The Huntingdon Mustang football team showed no ill effects from their thrilling one-point win over Milan last week as they scored all their points in the first half Friday against Collinwood and coasted to a 35-0 victory over the Trojans to remain undefeated at 7-0 and improved to 3-0 in Region 6-1A with three region games remaining. Friday was the first time this season that the Mustangs were held under 40 points in a game but it was also the first shutout of the year as the Mustangs held Collinwood to zero yards on the ground and 139 through the air. The Mustangs for the game netted 272 yards on the ground and 53 through the air.
The Mustangs took the opening kickoff and calmly drove the ball from their own 48 in ten plays to score the first points of the game. The longest play of the drive was a 17-yard gain by Hunter Ensley who also scored the touchdown on a nine-yard run with 5:53 left in the first quarter. Cole Edwards came on to kick the extra point and the Mustangs led 7-0.
After a Trojan punt the Mustangs didn’t take long to strike for the second touchdown of the game. The Mustangs took over at their own 47 and Ensley connected with a streaking Konnor Pearson down the center of the field. Pearson who had to wait a second for the ball to come down caught it around the 20 and waltzed to the end zone with 3:08 left in the first to complete a 53-yard scoring play and Edwards was good on the P.A.T. and the score stood at 14-0.
The Mustangs then turned to special teams to score the next points of the game as Bo McLemore broke through and blocked a Trojan punt that Devin McClerkin corralled at the Trojan 19 setting the Mustangs up in great field position. Three plays later McClerkin got the call from his blocking back position and plowed his way into the end zone for the touchdown from 13 yards out with 10:38 left in the second quarter. Edwards was good on the extra point and the Mustangs held a 21-0 lead.
The Mustang defense forced another Trojan punt and the Mustangs took over at the Trojan 45 with great field position and after being called for holding on first down for a ten-yard penalty moved the final distance in four plays to score the touchdown. The Mustangs had a touchdown pass called back as Ensley found Austin Baker for a 23-yard score but a holding penalty moved the ball to the 27 and the next play Malek Cannon sprinted the final yards for the touchdown with 7:21 left in the half. Edwards was good on the extra point and the score went to 28-0.
The Mustangs scored the final points of the night on their next possession after a Trojan punt. The Mustangs again with great field position took over at the Trojan 46 and five plays later found the end zone for the final time in the game. Ensley scored his second touchdown of the night on a nine-yard run with 3:49 left in the first half. Edwards tacked on the final points of the night as he knocked through the extra point to make the final score 35-0.
Both teams threatened to score in the second half as the game was played with a running clock. Huntingdon’s Ethan Reliford picked off a Collinwood pass at the Mustang two-yard line on the first Collinwood drive of the final quarter. Dalton Chastain intercepted a Mustang pass at the Collinwood eight to end a scoring drive by the Mustangs second team.
The Mustangs return to Paul Ward Stadium for a region match-up with Wayne County this Friday for a 7 p.m. kick-off.
