The Patty Goering, BB-North College Hill, Varsity Game Photo Collection

When our Mustangs scored on a Cam Mandel 25 yard run just 3 minutes into the game, we may have been foolish enough to entertain thoughts of a possible Brossart lopsided victory.  It took only three minutes to dispel those thoughts, as Jayliveon Allen put on a display of superior athleticism, finished off a NCH drive that took about three plays.  Their 2-Point conversion was unsuccessful, and our Mustangs led 7-6 with only 6 minutes expired in the first quarter.  NCH took the lead at the 1:53 mark in the first stanza, on an 81 yard run by Quarterback Ar’Nell Kahr, making it 12-6, advantage the home team.  Fortunately, we answered on our next offensive series, as again Cam Mandel made a 10 yard trophy run to pay dirt, and when Max Runge split the uprights, we led 14-12 at the quarter stop.  We again traded blows in the second period with NCH drawing first blood, a 25 yard pass play from Kahr to Jaylveon Allen making it 20-14 and we were on the teeter-totter.  Again we were up to the task with Tyler Holtz finding Isaac Amin on a 34 yard aerial, making it 21-20 at halftime when Runge again connected on the PAT.

The concern at halftime, with NCH’s penchant for the big play was that they had won the pre-game coin flip and deferred to the second half, giving them the ball to start the 3rd quarter.  It was then that our defense really stepped up turning them back on three offensive possessions, while scoring a touchdown of our own late in the quarter, giving us a 28-20 lead.  This on a Holtz to Nick Cozzi touchdown pass. and Runge tack on.

With 8:41 remaining in the ballgame our Mustangs gained a two possession lead at 34-20 when Mandel ran 20 yards for his third touchdown on the night.  NCH’s last gasp came with 5:08 remaining when they scored on a 70 yard pass play, making it 35-26, but that was as close as they would come.   We upped the score to 42-26 on a 2 yard Landon Geyer run, that he had set up on three big running plays, prior to scoring the touchdown.  With time expiring and NCH threatening to score, Nick Cozzi intercepted a pass and returned it 100 yards for the icing-on-the cake touchdown, and a final score of 48-26.

On the night Mandel had three running touchdowns, and Max Runge remained perfect with 6 PATs, bringing his consecutive PAT total to 11 on the season.  He had no Field Goal attempts on the night, and mostly kicked the ball off safely to the sideline in play on kickoffs, as part of our team’s strategy for this game. Tyler Holtz passed for two touchdowns.  For their efforts, Cam Mandel was named the Offensive Player of the Game, and Nick Cozzi the Defensive POY, with key interceptions and defensive stops.