The Staley Mustangs 8th Grade Football White Team played an intense game tonight against the Hunt Huskies. The Staley Boys fell behind early as they struggled to stop the strong Hunt offense, and the Huskies were up 14-0 early in the second quarter.  The Mustangs got things started with a nice run back on the kick off by #16, bringing the ball down to the 38 yard line. Number 25 took the hand off and  scrambled down to the 23 before being brought down.  A strong run by #27 had the Mustangs setting up shop at the 13 yard line.  On the next play, the quarterback, #11 dropped back and threw a bullet that was caught at the goal line by #3, who was called down at the 1/2 yard line.  A quarterback sneak had the Mustangs on the board with six points.  The PAT fell short and the Mustangs cut the lead, 14-6.

The Huskies had some problems on offense, getting several penalties, that backed them up. The defense held, as a fourth down pass fell incomplete.  Staley took over on downs.  A five yard gain on first down by #25, started the Mustang offense out on the right foot.  On second down, a hand off to #21 had him run off tackle to the near side line for a good chunk of real estate.  The Mustangs had first and ten on the 24 yard line.  First and second downs saw no gain for the Mustangs, and third down had the Staley quarterback running out of the pocket and being tackled before he could make a pass.  The Mustangs called a time out as the half was drawing to a close.  On fourth down, the Staley quarterback  threw down the field, but the pass was incomplete.  The Huskies took over on downs, deep in their own territory with just seconds on the clock before the half.  The Staley defense shut them down, and the Huskies had the lead 14-6 at the break. 

The Mustangs took the kick off at the start of the second half and #25 ran it back to the Staley 40 yard line.  A nice five yard run by #25 on first down, followed by a strong run by #27 gave the Mustangs a fresh set of downs.  On second down, quarterback, #11 dropped back and threw a quick 15 yard strike out #15, who worked his way down to the 15 yard line.  Mustang first down!!  Two short runs by #25 and #27, had the Mustangs facing 3rd down and 4 to go.  On the third down play, the Mustang quarterback threw a perfect pass to the end zone, into the arms of #35.  Mustang  touchdown!!!  The score was Hunt 14- Mustangs 12.  The all important PAT kick followed.  Number 25 drilled it through the uprights to knot it all up at 14 with 3:50 left in the third quarter.  The  Mustangs put together an impressive drive to tie the game. 

The Huskies and the Mustangs were battling it out, the Huskies were able to gain some yardage and even get a couple first downs.  But the Mustang defense proved they were tough.  On a crucial fourth down play, #29 brought down the back for a loss.  Most importantly, the Mustangs took over on downs.  The Huskies stopped the Mustangs and Staley had to punt.  

Once again the battle was on,  the Huskies would not go down without a fight, they wanted the win, just as much as the Mustangs.  The Husky offense stayed the course, moving slowly and steadily down the field a little at a time.  A first and ten on the 15 yard line put the Huskies within striking distance.  Staley's defense responded, they buckled down and tighten up, letting them only get two yards on first down, and one on second down.  Facing fourth and seven on the eleven yard line, and only seconds left in the game, the Huskies took a time out to stop the clock.   After the time out, they lined up for a field goal.  The ball was snapped and #11 was in the backfield in a flash and grabbed the ball out of the holder's hands before the ball had the chance to be kicked.  Unfortunately, he was swarmed with Huskies and brought down before any significant yardage was  gained.   The Mustangs had one last hope for a miracle.  They got the ball with nine seconds left on the clock and 80 yards to go. The hopes of a miracle died when the Mustang's quarterback was tackled behind the line as the buzzer sounded.  The final score was Huskies 14- Mustangs 14.  An all out battle, with both teams playing with determination and spirit.

The Mustangs proved what a tough team they are.  After going down 14-0 quickly, the offense stepped up and showed the Mustang spirit scoring 14 unanswered points.  The defense showed exactly how strong they are, shutting down the Husky offense at crucial moments to avoid a loss.  These young men played a great game, never giving up and giving 100%.  Congratulations Mustangs!! So proud of these boys!!! 

Here are some images of the game.