DECATURVILLE, Tenn. — Huntingdon’s Mustangs may not have been first to score in their game against Riverside on Thursday, October 1, but they were certainly the last. In fact, once they started, the only thing that stopped them was the final buzzer.
Huntingdon walked away with a commanding 56-7 final, improving their overall record to 7-0 for the season.
Riverside struck first, scoring on an opening-drive sweep to receiver Jack Cupples for a 19-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Mustangs answered right back, with Kenton Smith hitting Bryson Whiteside on a play-action pass for a touchdown to tie the game.
After forcing a Riverside punt, the Mustangs put together a long drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Zayden Connelly, taking a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.
Riverside’s offense stalled out again to open the second quarter. A long completion that looked like a go-ahead touchdown was wiped out by an offensive pass interference penalty, forcing a punt.
The Mustangs capitalized with another long drive, and a magnificent 85-yard touchdown run by Smith was called back on a holding penalty. However, the Mustangs remained patient and finished the drive out with an 8-yard Smith touchdown run, making it 21-7.
K’Shun Carter came up with an interception on Riverside’s next possession, and Huntingdon turned the takeaway into points in a hurry, with Colt Wood breaking off a 56-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 28-7.
Riverside’s defense tightened briefly, nearly forcing a Huntingdon punt situation, but the Mustangs’ offense kept rolling. Smith lobbed a pass downfield to Whiteside to set up a short field, followed by a pitch from Smith to Connelly for the score.
Huntingdon ended the first half up 34-7.
After halftime, the Mustangs wasted no time extending their lead in the opening drive of the third quarter. A direct-snap trick play caught Riverside off guard. Blocking back Whiteside took the snap himself and scored on a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 42-7.
After making short work of Riverside’s next drive, the Mustangs forced yet another punt.
With the mercy rule well underway, Connelly added his second touchdown of the night on a 20-yard scoring run, pushing the lead to 49-7.
Huntingdon turned to its reserves in the last quarter, and the backups picked up right where the starters left off, driving the field behind runs from Noah Webb and Kingston Smith.
Kingston Smith capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown, his first varsity score, making it 56-7. It was the Mustangs’ seventh touchdown on seven possessions in the game.
Riverside’s offense managed a couple of first downs against Huntingdon’s reserves in the last quarter, but couldn’t find the endzone again, turning the ball over on downs as time expired.
Huntingdon’s kickers were a combined 8-for-8 on extra points on the night between Grayson Anderson and Ethan Raffield.
