On the ensuing kickoff, Ryne Heck travelled 85 yards on the return, putting the Stangs back on top 19-6 Brett Moss made it a 20-6 ballgame after the successful PAT conversion through the center of the uprights, a lead the Mustangs would take to the locker room at halftime.
Big Mo dawned a Gallatin County white jersey to start the second half, as the Cats discovered that if they were patient they could chew up yardage against the Mustangs' outmanned D line, and chew up yardage they did. Seven minutes and sixteen seconds into the second half the Cats penetrated the goal line and suddenly it was a 20-12 ballgame and quickly a 20-14 contest after a successful two point PAT conversion.
As the Mustang arial attack sputtered in the second half, the we were forced to defend the twenty points that they had amassed in the first half in order to put the Gallatin County ball on the wall.
The play of the game may have come when Ryne Heck did his best NFL sideline tightrope walk picking off a Wildcat pass with 2:59 reminaing in the ballgame, stopping a possible Cats scoring drive.
A first down and two knees later this one was in the books 20-14.
After the game Head Coach Rodney Ollier was under the impression that his team had played just "well enough to win the game." He again cited fatigue and injuries to key defensive players as factors which contributed to the the second half Gallatin County momentum swing.
Coach Ollier also stated that Gallatin County would be our eleventh varsity game next season as the Mustangs make the jump from Junior Varsity to Varsity competition. The Mustangs will also return to Newport Stadium next fall to play Coach John Schlarman's Newport Varsity Wildcats. We will compete in Class A along with Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow, and Beechwood. Newport will be a Division II NKAC contest. |
