The Sussex County Mustangs of the Junior Diamond Football League earned their first win in Week Two of the season, over the Kent County 49er’s on Feb. 10, behind four, shutout quarters of staunch defensive play and their ball-control offense.
Coastal Point • JESSE PRYOR:
Running back Elijah Foreman puts the finishing touches on two Mustangs scoring drives and scored on 10 and 21 yard touchdown runs.The Mustang defense ravaged the 49ers for four turnovers, converting two into 12 fourth-quarter points in the 18-0 win. They limited the 49ers to a mere 78 total yards for the game.
The 49ers’ offense sputtered behind an unsuccessful passing game and, as a result, held the ball for a minority of the game. They completed only one pass, for no gain, on nine attempts.
They also turned the ball over on downs three times and were forced to punt twice after a pair of unsuccessful three-and-out possessions.
Matt Donahue, Justin Craft and Cameron Mattox each snagged interceptions for the Mustangs.
Since the season began, the Mustangs have had only a handful of practices. They practice for two hours, twice a week – and sometimes less, depending on the weather. When combined with the fact that many of the team’s players hail from a number of places along the Delmar Peninsula, it’s reasonable to assume that they haven’t really gelled yet.
The offense had its moments during the game. But it was the defense that filled the cracks to propel the Mustangs to their first win.
“We have five (players) from Stephen Decatur, four from Sussex Central, four or five Indian River, a couple from the Delmar area and another from Cambridge, so we have a pretty good mix of players. And when you only get two hours of practice twice a week, it kind of limits your timing on the offensive side of the ball, which is why we relied so much on the defense so far,” Mustangs head coach Jerry Kraft said. “When we had to go to ball-control (offense) we were able to do it. But that, combined with the defense, was the key to the game.”
The Mustangs also were unsuccessful in the passing game. Quarterback Brendan Chavis’ only completion came on the Mustangs’ last offensive play of the game, by way of an incredible 40-yard Lynn Swann-like touchdown catch by wide receiver Chris Crocker.
The Mustangs threw the ball on six of nine offensive first-quarter plays, despite a howling west wind, but completed none. Kraft and his coaching staff said they believed they could expose the 49ers’ secondary. But after not gaining a first down in three first-quarter possessions, they decided to put their hopes in the hands of the running game.
Running back Elijah Foreman capped a 14-play (all running plays) scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown, giving the Mustangs a 6-0 lead to start the second quarter.
Foreman had a 75-yard touchdown negated in the third quarter because of clipping. But that didn’t stop him from scoring again to give the Mustangs a 12-0 late fourth-quarter lead.
Foreman followed up a 39-yard scamper by Justin Kraft deep into 49er territory on the very next play with a 21-yard touchdown run to cap a two-play 60-yard scoring drive.
Kraft led all rushers, with 90 yards on seven carries. In addition to his 39-yard run, he also recorded a 32-yard run as well.
Foreman finished with 38 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns, and had 90 yards worth of rushing yards negated because of penalties. He also led the team with seven tackles.
Fellow running back Jordan Malone added another 41 yards on nine carries.
The Mustangs will face Junior DFL newcomers the New Castle County Cobras in Week Three for their first home game of the season.
Coastal Point • JESSE PRYOR:
The Mustangs of the Junior Diamond Football League forced four turnovers and converted two into 12 fourth-quarter points on their way to an 18-0 win over the Kent County 49ers.All of the Mustangs’ home games are played on the athletic fields behind the Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville.
The Cobras (1-1) are riddled with inexperience, according to head coach Gauwan Smith, but have persevered nonetheless. They won a game 6-0 and lost one by the same score as well. But all in all, the Cobras are beginning to realize the level of toughness it takes to win games in heart of the winter.
“We have a lot of inexperienced guys and a lot of them aren’t used to playing in this type of season with the cold,” Smith explained. “They realize that (winning) isn’t really that easy, but we’re going to come down there and have fun with it.”
“We know they’re a very experienced team, but we’re going to come in there ready to play football,” he concluded.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.