After disappointing loss, Mustangs look for redemption tonight
at Palma
What was expected to be a tight contest between the Gilroy
Mustangs and the San Benito Haybalers for bragging rights and the
75-year-old Prune Bowl trophy never materialized last Friday
night.
After disappointing loss, Mustangs look for redemption tonight at Palma
What was expected to be a tight contest between the Gilroy Mustangs and the San Benito Haybalers for bragging rights and the 75-year-old Prune Bowl trophy never materialized last Friday night.
The Haybalers upended the Mustangs 41-6 at Mustangs Stadium in Gilroy to reclaim the Prune Bowl trophy it relinquished last year as Haybalers running back Trenton Young churned out 114 yards and two touchdowns.
“(It feels) pretty good,” said Young as he carried the Prune Bowl trophy on his hip while his overjoyed teammates rubbed it.
The win pushed the Haybalers Tri County Athletic League record to 2-0, while the Mustangs have stumbled out to a 0-2 start in league play. San Benito is currently tied with the Salinas Cowboys for first place in the league after the Cowboys knocked off the Palma Chieftains 24-13 last Friday.
Tonight the Mustangs travel to Palma High School to face the Chieftains, who will be looking to get on track after losing their first game of the season. The Mustangs will have to come up with a game plan to stuff Chieftains’ running back Luke Lippincott and plug some holes in its defense. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Once favored to challenge for the league title, the Mustangs are searching for answers after its latest setback. Except for four lost fumbles, an injury to its starting quarterback and the interception returned for a touchdown, the Mustangs looked decent last week.
On multiple drives, the Mustangs pushed the Haybalers to the brink of giving up a score, only to fall victim to another turnover.
With only three games remaining on the TCAL schedule, including tonight’s contest against the Chieftains, Gilroy can conceivably win two of the three and salvage the rest of the season. If that happens then the Mustangs can look toward next season with renewed enthusiasm.
The Mustangs face the North Salinas Vikings next week before hosting the Live Oak Acorns in the season finale.
Handling the Chieftains is the Mustangs No. 1 priority this week. The Mustangs must put an end to its ugly seven-game losing streak, put up more than its 20-combined points in the seven games and play Mustangs football.
Last week against the Mustangs, they were pushed around by the Haybalers’ young O-line, which provided Young and his cohorts with gaping holes.
Following his 30-yard touchdown run, Haybalers quarterback Lee Osborne capitalized on the first of four Gilroy fumbles. On second-and-eight, Osborne received the snap and took a three-step drop as if to pass.
As the Mustangs’ defensive linemen over-pursued, Osborne ran toward the center of the line before cutting past a Mustangs linebacker and into the Gilroy secondary, where a defensive back waited.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs defensive back, Osborne had no intention of running around him. Osborne lowered his shoulder and plowed the flat-footed defensive back into the ground. Seventeen yards and one humbled defensive back later, Osborne stood in the endzone with his arms raised celebrating his second touchdown run of the night.
On Gilroy’s ensuing drive, Haybaler defensive back Stephen King intercepted a pass from Mustangs quarterback Jon Kirkish and returned it 30 yards for the score and a 21-0 Haybalers lead.
San Benito continued to pour it on in various fashions.
After Young’s one-yard touchdown run made it 27-0 late in the second quarter, the Haybalers special teams forced a fumble on the Mustangs’ 15-yard line.
Young hit pay dirt again on the Haybalers first play from scrimmage with 15-yard scoring run.
San Benito’s punt team recovered another Mustangs fumble late in the fourth quarter, which lead to a Chris Brigantino 32-yard touchdown run to make it 41-0.
Conversely, the Mustangs could not solve the Haybalers defense until the final drive of the game. The Mustangs saved itself the embarrassment of being shutout by the Haybalers when Kirkish found wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez deep in the right corner of the endzone just as time expired in the fourth quarter.
It was the only bright spot for what was otherwise a disappointing performance by the Mustangs. The Mustangs must find a way to salvage a season that has taken a turn for the worse.
