley McKinzie 6 yard run) touchdown.  Things then became more sedate  as all of this action was followed by four successive three and outs, two by each unit.  The quarter ended with the score knotted at 7s.

We would score early in the second quarter when Spaulding found Nick Cozzi on a 25 yard touchdown pass, and again Runge put the PAT on the board, giving us a 14-7 short-lived advantage.  On our next possession we fumbled the ball while deep in Ludlow territory, recovered in the endzone for a Panther score – Why Not???  I warned you about Rigney.  Finn McMillan, who came into the game at 22 of 22 PAT successes, hit both of his first half attempts and we went to halftime tied at 14s. 

We dominated the first half of the third stanza marching the piggy 91 yards that included a 24 yard and a 27 yard Spaulding to Cozzi completions, and when Spaulding hit Landon Ketron from 8 yards out, the Mustangs led 21-14 and pretty much shut down Ludlow during that time frame, and the Mustangs fans breathed a bit easier – prematurely.

I will have to review my accounting of the fourth quarter and revise this report, but the bottom line is that somehow Ludlow ended up with the football  at the 9 yard line, first and goal, and with 34 seconds left on the clock, they punched it in, making this a one-point game.  McMillan, who was now 24 of 24 had his PAT attempt blocked by Brady Boruske, but hold the phone – there was a flag against the Mustangs on the play, moving the ball to the one-and-a-half yard line and the rest is history.

With the win, the Mustangs notch their third win of the season.  We will travel to Bedford next Friday night where we follow both Ludlow and Holy Cross who own sizable wins over the Raiders.   This would improve our district seeding record to 2-1, and secure that elusive home playoff game. 

Our Players of the Game were Will Webster for his Offensive line play, and Brady Bourske was the unanimous choice for Defensive Player of the Game, with Nick Cozzi drawing an Honorable Mention.