By Nirmal Mulaikal
Photo courtesy of MV Yearbook (Madison Mohns)

Under the bright lights of Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium at North Central College, the Mustangs shined in a 19-7 victory against Waubonsie Valley in the “Eola Bowl”. The Mustang community celebrated its first win in the football program’s history over another Valley school, as the the program had fallen short in all twelve games in previous seasons.

The Mustangs entered the game as underdogs. During the first quarter, both teams came close to scoring but fell short. However, during the second quarter, the Mustangs exploded for 13 points after senior safety Amiri Finner scored on a 15-yard touchdown run and a 92-yard kickoff return.

“The most valuable player of the game, without a doubt, had to be Amiri. He had two touchdowns, a couple pass knockdowns, and sparked our offensive attack,” senior quarterback Connor Lovely said.

[quote]Videos courtesy of Joey Marasco[/quote]

Coming out of the half with a 13-7 lead, the Mustangs held their ground with a goal line stand, leading to an interception by senior free safety Reggie Hill in the endzone. Hill’s interception was a turning point in the game. Led by senior defensive end Michael Robinson, who forced three quarterback sacks, the defense maintained a firm grip on the Warriors’ offense from that point on.

“From a defensive standpoint, I thought we performed really well. We only gave up 7 points in the first half and none in the second half,” senior running back and safety Maurice Burkley said. “I thought our defense came out and dominated throughout the whole game.”

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While the defense stood tall, the offense also capitalized on numerous opportunities. Lovely threw for 112 yards and ran for 31 yards, including a touchdown run to put the Mustangs up 19-7. Along with Lovely’s dual threat abilities, the Mustangs gave the Warrior defense a steady dose of Burkley, Finner, and junior Alonzo Taylor-Jones in the rushing attack.

“The running backs and offensive line were outstanding throughout the whole game,” Lovely said. “We have to use this game as a springboard for the rest of our matchups in the season.”

From the beginning to the end of the game, the Mustangs fed off the energy of the student section, filled with hundreds of excited students sporting black and gold attire. As time expired on the game clock, the team embraced the student section by jumping the gates and celebrating in the stands alongside their peers.

“It’s great to get over the hump as a program. Having an outstanding student section like ours is very special. When we needed a key stop on defense, the crowd really got loud and helped us out throughout the game,” Lovely added.

With a win under their belt against the Warriors, the Mustang team and fanbase have a lot to look forward to in the future. “I think that it was a big step forward and renewed the hype for these District 204 rivalry games, as we finally won one,” senior Matt Montrose said.

Gallery by Brittany Coates