Our Mustangs took advantage of a Paris mistake (muffed punt return) with the score tied at 14s with under 2 minutes to play in the game, followed by a 27 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Holtz to Nick Cozzi for what would be the 21-14 game-winner.
“Expect the Unexpected” turned out to be an accurate assessment of what was to come in this renewal of our rivalry with Paris. The first quarter was played between the 30s, with Paris threatening in the waning moments of the period, and would score on the first play of the second quarter, to take the first lead of the game. That would be a short-lived lead as we countered on our next offensive possession with a little razzle-dazzle as Holtz passed to Keegan Gulley who threw a strike to Isaac Amin who carried it into the end zone. When Max Runge split the uprights, we were knotted up at 7s, which would be the halftime score, when the Hounds missed on a last second of he first half field goal attempt.
Neither team could muster a score in the third quarter. With 5:13 to play in the game Cam Mandel went on a 62 yard trophy run, giving the Mustangs a 14-7 lead with the Runge tack-on. Paris answered at the 3:37 mark, knotting the score at 14s.
With just under two minutes remaining the the game, Paris botched a routine Max Runge punt, which I think was recovered by Brady Boruske, giving the Mustangs the ball at the 20 yard line. Tyler Holtz then found Nick Cozzi in the endzone for the go-ahead score, which was the game-winner, when Shane Willike intercepted a Paris desperation pass, putting this one in the win column.
Unfortunately, Paris lost the services of their quarterback, Kaden Fredrick, late in the second quarter. Sophomore backup, Julius Gregory did a creditable job for the remainder of the game.