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Panthers fall 14-0 to Mustangs
By Dick Sparrer
Saladin Washington has already topped the 100-yard rushing mark in a couple of games this season for the Prospect football team. And he did it again last Saturday afternoon for the Panthers.
Unfortunately, only 82 of his yards counted.
Washington appeared to run for a game-tying 71-yard touchdown in last Saturday's clash with Pioneer. But a clipping penalty 20 behind him nullified the score.
It was just one of many disappointments for the Panthers, who lost for the first time this season when they fell 14-0 to the Mustangs in the key game in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
A couple of illegal receiver downfield flags halted an early Prospect drive, forcing the Panthers to attempt a 24-yard field goal. It missed its mark.
The Panthers failed to capitalize after Kelly Stevens recovered a muffed punt at the Pioneer 15 with 1:47 left in the first half, they failed to capitalize on a couple of pass interceptions by senior defensive back Brian Shouse, and they failed to score when Washington apparently took off on his 71-yard TD run in the third period.
But the biggest disappointment of them all came late in the game when talented senior quarterback Jordan Williams went down hard after a sack and had to be helped from the field.
Williams was under a heavy rush most of the day. He completed five of 10 passes for 76 yards, but was sacked five times by the Mustangs--four times by defensive end Travis Murdock.
Williams hit Shouse three times for 61 yards and completed a pass each to Donald Austin and Chad Holan.
Washington led the offensive attack with 82 yards on 16 carries. Ryan Sainsbury supported with 22 yards on two tries.
Josh Mattson, Travis Gorman and Stevens starred defensively for the Panthers. But Prospect simply couldn't contain Pioneer senior running back Mike Wiens, who carried 18 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Mattson led all Panthers with 12 tackles and Gorman was in on eight. Stevens was in on seven tackles, including a quarterback sack, and he also recovered the fumbled punt.
Richard Tapia got in on five tackles for the Panthers, Washington was in on four and Andrew Heling got in on three.
Big 6-foot-4, 270-pound Jerimiah Evans had a couple of tackles, including a sack, and Jimmy Tongamoa, Nick Vidal, Holan, Ryan Schaeffers, Adrian Wise and Austin were also in on tackles.
Pioneer drove in for a touchdown on its first possession of the day, but Prospect came marching right back at the kickoff.
Washington ran for 9 yards, Sainsbury went for 13 and Williams scrambled for 14 to take the Panthers to the Pioneer 33.
Washington scooted for 7 more yards, but then the Panthers ran into trouble.
Williams completed a couple of passes to Sainsbury, but both were called back because of illegal receiver downfield penalties. Williams was also sacked for the first time, leaving the Panthers at the Pioneer 41.
But Williams hit Shouse for 7 yards, then lofted a 25-yard pass to Shouse for a first down at the 9. The Panthers could get no closer than the 6 on three downs, though, and attempted a 24-yard field goal. Heling's attempt missed wide right on the final play of the first period.
It was Pioneer threatening in the second quarter when Wiens appeared to return a punt 35 yards deep into Prospect territory. But the run was called back because of a clip, and the Mustangs took over at the Prospect 45.
On the first play after the punt, Shouse picked off a Pioneer pass. But even a 24-yard run by Washington couldn't get the Panthers in scoring position and they had to punt the ball again. This time, though, Wiens muffed the punt, and Stevens recovered at the 15.
Four tries at the end zone failed for Prospect, and the Panthers turned the ball over on downs at the 17 with seconds left in the half.
Prospect's only real threat of the second half was Washington's apparent TD run that was called back.
Wiens scored his second touchdown of the day with 2:38 left in the game to help clinch the win for the Mustangs.
Prospect slipped to 1-1 in the division with the loss and fell to 4-1 for the year. The Panthers will try to get back on the winning track when they visit Overfelt for a nonleague game on Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m.
Warriors fall
The win was the second straight for Pioneer in division play. The Mustangs had beaten Westmont 34-20 a week earlier in the league opener for each club.
Westmont slipped to 0-2 in the division and to 0-5 for the year with a 49-8 loss to Piedmont Hills last Friday night.
Junior Chris Snyder, who had completed 10 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown in his debut a week earlier against the Mustangs, hit Mike Hilbert on a 4-yard scoring toss in the third quarter to account for Westmont's only touchdown against the Pirates. Snyder ran in for the two-point conversion.
Hilbert starred in the game for the Warriors. The junior led the squad with six tackles and had a kickoff return for 27 yards. He also punted for a 43.0 average in the game.
The Warriors will be gunning for their first win of the season on Oct. 15 when they host Independence at 7:15 p.m. The 76ers are 0-5 for the year and 0-1 in the division after falling 37-16 to Willow Glen last Friday.
Dons win big
Del Mar pushed its season record to 5-0 with a 33-20 nonleague win over Mission San Jose last Friday night at Westmont.
The Dons, who had opened Santa Teresa Division play with a win over Piedmont Hills a week earlier, will return to league play this week, visiting Willow Glen on Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m.
The Rams are 1-1 in the division after beating up on Independence 37-16 last week. Willow Glen is 3-2 for the year.
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Campbell, California
